SELL

How to start
selling on Amazon

Whether you’ve already got an established ecommerce business, a great idea for a new product, or you just have a passion for selling, here’s how to take that next step with Amazon.
Read the beginner's guide to selling on Amazon
Man and woman smiling holding an Amazon box

Before you start

Choose a selling plan

With the Individual plan, you’ll pay $0.99 every time you sell an item. The Professional plan costs $39.99 per month, no matter how many items you sell. For both plans, Amazon also collects a referral fee on each sale, which is a percentage of the total transaction and varies by product category. Visit our pricing page for a summary of selling fees.
Compare plans
Amazon app showing product listings of water bottles that can be shipped through Amazon Prime

Consider your selling strategy

Resellers find popular products that already exist and offer them in Amazon's stores.

Brand owners manufacture their own products—or source goods to sell under a private label—to offer shoppers unique selection.

Lots of sellers do both. You can choose whichever method works for your goals. If you plan to sell your own brand on Amazon, we have lots of resources and tools to help.
Learn how to build a brand on Amazon

Create an Amazon seller account

You can use your customer account to start selling, or you can create a new Amazon seller account with your business email. Before you sign up, make sure you’re ready with the following:
  • Business email address or Amazon customer account
  • Chargeable credit card
  • Government ID (identity verification protects sellers and customers)
  • Tax information
  • Phone number
  • A bank account where Amazon can send you proceeds from your sales
Create your Amazon seller account
Amazon Seller Central home screen interface

Amazon jargon:

Seller Central

Seller Central is the website where sellers log in to monitor their Amazon sales activity. You can manage inventory, update pricing, communicate with buyers, review account health, contact selling partner support, and add new products.
Woman in a black blazer looking at her account in the Amazon Seller mobile app

Go mobile

Use the Amazon Seller app to track sales, fulfill orders, find products to sell, respond to customer questions, capture and edit professional-quality product photos, and create listings—all from your phone.
QR code to download the Amazon Seller app to your cellphone
Click here to download the Amazon Seller app on the Apple App Store
Click here to download the Amazon Seller app on Google Play

Adding your products

What can you sell on Amazon? It depends on the product, the category, and the brand.

Some categories are open to all sellers, some require a Professional seller account, some require approval to sell, and some include products that cannot be sold by third-party sellers.

The table below provides an overview of Amazon product categories, but visit Seller Central Help to learn more about restrictions, and how to request approval. If you ship orders with Fulfillment By Amazon, be sure to review the specific list of FBA product restrictions.

