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How do I close a duplicate Partner Center seller account? (blocking my Hardware Dev Center)

Mason 0 Reputation points
2026-05-27T14:22:07.7666667+00:00

Hi, hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

I accidentally ended up with two Partner Center seller accounts for the same company (same DUNS). The first one (under my personal Microsoft account) is active and I use it for Microsoft Store apps. The second one was created with our Entra ID work account and I enrolled it in the Hardware Developer Program, but the verification got stuck and Hardware Dev Center now just says "Deactivated".

I just want to close the second account so the DUNS gets released, then re-enroll Hardware under the first account. But I can't find any way to do that:

  • Partner Center's in-product support refuses my personal account, and on the Entra side the workspace dropdown is empty (because Hardware is deactivated).
  • The Windows Developer Support chat the docs point to throws AADSTS90072 on both accounts when I try to sign in.
  • We don't have a paid support contract, so Services Hub blocks us too.

So my question is really just: is there any way to close a duplicate seller account yourself, and if not, what's the right channel to ask Microsoft to do it? Happy to share sellerIds and correlation IDs in private.

Thanks.

Microsoft Partner Center | Other
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  1. AI answer

    2026-05-27T14:22:21.34+00:00

    A duplicate Microsoft Marketplace/Partner Center seller account cannot be closed directly in the UI. Account deletion and DUNS release must be handled by Microsoft support.

    For a Microsoft Marketplace/Developer seller account (used for Store/Hardware publishing):

    1. Deletion cannot be done self‑service
      • The Microsoft Marketplace account delete flow explicitly states that accounts cannot be deleted by the publisher. A support request is required.
      • This applies even if the account was created by mistake or is no longer needed.
    2. Prerequisites before asking Microsoft to delete the duplicate account Ensure the duplicate seller account (the one created with the Entra ID work account) meets these conditions:
      • No offers or applications (live or unpublished) associated with the account.
      • No pending payments associated with the account.
    3. Correct channel to request deletion of the duplicate seller account
      • Use Partner Center support as described in Get help and contact support for Microsoft Marketplace accounts. The documented path is: create a support request asking to delete the Microsoft Marketplace account.
      • In the request, clearly state:
        • That this is a duplicate Microsoft Marketplace/Developer seller account for the same company/DUNS.
        • That the account is blocking reuse of the DUNS and that you want the account closed and the DUNS released.
        • That there are no offers/applications and no pending payments on the duplicate account.
      • The support team will review the consequences and proceed with deletion if conditions are met.
    4. If the account is tied to a Partner Center global/location account
      • If the duplicate seller is part of a broader Partner Center global or location account and you cannot delete it yourself (for example, due to other enrollments or missing permissions), use the documented escalation path:
        • Submit a support request to delete the Partner Center account (global or location) when self‑deletion is blocked.
        • Support will:
          1. Review the potential consequences of deleting the account.
          2. Send an overview of those consequences.
          3. Ask for written confirmation that you understand and agree before they delete it.
    5. No self‑service way to release the DUNS
      • There is no documented self‑service mechanism to “release” a DUNS from a duplicate seller account. The practical path is to have Microsoft delete the unwanted Marketplace/Partner Center account via support, which then frees the identifiers (including the DUNS) for reuse on the correct seller account.

    In summary: there is no self‑service way to close the duplicate seller account. The supported approach is to open a Partner Center support request specifically asking to delete the Microsoft Marketplace/Developer seller account (or, if applicable, the associated Partner Center account) once you have confirmed there are no offers or pending payments.

    References:

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