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Why Do You Need to Share Your ID with Amazon?

Sankar Shubham

Shopping on Amazon India can be a thrilling experience. You have millions of products to choose from, and tons of deals, sales and discounts available – on a daily basis. And while most transactions are smooth with you simply clicking on the item you wish to purchase, inputting your payment method and then waiting for the product to arrive, there can be times when you are also asked to provide identification proof for you to be able to proceed with your transaction. When and why are you required to share your ID with Amazon. Here is the answer.

When You Are Importing Items into India

Amazon is a worldwide shopping platform, and it is possible to import items from other parts of the world using your Amazon Global shopping option. And in India, for customs clearance you are required to provide identification proof when you order products from an Amazon portal from another country. 

If you are ordering from another country, then the products you have ordered are required to go through multiple shipping stages before they finally arrive at your address in India. Verifications are required at each of these stages since your item will be travelling across multiple international borders. And then, when your order finally arrives, it needs to be cleared by Indian customs. Without your ID proof, your order will not be cleared at Indian customs and even at some other points of the shipping process. This the reason why at checkout, you will be asked to present your ID proof. 

Here is what you are required to do when placing an international order:

  • Upload your KYC (Know Your Customer) documents – your identity proof – when you are placing your order. 
  • If you do not upload your documents at that time, then it must be done within 48 hours of your having placed your order. If you fail to do either of these steps, then Amazon will cancel your order. 
  • Amazon will accept only the following IDs for your KYC / ID Proof: Aadhar Card, PAN Card, Passport or Voter ID.
  • If you upload any other ID proof, then it will be considered invalid. 
  • If you upload an ID that is not clear, then it will be considered invalid. 
  • If you do not upload the correct ID proof and/or a clear KYC document within 48 hours, then your order will be cancelled. 
  • If you have already provided your ID proof to Amazon Pay India Private Limited (Amazon Pay), and have allowed Amazon Pay to share this information with Amazon (Amazon Seller Services Private Limited), then you do not need to re-upload any ID proof at this time.
  • Amazon also clearly states that while most countries are okay with just your ID proof, there are some countries that may demand added documents for verification. This information may be provided directly to the courier when they get in touch with you with regard to the product you are importing.

For example, if you are importing an item from Taiwan, then you are expected to provide real name authentication to Taiwan customs using the Taiwan Customers EZ WAY app. If you do not do so, then your item will not be cleared by Taiwan customs. Similarly, if you are ordering something from Korea, you need to create and update your Personal Customs Clearance Code (PCCC) on Korea’s Customs Service website. Failure to do so will result in your item not being cleared by Korean Customs. 

As you can see, importing a product on Amazon is not as simple as buying something domestically in India. And if you are worried about the safety of your personal details, Amazon assures all shoppers that their personal information is specifically used for Customs clearance and shipping purposes. The company ensures that your information is saved safely and securely. 

In the event that you are not comfortable with your information being in Amazon’s hands, then you can simply delete your personal information from your account. To do so, go to your account and click on Manage Saved IDs. Select the ID information and delete it. Once you have done so, it will take 30 days for your information to be permanently deleted from Amazon’s database. Furthermore, if Amazon does not have need of your personal information for 90 days or more, then the company will automatically delete this data from both your account as well as their database. 

When Using Amazon Pay

If you are planning to use Amazon Pay, then you will be required to carry out your KYC verification (ID Proof) before you will be able to use your Amazon Pay balance. Here is what you need to do to complete this verification process: 

  • Upload a selfie and a picture of your PAN card
  • You can verify your Aadhar Card details and then complete the KYC process over a video call with an Amazon agent. 

If you do not have an Aadhar card, then your PAN card details are enough to complete the KYC process. 

When Applying for an Amazon Pay ICICI Bank Credit Card

If you are applying for an Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card, then you will need to complete the required verification process. There are two ways through which you may complete your KYC verification:

  • Video KYC, where you provide your PAN card and Aadhar card details (the second one is optional) to the agent who is on the call with you. You may also be asked to answer a few additional questions. 
  • In Person, where you will be required to schedule an appointment with a KYC agent from the bank, who will visit you in person and carry out the KYC verification process. You will be required to submit an ID proof (Driving License, Aadhar Card, Passport or Voter ID). If your Aadhar card does not have your date of birth, then you will be asked to submit a copy of your PAN card. And finally, you will be asked for your income documents.