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UCSC Purchasing on Amazon Business

UC Santa Cruz has refreshed its Amazon Business program to ensure continuity with OneCard policy, strengthen guided buying, and maximize the value of campus purchasing. Amazon Business combines the convenience and selection of Amazon with purchasing tools designed specifically for higher education.

Getting Started OneCard Integration Purchasing Benefits Learn More

Getting Started

New to Amazon Business?

Scenario A

Convert Personal Account

Scenario B

Existing Business User?

Scenario C

I have never used my @ucsc.edu email address on Amazon

The first time you access Amazon Business, follow the instructions in this registration guide to begin the registration process with the questions below to help assist you. If you can’t find your email, check your spam/junk folders, or call 844-428-3060.

You may be prompted to authenticate via the UCSC Single Sign-On (SSO) credentials. Use your @ucsc.edu email address UCSC NetID credentials.

I already used my @ucsc.edu email address with an Amazon Account

  1. If you have accepted an Amazon Business invitation in the past, use the Migrate your existing account option to merge accounts associated to your profile with the current UCSC Amazon Business account.
    2. Things to know before migrating:
    1. When you migrate, the UC Santa Cruz account administrator for Amazon Business is notified of your consent.
    2. When the migration is complete:
      • You and all other members of this account will join the official Amazon Business account
      • You will receive a pro-rated refund of your Business Prime Membership (if applicable)
      • Purchases in this existing account will be fulfilled
      • Pending invitations to this account will expire
      • Order histories transfer to the official account if individual credit cards were used for purchasing
      • If a shared payment method was used, order histories will not migrate. Please download your purchase history before proceeding:
        • “Hello” menu > “Business Analytics” > “Reports” > “Orders” > Set a time period > “Generate Report”
      • This account will be closed. You and other members will log into the official account with the same email addresses and passwords.

    *If you do not choose to migrate this account, the Amazon Business account administrator for your UC Santa Cruz account will be automatically notified.

  2. Yes, and it is for personal, or a mix of work and personal purchasing:
    1. Update your current account to a personal email address before registering, or
    2. Follow the prompts to associate a personal email address with your existing account during the registration process.

I previously used my @ucsc.edu email address to register for a verified Amazon Business account

If you previously used your @ucsc.edu email address to register for a verified Corporate Amazon Business account, you will need to de-register that account. All previous, stand-alone, Amazon Business accounts will be consolidated under the new, centralized account.

Visit https://amazon.com/gp/b2b/manage/deregister to complete the de-registration process.

Note: If you have more than a total of 5 users on your account, you will need to remove all other users from that Amazon Business account before the de-registration process. Should you need assistance, please call Amazon Business Customer Service at 844-428-3060.



FAQ Hub

User Information Prime Memberships Categories Payment Information Order Information Delivery Returns

There are a few ways to access the UCSC Amazon Business account, depending on your permissions

  1. Invitation from UCSC, which comes as an email from business@amazon.com.
  2. Click the Single Sign-On (SSO) link here to access the UC Santa Cruz Amazon Business account.
    1. SSO development in process to be implemented by 03/18/26

Always confirm you are logged into the official UCSC Amazon Business account

  1. Verify the banner reads: “Account for UNIV of CAL…”
    1. Ensure you are not using:
      1. A personal Amazon account
      2. A personal Prime account
      3. A departmental/shared login
    2. The Amazon Business Account will have the Business Prime logo in the top-left corner.
    3. In the top-right corner, University of California Santa Cruz will be visible under "Hello, Your Name".
    4. There will be Business-Centric messaging on rotating homepage tiles.
  2. If you are making a university purchase with a OneCard, you must be in the official UCSC Amazon Business account.

What types of Amazon Business users are on campus?

OneCard Holders (approved departmental users)
  1. Buy in bulk
  2. Create shopping lists and reorder items
  3. Request a custom quote using the support engine
  4. Access business pricing and reporting tools
Campus users without a OneCard
  1. Who they are:
    1. Faculty or staff who do not have purchasing authority
  2. What they can do:
    1. Create an Amazon Business account
    2. Research products
    3. Build and share "wish list"
    4. Collaborate with a designated OneCard holder for checkout
Department Groups (Shared/Generic Accounts)
  1. Important Update:
    1. Departmental shared or generic email accounts (e.g., engineering@ucsc.edu) are no longer permitted as Amazon Business purchasing accounts due to SSO verification and security policy.
  2. What this means:
    1. Purchases must be tied to an individual, verified employee account.
    2. Departments must route purchases through:
    3. A designated OneCard holder, or
    4. The Wishlist-to-approval workflow

What do I do if I bought a Prime Membership with UCSC school funds?

The UCSC Amazon Business account has an Enterprise Business Prime Membership that covers all users. You must follow the below steps in order to cancel your Prime Membership and receive a refund or pro-rated amount back to the original form of payment.