Product categories

Product category

Example products

Conditions allowed

Categories without restrictions
Amazon Device Accessories
Amazon devices accessories
New, Used
Amazon Kindle
Kindle devices accessories
Used
Beauty
Fragrance, skincare, makeup, hair care, bath & shower (topicals require approval). See also Health & Personal Care.
New
Books
Books, calendars, card decks, sheet music, magazines, journals, other publications
New, Used
Business Products (B2B)
Business-relevant products across multiple categories. Special pricing features to target business customers.
New, Used
Beauty Tools & Accessories
Brushes, bags, cases, skin care tools, hair styling tools
New
Camera & Photo
Cameras, camcorders, telescopes
New, Used
Cell Phones
Cell phones and accessories must be listed using the manufacturer’s Universal Product Code (UPC).
New, Used, Unlocked
Clothing & Accessories
Outerwear, athletic wear, innerwear, belts, wallets
New
Electronics Accessories
Audio, video, camera, photo, cell phone, car electronics, computer, and office accessories
New, Used
Fashion Jewelry
Jewelry that does not contain precious or semi-precious gemstones, pearls, metals
New
Grocery & Gourmet Food
See grocery & gourmet category details on Seller Central
New
Home & Garden
Kitchen, dining, pet supplies, furniture, décor, bedding, bath, craft, hobby, home appliances, storage, patio, lawn, garden, pool supplies, landscaping, snow removal, generators
New, Used, Collectible
Luggage & Travel Accessories
Luggage, bags, backpacks, briefcases, umbrellas, travel accessories
New
Musical Instruments
Guitars, orchestra, recording equipment
New, Used, Collectible
Office Products
Supplies, furniture, printers, calculators
New, Used, Collectible
Outdoors
Outdoor gear, outdoor sports apparel, cycling, and action sports
New, Used
Shoes, Handbags & Sunglasses
Shoes, boots, sandals, slippers, handbags, sunglasses, eyewear frames
New
Software & Computer Games
Business, media education, utility, security, children's software and PC games
New, Used
Sports
Exercise & fitness, hunting accessories, team sports, licensed/fan shop, athletic apparel, boating & fishing, and game room
New, Used, Collectible
Tools & Home Improvement
Hand & power tools, plumbing, electrical, building materials, appliance parts
New, Used
Toys & Games
Action figures, dolls, board games, arts, crafts, furniture, learning toys (holiday selling requirements apply)
New, Collectible
Video Games & Video Game Consoles
Game consoles, console games, accessories
New, Used, Collectible
Categories with restrictions
Alcohol
See Alcohol restrictions on Seller Central
New
Animal-Related Products
See animals & animal-related product restrictions on Seller Central
New
Automotive & Powersports
See automotive & powersports restrictions on Seller Central
New, Used, Collectible
Baby Products
Topicals, food, feeding products, diapers, strollers, carriers, toys
New
Beauty Topicals
Cosmetics, fragrance, skincare, makeup, hair care, bath & shower, topicals
New
Certified Refurbished
Laptops & computers, smartphones, tablets, kitchen appliances, office equipment
See Amazon Renewed
Collectible Coins
Graded collectible coins minted by governments, US Mint packaged product, gold coins, silver coins, platinum coins, palladium coins
Collectible
Cosmetics & Skin/Hair Care
See cosmetics & skin/hair care restrictions on Seller Central
New
Dietary Supplements
See dietary supplements restrictions on Seller Central
New
Drugs & Drug Paraphernalia
See drugs & drug paraphernalia restrictions on Seller Central
New
Electronics
See electronics restrictions on Seller Central
New
Entertainment Collectibles
Celebrity signed photos, original movie posters, limited-edition figures and busts, animation cels
Collectible
Explosives, Weapons, & Related Items
See explosives & weapons restrictions on Seller Central
New
Fine Art
See fine art restrictions on Seller Central
Collectible
Gambling & Lottery
See gambling & lottery restrictions on Seller Central
New
Grocery & Gourmet Food
See grocery & gourmet restrictions on Seller Central
New
Handmade
Handmade and hand-altered products
See Amazon Handmade
Hazardous & Dangerous Items
See hazardous & dangerous Items restrictions on Seller Central
New
Health & Personal Care
First aid, nutrition, feminine hygiene, dietary supplements
New
Historical & Advertising Collectibles
Vintage collectibles related to historical people, places, or events and promotional materials related to consumer brands.
Collectible
Human Parts & Burial Artifacts
See Human parts & burial artifacts restrictions on Seller Central
New
Industrial & Scientific
Lab equipment & supplies, industrial materials, power transmission, electronic components, sanitation, janitorial
New
Jewelry & Precious Gems
See jewelry & precious gems restrictions on Seller Central
New
Laser Products
See laser products restrictions on Seller Central
New
Lighting
See lighting restrictions on Seller Central
New
Lock Picking & Theft Devices
See lock-picking & theft devices restrictions on Seller Central
New
Medical Devices & Accessories
See medical devices & accessories restrictions on Seller Central
New
Medication
Drugs approved by the FDA to be sold over the counter. See drugs & drug paraphernalia
New
Music
CDs, cassettes, vinyl, and other sound recordings
New, Used, Collectible
Offensive & Controversial Materials
See offensive & controversial restrictions on Seller Central
New
Organic Products
See organic products restrictions on Seller Central
New
Pesticides
See pesticides restrictions on Seller Central
New
Pet Food
See grocery & gourmet restrictions on Seller Central
New
Plants, Plant Products, & Seeds
See plants, plant products, & seeds restrictions on Seller Central
New
Postage Meters & Stamps
See postage meters & stamps restrictions on Seller Central
New
Sex & Sensuality
See sex & sensuality restrictions on Seller Central
New
Sports Collectibles
Trading cards, game-used and autographed items
Collectible
Subscriptions & Periodicals
See aubscriptions & periodicals restrictions on Seller Central
New
Surveillance Equipment
See aurveillance equipment restrictions on Seller Central
New
Tobacco & Tobacco-Related Products
See tobacco & related products restrictions on Seller Central
New
Topicals
See cosmetics & skin/hair care restrictions on Seller Central
New
Video, DVD & Blu-Ray
See video, DVD, & Blu-ray restrictions on Seller Central
New, Used, Collectible
Watches
All watches
New
Warranties, Services Plans, Contracts, & Guarantees
See warranties, etc., restrictions on Seller Central
N/A

