Last Updated: September 18, 2024
Learn how to set up user permissions in Amazon Seller Central to protect your account while delegating tasks efficiently.
Running an Amazon business is demanding. It is overwhelming to juggle between managing inventory, optimizing listings, and handling customer inquiries. That’s where user permissions come in.
You can’t be everywhere at once, but you can delegate tasks to trusted team members. By setting up user permissions in Seller Central, you can allow others to help manage your business without giving them complete access to your account.
This guide, based on the best practices our Amazon Agency follows when managing our clients’ accounts, will show you how to create user roles, assign permissions, and monitor user activity.
By the end, you’ll have a team that can handle various tasks efficiently, freeing you up to focus on growing your business.
Table of Contents
How to Add a User on Seller Central User Permissions
Seller Central manages user accounts using an invitation system. As the account manager or administrator, you start by sending an email or SMS to invite users to create their own Seller Central accounts.
Step 1: Inviting New Users
Here’s how you can invite additional users:
1.1. From the Settings menu, select User Permissions.
1.2. How do I invite a user to Amazon Seller Central? Input the Name and email address of the person you’d like to invite.
Select Language, then click “Send invitation.” Repeat this process for anyone else you want to invite.
Step 2: The New User Accepts the Invitation
2.1. The recipient clicks on the link provided in the invitation, which will prompt them to sign in or create a new Amazon account.
Note: For security reasons, if the email or phone number used differs from the one the invitation was sent to, an extra approval step will be required before the user can access Amazon Seller Central.
2.2. A webpage will open showing a message that confirms the invitation and requests acceptance. Once the invitation is accepted, the account manager can then assign additional permissions to the user.
Step 3: Manage User Permissions
After the invitation is accepted, you can assign specific permissions to each user. This process ensures that the right accounts are assigned to the correct individuals with the appropriate permissions.
The invitation model also allows you to fully manage user accounts independently, without needing help from Amazon Seller Support.
3.1. In the Settings menu, select User Permissions.
3.2. Select “Manage Permissions” next to the account you wish to modify.
3.3. Assign permissions to each group by choosing the appropriate radio button under each setting:
- • None: No access to the selected feature
- • View: The user can view the feature but cannot make changes
- • View & Edit: The user can view and modify the feature
- • Admin: Full access to the feature
After setting the permissions, click “Continue” at the bottom (as indicated in the image below) to complete the process.
Key Considerations:
- • Be cautious about which permissions you grant. For instance, if someone is only managing ads, they should only get permissions related to advertising. Avoid giving access to sensitive areas like:
- • Seller Configuration: Upgrading or downgrading your account
- • Tax Settings
- • User Permissions: Prevent them from adding other users
- • Bank Account Information: They can see but not modify
- • Inform the user about the updated permissions and ask them to log out and back in to see the changes.
- • Grant only essential access. Specify exactly what tasks the VA or team member needs to perform and only give permissions relevant to those tasks.
Amazon User Permissions Explained
What is Amazon user permissions?
“User Permissions” is one of the tools and features in Amazon Seller Central. If properly set up, it grants different levels of access to authorized individuals.
Who can set and edit Amazon Seller Central user permissions?
Only professional sellers may grant user permissions on Amazon. The e-commerce platform offers individual and professional selling plans, which sellers can easily switch to.
Upon setting up your SC account, you initially have exclusive access to the tools and features of the platform.
Who can you give access to?
You can grant user permissions to anyone whom you authorize to get into your account, such as co-owners, employees, contractors, and more.
Who is a primary/secondary user?
This refers to the access level of the person. granted Amazon user permissions.
1. The primary user is the account administrator, the person who registered the Seller Central account. With this access level, a primary user can access all pages and features provided by their account type.
He/she can access the user permissions page for inviting secondary users and grant access in order to perform activities related to the account.
2. The secondary user is the person who gets invited by the account administrator or primary user. He/she can only “view and edit” the user permissions page in SC if assigned as an admin by the primary user.
As an admin, he/she can then manage other secondary users’ permissions.
When does a primary user need to invite secondary users to the SC account?
There are several possible scenarios that require appropriate user permissions access. Here are some of them:
• Delegating tasks or responsibilities to a business partner or an employee.
• Providing access to secondary users from each of the multiple locations for managing inventory and fulfilling orders.
• Enabling hired contractors or third-party service providers, such as when you hire My Amazon Guy to manage your brand’s SEO, ad campaigns, listing, design, and more.