  1. Once you have registered your Amazon Business account go to Manage My Prime Membership.
  2. Select end membership.
  3. Follow the prompts on the screen to cancel Prime Membership without having to reach out to customer service.

What do I do if I bought a Prime Membership with personal funds on my @ucsc.edu Amazon account?

If you are using your UCSC email for your personal Amazon account and purchased a Prime Membership with your personal credit card, the membership will follow the payment method. You will want to follow Scenario B under registration to split off your order history and Prime Membership to a personal account that is not already being used on Amazon.

What Product Categories are available to purchase?

Through Amazon Business you will have access to most items available on the standard Amazon.com site, plus additional business-specific items and millions of items offering business pricing and quantity discounts.

Are there any category restrictions that will not work?

Certain products and services are not available through the Amazon Business punchout and are intentionally blocked from view. These categories are restricted to ensure compliance with campus procurement and financial policies. The following items may not be purchased through Amazon Business or sourced through alternative methods that bypass campus policy:

  1. Subscriptions of any kind, including Subscribe & Save
  2. Amazon services not available on Amazon.com including:
    • Amazon Web Services (AWS)
    • Amazon Fresh
    • Other Amazon subsidiaries or affiliated services
  3. Alcoholic beverages
  4. Transactions processed outside approved purchasing channels ,including personal or non-designated credit cards

Purchasing restricted items through alternate means to avoid policy controls undermines campus compliance requirements and may be subject to review. If you have a legitimate business need for a restricted item or service, please contact Procurement for guidance on the appropriate sourcing method.

Are there any category restrictions set by UCSC?

There are three areas of restrictions in place within the UCSC Amazon Business account that provide guidance on campus preferred purchases. Please understand restrictions are intentional and align with campus procurement policy. In partnership with the UCSC Procurement team, guided buying controls are designed to:

  • Support UC systemwide strategic agreements
  • Reinforce long-term sustainability goals
  • Prioritize campus-contracted suppliers
  • Advance economic and community impact initiatives

These controls help ensure purchasing decisions reflect our campus priorities while still providing flexibility and convenience to campus buyers. You may see “company restricted” or redirect messaging such as “we prefer you purchase these items with the Bay Tree Campus Store” or “please use CruzBuy with a campus preferred supplier representative.” Many product pages marked as “Company Restricted” are available for purchase; however, the requisitioner should ensure the items being purchased are allowable, according to UCSC Purchasing policies. You are responsible for following procurement policies within the purchases made under your account.

What form of payment should I be using to make Amazon purchases?

You will be required to enter a form of payment on Amazon Business. When you get to this screen please use your approved OneCard for campus business purposes.

Am I still allowed to shop on Amazon with my personal credit card?

Purchasing through the UCSC Amazon Business account has financial advantages and is the preferred method. You may use a personal credit card via Amazon when you check out and if your email address contains the UCSC domain you will receive the campus discount and Prime shipping benefit associated with our UCSC account.

How will I know when I will be receiving an order?

You will receive a confirmation email that will state the items ‘Estimated Delivery Date’ (i.e., April 10, 2026 - Saturday, April 11, 2026) and ‘Your Shipping Speed’ (i.e. Two-Day Shipping).

How do I see orders I placed after joining the UCSC Amazon Business Account?

The ‘Your Orders’ view in Amazon Business defaults to orders you previously purchased before joining the UCSC Amazon Business account. To see new orders, toggle between ‘View Your Orders: Paid by You’ and ‘View your Orders: Paid by UCSC’ in the drop down under ‘Your Orders’.

Is the URL for a product the same in Amazon Business as it is in the consumer site?

No, the URLs are different. You can search for the product in both sites by the ASIN number in the product description.

How do I track my Amazon Business package?

Follow these three easy steps to track your Amazon Business Package:

  1. Login to UCSC Amazon Business by going to Amazon directly and logging in with your @ucsc.edu email tied to Amazon Business
  2. Hover over the drop down and select “Your Orders”
  3. Once your order has shipped you can select the “Track Package” button to easily see when your package will arrive

How do I indicate my Ship-To Address?

If you access Amazon Business directly and pay with your OneCard, you will be asked to enter a shipping address.

Are there limitations for when items are delivered?

Amazon Business purchases through our central account will not be delivered on the weekends or on major holidays. The estimated delivery dates during the check-out and the email confirmation will be adjusted to account for this. Note: the delivery timeline for 3rd party sellers may vary.

How can I return or cancel an item?

To return an item, access your Amazon Business account and select Your Orders.

  1. Select Return or Replace items
  2. Choose a reason for return
  3. Print label and authorization
  4. Prepare package and return label

Items shipped and sold by Amazon.com can be returned within 30 days of receipt of shipment. Return policies, and timeframes, can vary if purchase was made from a 3rd party seller.