Product listing details

To start selling a product on Amazon, you’ll create a product listing in Seller Central (or via API). A product listing includes:
  • A product identifier, such as GTIN, UPC, ISBN, or EAN to specify the exact item you’re selling. You can get a UPC code directly from GS1, or request an exemption.
  • A SKU, which is a product ID you create to track your own inventory
  • Offer details, including price, product condition, available quantity, and shipping options
  • Product details like name, brand, category, description, and images
  • Keywords and search terms to help buyers find your product
If another seller already offers the same product, you’ll match an existing listing (which means some details will already be in place, like the product identifier). If you’re the first seller to offer a product, you’ll create a new listing.
EXPLAINER

Understanding Product IDs

Learn more about product IDs and how to obtain one

Watch
EXPLAINER

How to Create Great Amazon Listings

Put some work into the details and construct a page that converts.

Watch

Amazon jargon:

ASIN

Every product offered for sale on Amazon gets an automatically generated ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), which is different from a GTIN or SKU. Multiple sellers may offer the same ASIN.

The product detail page

Amazon Seller Central product detail page showing where descriptions go
Your offer details will be displayed on a “product detail page.” If you’ve ever shopped on Amazon.com, you’ve seen one. Product detail pages are where customers find all of the relevant information about a particular item.

When multiple sellers offer the same product, Amazon combines data from those various offers on a single detail page. Sellers who offers the product can contribute detail page information—or request detail page reviews if the information displayed is incorrect.

If you sell your products under a registered trademark, consider enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry, a free service that gives you increased control over product detail pages that use your brand name.
Learn about Brand Registry
1.
Title
200 characters max, capitalize the first letter of every word
2.
Images
500 x 500 or 1,000 x 1,000 pixels to increase listing quality
3.
Variations
Such as different colors, scents, or sizes
4.
Bullet points
Short, descriptive sentences highlighting key features and benefits
5.
Featured offer ("Buy Box")
The featured offer on a detail page. Customers can add to their cart or “Buy Now”
6.
Other offers
The same product sold by multiple sellers offering a different price, shipping options, etc.
7.
Description
Keywords improve the chances that people will find your listing

Amazon jargon:

Featured Offer ("Buy Box")

If more than one seller offers a product, they may compete for the Featured Offer (“Buy Box”), the most visible offers on the product detail page. Sellers must meet performance-based requirements to be eligible for Featured Offer placement.

Attracting customers

Once your products go live in Amazon's stores, there are a number of things you can do to attract customers. The Amazon Flywheel describes our method for driving growth.

Below are some ways to consider using “Amazon Flywheel” principles to generate momentum for your business.
Amazon Prime delivery screen with “get it today” selected
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Provide fast shipping

Customers often shop products with the Amazon Prime badge, which you can get by using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to ship products from one of our fulfillment centers.
Explore all shipping options
Graph showing Amazon Seller Central’s automated repricing and bulk pricing tools
PRICING

Set competitive prices

Many customers shop for the best price. Seller Central tools like automated repricing and bulk pricing for Amazon Business customers can help you stay competitive.
More ideas to increase sales

After your first sale

The moment you’re selling on Amazon is the moment you can start growing. We have tools in place to help you take things to the next level and then some.

Get customer reviews

Customer product reviews benefit customers and sellers. Make sure you’re familiar with the right and wrong ways to get more product reviews and avoid policy violations.
Get the guidelines
Amazon customer’s 4.5-star product review

Sellers Read Reviews

We love getting good reviews and feedback.
Brian FosseLalabu

Grow your business

Selling in Amazon stores enables you to build a worldwide company from your laptop. Advertising, promotions, and global selling are just a few ways to expand.
Explore growth opportunities
Amazon Seller Central interface showing growth opportunities for an Amazon seller account
Graph showing the health of an Amazon seller account

Stay successful

We set a high bar for Amazon sellers because we want to provide a seamless, trustworthy, delightful shopping experience for customers.
Download the Seller Best Practices guide
Just have a few items to sell?
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Start selling today

Put your products in front of the millions of customers who search Amazon.com every day.
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