If you're a crafter or collector, or just have some unwanted items you want to make a profit from, you may have used online sales platforms such as eBay, Etsy or Gumtree to sell your products before. But did you know you can also sell via Amazon?
In fact, Amazon offers a range of options, whether you want to sell the occasional item, or want to create your own online store of merchandise. They can even send your products out for delivery for you - so no more rushing to the post office before they close!
Tens of millions of people come to Amazon to buy the products they are looking for, so selling your items via Amazon means they become easier to find and easier to buy!
So, what exactly are the different options, and how do you go about setting up as a seller on Amazon? Read on to find out...
How to create an Amazon Seller account
- First, you need to create an Amazon account if you don’t already have one.
- Next, you can register your new Amazon account as a seller account.
- There are two ways to sell on Amazon: Basic (sell a little) and Pro (sell a lot). If you plan on selling fewer than 35 items per month, the Basic is the plan for you.
Amazon Basic Seller account
There's no monthly subscription fee for the Basic plan, but you will have to pay £0.75 (per item sold), plus additional fees. You only pay when an item is sold, there's no fee for having your product available on the site.
Amazon Professional Seller account
The Pro version costs £25 per month (excl VAT), with additional fees. In return for your monthly fee, Amazon will provide you with specific tools and support to grow your business including sponsored ads and boosting your products.
To register, you will need:
- Your credit or debit card
- Your phone number
- Your personal details
- Your bank account details
How to upload your listings
Once you've decided which account fits you best, you'll be given your own Seller Central account, where you will also manage your selling account. Here, you can display your items for sale on Amazon.
You can sell a wide range of products on the Amazon marketplace, whether they are new or used, across a variety of categories including: Automotive and Industrial, Books, Music and Video, Electronics, Home and Garden, Tools, Sports, Travel and Outdoors, and Toys.
To list your items for sale, simply match against products already available for sale on Amazon (e.g. matching the bar code, or product name), or create a new product listing if your item is not already available for sale. You can then add:
- The price you want to sell your item for
- What condition your item is in
- Whether you want Amazon to ship the item or you want to ship it yourself - You can let "Fulfilment by Amazon" (FBA) take care of storage, picking, packing and shipping or you can deliver your products to the customers yourself.
How to start using FBA
- Select the ‘Fulfilment by Amazon’ option when you list products
- Send your products to an Amazon Fulfilment Centre where they will be stored by Amazon.
- Leave the delivery to Amazon - they pick, pack and ship your products directly to customers, all over Europe. Your products may also be eligible for Prime, making them more appealing to potential buyers.
- Amazon provides customer service in local language and handle returns.
Fulfilment by Amazon pricing depends on the size of your items, how long they are stored for and how much storage space they take up.
How to sell on Amazon Handmade
Once you have an approved selling account, if you make your own products which you sell on, you can apply to join Amazon's dedicated artisan-only community.
Before allowing you to join, Amazon will request details about your products and business to ensure the integrity of the Handmade store.
Once you are approved, resources are available to create your first Handmade listing, set up your Maker profile, and manage your business.
Joining Handmade, creating your shop, and listing products is free.
When you make a sale, Handmade will deduct a 12.24% referral fee.
The key benefit of selling via Amazon Handmade is that you don't have to pay the £25 fee of the Professional account if you sell more than 35 products per month - however, to qualify you do have to be an artisan.
Your Artisan profile has a custom URL to make it easy for customers to find your shop. You can also benefit from FBA, sponsored ads, and sell your products across Europe.