Amazon’s Individual vs Professional selling plan: Which is right for you?

When you become an Amazon seller, you have the option to sign up for an Individual or Professional selling plan. But which is better for your business? Both plans have unique benefits, so let’s look into the details and see how they compare.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• The differences between the Individual and Professional selling plans
• Factors to consider when reviewing selling plans
• Steps for switching plans and tips for a smooth transition

What’s the difference between the Individual and Professional selling plans?

The following table breaks down key aspects of the Individual seller plan and Pro seller account, so you can compare them side by side:

	Individual selling plan	Professional selling plan
Fees	You pay a fee of $0.99 per item sold.	You pay a monthly subscription fee of $39.99 per month no matter how many items you sell.
Benefits	Access a set of essential tools and services to help manage your business with no monthly fee.	Access a full set of tools and services to manage and grow your business, like bulk listings, brand management tools, detailed sales reports, advertising tools, and more.
Who should consider it?	This plan is tailored to new sellers with lower sales volumes, under 40 items per month. It’s also ideal for casual sellers or those with a limited product range who want to manage costs.	This plan is designed for sellers who expect higher sales volumes and can benefit from advanced selling tools. It’s also suited for established sellers or those planning to scale their operations.

For a comprehensive comparison with pricing and a list of tools and service available for each plan, visit our Standard selling fees page.

Factors for choosing an Amazon selling plan

Now that you know how the Individual and Pro seller plans compare, consider the following factors to ensure you choose the plan best aligned with your business goals:

• Sales volume: Consider the number of items you plan to sell monthly.
• Budget: Evaluate how much you’re able to spend on selling fees.
• Feature needs: Determine if advanced features like bulk listing or inventory management tools can help your business.
• Business scale: Assess the current scale and growth potential of your business.
• Promotional needs: Consider if you need access to promotional tools and advertising options to drive traffic to your offerings.

With these factors in mind, align your business needs with the right plan. If you’re starting with limited inventory, the Individual selling plan may be a good place to start as it allows you to pay based on sales activity. However, if you expect to sell more than 40 items per month, your strategy involves scaling quickly, and you want robust tools for managing and growing your business, the Professional selling plan may be more suitable. Often, sellers pick the Pro plan because it gives them the greatest number of benefits.

For example, an aspiring entrepreneur selling handmade crafts might benefit from the Individual selling plan due to lower initial sales volume and budget constraints. But a mid-sized electronics retailer planning to list hundreds of products could find the Professional selling plan advantageous due to its advanced listing capabilities and extensive promotional tools.

No matter which plan you start with, you can always switch if your business requirements change in the future.

How to switch selling plans

To switch plans, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account.
2. Select the gear icon in the top-right corner of the Seller Central dashboard.
3. Select Account Info from the dropdown menu.
4. In the Manage Your Services section, select Selling On Amazon. Then from the Manage Your Services page, select Selling On Amazon again for a dropdown of options.
5. For the Professional selling plan, select the Professional button. For the Individual selling plan, select the Individual button. After you’ve made your choice, select Apply changes.

Switch your selling plan

Some notes about switching

From Individual to Professional: If you switch to a Professional selling plan, your subscription begins immediately after upgrading. Additional links to Professional selling tools appear in your account right away, but some billing features can take up to two days to activate. For details about switching to a Professional selling plan, visit our Switch to a Professional selling plan help page (login required).

From Professional to Individual: If you don’t see an option to switch to an Individual selling plan, you might be enrolled in other Amazon services that require a Professional selling plan. In this case, you’ll need to disenroll from these services before you can switch to an Individual selling plan. For details about switching to an Individual selling plan, visit the Switch to an Individual selling plan help page (login required).

Tips for a smooth transition

Here are some tips to ensure a smooth transition when switching selling plans:

• Assess your needs: Before making a change, review your sales performance, inventory levels, and ecommerce growth strategies to determine if a plan switch is beneficial.
• Review enrollments: Check if there are any services or tools you’ve enrolled in that may require a Professional selling plan to continue using. Disenroll from these if you intend to switch to an Individual selling plan and the service or tool isn’t included.
• Effective date: If possible, plan the transition to coincide with your billing cycle to avoid unexpected prorated charges.
• Monitor performance: After switching, closely monitor your sales and order management systems to ensure they are functioning optimally with the new plan.
• Seek support: If any issues arise or if you have questions, contact Amazon Seller Support for assistance.

Choose a selling plan with Amazon

Both the Individual and Professional selling plans offer unique advantages tailored to different needs. With careful consideration and the right plan, you can maximize your selling potential with Amazon.

^{*A Professional selling plan is $39.99 a month + selling fees. Learn more}