Orders can be returned via different options

  1. If order is being returned via USPS you can drop off at UCSC Mail Services between 8:00am and 4:00pm or the Santa Cruz Post Office.
  2. If the order is being returned via FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. please take to your department pickup location.

Amazon Business + OneCard: One Integrated Program

If you have a UCSC OneCard, all Amazon purchases made for University business must be completed through Amazon Business.

Amazon Business is the required Amazon purchasing channel for UCSC OneCard transactions. This ensures consistency between Amazon ordering and campus financial policies while protecting both the cardholder and the University.

Key policy and program alignments include:

  • Required use for OneCard purchases
    Any Amazon purchase made with a UCSC OneCard must be placed through the official UCSC Amazon Business account using your UCSC email tied to your OneCard and SSO authentication.
  • Clear separation of personal and University purchases
    Using a standard Amazon account with a UCSC email address can expose personal purchase history during audits. Amazon Business keeps University transactions separate from personal shopping and protects individual privacy.
  • Consistent controls and compliance
    Amazon Business supports OneCard policy through:
    • Defined user roles and departmental group structures
    • Approval workflows to review and regulate purchases
    • Category controls to reduce off-policy or non-compliant spend
  • Standardized payment and delivery
    Shared payment methods and shipping preferences support consistent billing, accurate records, and reliable delivery for campus departments.

For more info about OneCard, please visit the OneCard Process page or contact onecard@ucsc.edu.

Benefits of Purchasing Through Amazon Business

Because Amazon represents a significant portion of campus spend, aligning Amazon purchases through the official UCSC Amazon Business account allows the University to:
  • Maintain compliance with OneCard and procurement policy
  • Improve visibility into Amazon purchasing activity and spend activity
    • Business analytics and reporting help departments and central offices understand purchasing patterns, manage budgets, and support guided buying strategies.
  • Support existing campus contracts, local businesses, and sustainability initiatives
    • Support for local, small, and diverse supplier
    • Business makes it easier to identify and purchase from small, diverse, and sustainable sellers in Santa Cruz and the surrounding Bay Area.
  • Capture Amazon Business pricing, discounts, and incentives available only through an institutional account
  • Cost savings and purchasing power
    • Prime two-day shipping on eligible tangible goods
    • Business-only pricing and quantity discounts
    • Access to business-exclusive items and offers
    • Custom Quote Engine for bulk or high-value purchases
  • Efficient ordering experience
    Direct ordering through Amazon Business reduces processing delays while maintaining compliance with campus policies.
  • Dedicated support
    Access to Amazon Business–specific customer service for account, order, and fulfillment issues.

Purchasing Access and Roles

Amazon Business access is structured to align with UCSC purchasing roles:

  • OneCard holders
    • Have full purchasing authority and may place orders directly on behalf of the University through Amazon Business.
  • Non-OneCard users
    • May browse Amazon Business and create shared shopping lists ("wishlists") that can be submitted to a department administrator or OneCard holder for purchase.

As a UCSC staff or faculty member, your University email address will be associated with the official UC Santa Cruz Amazon Business account. New users are initially assigned to the Wishlist group. If you later obtain a OneCard, your account role will be updated to allow direct purchasing.

Your Amazon Business login uses your UCSC email address but is separate from UCSC single sign-on (SSO).

Learn More

We’ve created the following resources available to help guide you in this transition.

Training Sessions

Webinar Training Series:

Office Hours Support:

Amazon Business Webinar

UC Santa Cruz
Amazon Business Webinar

Economic and Community Impact


Amazon Business Analytics

Take time to understanding your departments spending.


Reporting & Reconciliation

Use the Reconciliation Report to view data including transaction info, customer info, and order info.

  • Simplify the reconciliation process by matching corporate credit card charges to each item in a shipment.
  • Match the Payment Reference ID in the Reconciliation Report against your credit card statement.
  • Customize report columns and filters at the left to find required information.

Need Help?

How do I contact Amazon Business Customer Service?

CLICK HERE – for the ability to call, email, or live chat with a customer service team dedicated to business customers only. Please use this team for anything relating to an order, transaction, shipment, and general Amazon related inquiries as well.


Amazon Business Prime Customer Support

For inquiries relating to an order, transaction, charge, or shipment, contact Amazon Business Customer Support online or by phone at (866) 486-2360.

If additional assistance is needed when joining UCSC's Amazon Business account, click here to contact Amazon support or call 844-428-3060 to speak with a dedicated support team to walk you through the process.


How do I share user feedback about my Amazon Business experiences?

We value your input! We want to hear what you like and where we can improve. Send feedback to our Amazon Business campus support team: amazonbusiness-help@ucsc.edu

Policy, Tools, Resources

The UCSC Amazon Business Account is for campus business purchases.


Support Guided Buying Policies

Support “Company Restricted.” items by finding alternative solutions.