• Limiting access to particular users, such as customer service representatives, to only view and use certain data and features for their roles.
• Having backup access for unexpected situations, such as when the primary user is unavailable.
Where can I find the User Permissions page in Amazon Seller Central?
Once logged in to your Seller Central account, look for the gear icon in the upper right corner of the page. Click “User Permissions” to open a page where you can send invites to secondary users and view current users.
How can I set up user permissions?
Once you are on the user permissions page, you just have to look for the appropriate fields for adding/deleting users, or managing each user’s permissions.
How can I add secondary users if I am the primary user or administrator?
As explained above, if yiu are a primary user, you can add a secondary user and manage their permissions once they accept the invitation.
To add a secondary user, enter their contact details and then click “Send invitation.”
Inform your secondary users that they’ll receive an invitation email with instructions on how they can proceed.
You can also watch this video to learn how to add a user to your SC account.
How can I remove or manage permissions for a secondary user from my SC account?
On the same page, you can view your user permission history and see who your current users are. To remove a secondary user, click the “Delete” button.
Clicking on the “Manage Permissions” button allows you to add or remove permissions or restrict the access of a particular secondary user. The system will automatically save any changes you make.
Here is a video you can watch on how to remove user permissions.
User Permissions Best Practices
Understanding what Amazon Seller Central user permissions involve will help you optimize its use to help manage your business. Below are some crucial things to remember.
- • If you registered for Amazon’s individual selling plan and would like to grant other people access to your account, you can switch to the professional selling plan. Only professional sellers may do this.
Here is a video you can watch on how to fix a problem when you cannot access user permissions in your account.
As a seller, you can add secondary users to your SC account, but you cannot transfer it to anyone else, even if the business has a new owner.
If there is a new business owner, he/she must set up a new SC account.
The selling plan you signed up for, along with your enrollment in Fulfillment by Amazon and user permissions, will determine which help pages on SC you can view (applies to both primary and secondary users).
Secondary users may complete tasks like managing inventory, handling shipping confirmations, and more, depending on the permissions granted to them by the primary user.
If you are a secondary user and there are features that you cannot access in SC, you may ask the primary user to give you additional permissions.
Account credentials are unique and sensitive, so never share them with anyone else.
User Permissions vs Global Permissions
Amazon has updated its permissions system, introducing “Global User Permissions” alongside the traditional “User Permissions.” Here’s a quick overview:
User Permissions
- • Scope: Applies to specific tasks and areas within your account.
- • Features: Includes options for managing inventory, ads, performance, and more.
- • Limitation: Limited to the specific marketplace(s) you’re selling in.
Global User Permissions
- • Scope: Applies across all marketplaces, offering broader control.
- • Features: Includes additional settings like brand benefits, global inventory, and merchant token access.
- • Importance: Overrides regular permissions and is crucial for tasks affecting multiple regions.
Key Differences
- • Access Level: Global permissions provide access to a wider range of settings and features compared to regular permissions.
- • Management: You need to review both types to ensure proper access control. Global permissions are essential for comprehensive account management.
To manage permissions, navigate to User Permissions and Global User Permissions via the gear icon in Seller Central. Regularly check both to keep your account secure and updated.
User Permissions To Avoid Getting Locked Out
Preventing lockouts of your Amazon Seller Central account is crucial for smooth operations. Here’s a streamlined guide to keep access secure and uninterrupted:
Set Up a Secondary Admin Account
- • Ensure you always have access, even if your primary account is locked.
- • Create a secondary admin account with full permissions. This allows you to manage and add other users or submit support cases if needed.
Assign Individual User Logins
- • Track access and avoid confusion.
- • Provide unique login credentials for each user. Avoid sharing accounts among multiple people to prevent conflicts and potential lockouts.
Use Two-Step Verification with Authenticator Apps
- • Purpose: Enhance security and prevent unauthorized access.
- • Action: Set up an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator) for two-step verification. This method is more secure and reliable compared to using SMS codes, which can be compromised.
Other User Permissions FAQs
User Permissions Are Critical For Your Business
As one of the tools and features that Amazon Seller Central provides to its sellers, user permissions will help you manage your e-commerce venture with the help of other people, such as your colleagues and third-party service providers.
Find out how we a Full Service Amazon Agency can be a valuable partner in achieving your goals.
