Amazon KDP Bank Account Setup Guide for Authors
Your KDP bank setup determines where Amazon sends book royalties. A mismatched account-holder name, unsupported payment provider, or incorrect routing detail can delay payment even when your sales reports look healthy. This guide walks through the setup, explains the available payment methods, and gives you a safe way to troubleshoot problems.
- Enter bank details exactly as your bank holds them, including the account-holder name and address.
- Available payment methods and currencies depend on the bank's location and the Amazon marketplace.
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is generally KDP's recommended option when available.
- KDP says it checks a newly added bank account within five business days.
- Use a participating payment service provider or a direct bank account, and never send banking credentials by ordinary email.
This guide was checked against Amazon's official Add or update a bank account, KDP Payment Options, identity verification, and Payment Service Provider Program pages on August 10, 2026. Availability changes by country, marketplace, and account, so the options shown inside your own KDP account remain the source of truth.
How KDP royalty payments fit together
Three records work together in a KDP account: your identity details identify the publisher, your tax profile establishes the royalty recipient's tax status, and the Getting Paid section identifies the bank account receiving funds. These names can have legitimate differences, but each section must accurately describe what it asks for. Your identity should match the requested ID, tax information should match tax records, and banking information should match the bank's records.
Bank setup does not change when a royalty becomes payable. KDP generally pays royalties on its published schedule after the month of sale; the bank details simply determine how an eligible payment is delivered. See the KDP payment schedule and reports guide for the timing and reconciliation workflow.
What to gather before adding a bank account
- The account-holder name exactly as shown by the bank.
- The account-holder address the bank has on file.
- The account number and the correct routing identifier for the bank's country.
- An IBAN, BIC, or SWIFT code when the KDP form requests one.
- The account holder's date of birth, or the entity's date of incorporation for a corporate account.
- Confirmation that the account accepts the currency and payment type KDP will send.
- Two-step verification access for the KDP account.
Copy these details from a bank statement, official bank portal, or confirmation letter. Do not infer a routing code from a web search or reuse details from a different account. If you are unsure whether the account can receive an international transfer or a particular currency, ask the bank before entering it.
How to add a bank account to Amazon KDP
- Sign in to KDP, open Your Account, and complete two-step verification.
- Under Getting Paid, select Add a bank account.
- Choose your country or region of residence. Then provide the bank's location when prompted.
- Enter the date of birth or incorporation, account-holder name, and account-holder address.
- Complete the country-specific banking fields displayed by KDP.
- Review every digit and name, choose Add, then scroll down and save the account page.
- Return to Getting Paid and monitor the account status and any KDP notice.
Amazon says it checks the name, account number, routing number and/or IBAN to confirm that it can pay the account, typically within five business days. Avoid replacing the details repeatedly while a normal check is underway unless you know an entry is wrong.
EFT, wire transfer, or check?
| Method | How it works | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic funds transfer (EFT/direct deposit) | Royalties move electronically into the bank account. KDP recommends this option and generally describes it as faster and without a KDP minimum threshold. | Confirm local availability, supported currency, and whether the receiving bank applies its own requirements. |
| Wire transfer | An electronic transfer used for some bank-location and marketplace combinations. | Check KDP's applicable threshold and ask the bank about incoming wire and currency-conversion fees. |
| Check | A paper payment offered only for certain location and marketplace combinations. | Expect thresholds and slower delivery; confirm that the payee name and mailing address can be processed locally. |
You do not freely choose among all three methods in every country. KDP determines the available combination from the bank location and sales marketplace. Amazon Payments and PayPal are not KDP royalty payment options.
Bank location, residence, and currency are different fields
Your residence is where you live or where the publishing entity is established. Bank location is the country where the account is maintained. Payment currency is what KDP sends for a given marketplace and method. Keeping those concepts separate prevents a common setup error: selecting the desired currency as if it were the bank's country.
When KDP pays in a currency different from the sale currency, Amazon says it converts the royalty using a rate from its exchange-rate service. Your bank or payment provider may also impose conversion or receiving fees. Compare the net amount received, not only the headline exchange rate.
Using a payment service provider
Some authors use a payment service provider (PSP) that supplies receiving-account details. KDP has a Payment Service Provider Program and may require the provider to participate and complete know-your-customer checks. A set of account numbers that technically accepts transfers is not enough if the underlying provider is unsupported.
Why KDP bank verification fails
- The account-holder name is abbreviated, misspelled, or entered as a pen name.
- The bank's country or account type is wrong.
- A routing number, IBAN, BIC, SWIFT code, or account number contains a transcription error.
- The account-holder address does not match the bank's file.
- The receiving account cannot accept the payment method or currency.
- A payment service provider is not participating or has incomplete verification.
- The KDP account needs identity, tax, or security verification.
Start with the exact notice in Getting Paid. Compare every field with a current bank document, then ask the bank to confirm the account's incoming-payment capabilities. If the details are accurate but KDP still rejects them, contact KDP support through the signed-in help flow.
How to change bank details without losing track of payments
- Download recent payment and royalty reports before making the change.
- Confirm that the new account is open, correctly titled, and can accept the expected payments.
- Add or update the account in Getting Paid and save the page.
- Wait for the account check and monitor KDP notices.
- Keep the old account open until already-issued payments have arrived and the new destination is confirmed.
- Reconcile the next deposit by marketplace, currency, and payment number.
A bank change does not necessarily reroute a payment that has already been initiated. If a payment is returned, rely on the status and instructions in KDP rather than assuming that it will immediately appear in the new account.
Security checklist for royalty details
- Open KDP from a saved bookmark or type the official address yourself.
- Keep two-step verification enabled and protect the recovery method.
- Do not email a password, one-time code, full bank statement, or complete account credentials.
- Treat urgent requests to “unlock royalties” by paying a fee as suspicious.
- Verify that payment-related email domains and the signed-in account notice agree.
- Limit account access to people who genuinely manage publishing finances.
Amazon's bank-account guidance identifies legitimate payment messages from addresses ending in @kdp-support.amazon.com or @accounts-payable.amazon.com. Even then, sign in independently and provide updates through the KDP account rather than through an unexpected link.
A clean pre-publishing account checklist
- Your identity information is accurate and any requested verification is complete.
- Your KDP tax profile is complete.
- Your bank account is accepted and belongs to the correct recipient.
- You understand the method and currency used for each marketplace.
- Your royalty and payment reports have a secure archive location.
- Your manuscript, metadata, pricing, and AI-content disclosure are ready for review.
Finish the manuscript before the finance setup
ShakespeareAI helps authors organize an outline, draft chapters, and export a long-form manuscript for a human-led editing and publishing workflow. Set up payments accurately, then focus your launch energy on a book readers will value.
Start your book draft →Frequently asked questions
What bank information does Amazon KDP require?
The fields vary by bank location. Expect the account-holder name and address, birth or incorporation date, bank name, account number, and the routing, IBAN, BIC, or SWIFT details requested on screen.
Can KDP pay royalties through PayPal?
No. KDP says PayPal and Amazon Payments are not royalty payment methods. The available choices are EFT, wire, or check depending on the bank location and marketplace.
How long does KDP take to verify a bank account?
Amazon says it checks newly added bank details within five business days. Watch the Getting Paid section for the result.
Can an author use a payment service provider with KDP?
Yes, when the account meets the current Payment Service Provider Program requirements. Confirm participation and complete any requested verification, or use a direct bank account.