To get your product on Amazon, you need to create a seller account on Amazon Seller Central, list your product with proper barcodes, and choose how you’ll fulfill orders. The entire process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how quickly you pass Amazon’s identity verification and whether your product falls into a restricted category.
Choose a Selling Plan
Amazon offers two seller plans, and the right one depends on your expected volume. The Individual plan charges $0.99 per item sold with no monthly subscription, making it a low-risk way to test a product. The Professional plan costs $39.99 per month with no per-item fee, so it pays for itself once you sell more than 40 items a month.
The Professional plan also unlocks features you’ll eventually need: access to advertising tools, bulk listing capabilities, eligibility for the Buy Box (the main “Add to Cart” button on a product page), and the ability to sell in certain restricted categories. You can switch between plans at any time, so starting on Individual and upgrading later is a common path.
What You Need to Register
Before you start the signup process at Seller Central, gather these documents:
- Government-issued ID such as a passport or driver’s license
- Bank account and routing number in your name or your business name
- Internationally chargeable credit card for paying seller fees
- Business license or registration with your exact registered business name and company registration number
- Proof of residential address dated within the last 180 days, like a bank or credit card statement
- Tax information (your Social Security Number if you’re a sole proprietor, or your Employer Identification Number for a business entity)
During registration, you’ll enter your full legal name, citizenship, date of birth, and residential address. You’ll also provide your registered business address exactly as it appears on your business license. After submitting everything, Amazon will ask you to verify your identity by either taking a photo of your face alongside your ID, or joining a video call with an Amazon associate where you show your documents on camera. This verification step can take one to three business days, though some sellers report longer waits.
Get a UPC Barcode for Your Product
Nearly every product on Amazon needs a Universal Product Code (UPC), which is a 12-digit number encoded in a standard barcode. Amazon checks these numbers against the GS1 database, the global registry that issues legitimate UPCs. If the number doesn’t match or was purchased from an unauthorized reseller, your listing can be removed and your account flagged.
Buy your UPC directly from GS1. A single barcode costs a one-time fee, while a company prefix (which lets you create barcodes for multiple products) involves an initial fee plus an annual renewal. The cost scales with how many unique products you plan to list.
If you’re selling a handmade, private-label, or bundled product that doesn’t have an existing UPC, you can apply for a GTIN exemption through Seller Central. Amazon grants these on a case-by-case basis, typically for products in categories where standard barcodes aren’t common.
Create Your Product Listing
Once your account is active, you’ll create a listing in Seller Central. If your product already exists on Amazon (meaning another seller has already created the listing), you simply match to that existing product page using its ASIN, Amazon’s internal product identifier. You then compete for sales on that shared page.
If you’re the first to sell this product, you’ll build a new listing from scratch. That means writing a product title, bullet points, and description, uploading images, and setting your price. Amazon’s search algorithm weighs your title heavily, so include the brand name, key features, size, and material in a natural, readable way rather than stuffing it with keywords.
For images, Amazon requires a main photo with a pure white background showing only the product. You can add up to eight additional images, and high-performing listings typically include lifestyle shots, infographics highlighting features, and close-up detail images. The minimum image size is 1,000 pixels on the longest side, but 2,000 pixels or more allows customers to use the zoom feature.
Check Whether Your Category Is Restricted
Some product categories require Amazon’s approval before you can list anything. These “gated” categories exist to prevent counterfeiting and ensure safety compliance. Categories that typically require approval include Grocery and Gourmet Food, Beauty, Jewelry, Watches, Fine Art, and Topicals (skin-applied products). Some categories, like Fine Art, are invitation-only.
The approval requirements vary. Grocery listings often require wholesale invoices and sometimes FDA documentation. Beauty products need invoices from an authorized distributor. Topicals can require FDA registration, product testing results, and invoices. Even within open categories, certain brands are individually gated. Nike, Apple, Sony, Lego, Disney, and YETI are examples of brands that require separate authorization regardless of the category they’re in.
There’s also a seasonal restriction worth knowing about: Amazon gates the Toys and Games category during the holiday season, roughly October through early January. To sell toys during Q4, you generally need an established sales history, strong account metrics (low order defect rate, low cancellation rate, low late shipment rate), and a seller account that isn’t brand new.
You can check whether your specific product or category is restricted by attempting to list it in Seller Central. Amazon will either let you proceed or show an “Apply to sell” button with instructions on what documentation to submit.
Decide How to Fulfill Orders
You have two main options for getting products to customers: Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM).
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
With FBA, you ship your inventory to Amazon’s warehouses. When a customer orders, Amazon picks, packs, and ships it, handles customer service, and processes returns. Your products become eligible for Prime shipping, which significantly boosts visibility and conversion rates.
The cost structure has several layers. Amazon charges a referral fee on every sale, typically 8% to 15% depending on the category. On top of that, FBA charges a per-unit fulfillment fee based on the item’s size and weight. A small item under 12 ounces costs around $3.40 to fulfill. A mid-size 6-pound item runs about $8.01, and a heavy 35-pound oversized item costs roughly $23.50.
You’ll also pay monthly storage fees: $0.78 per cubic foot from January through September, jumping to $2.40 per cubic foot during the October through December peak season. If your inventory sits in Amazon’s warehouse for more than 271 days, aged inventory surcharges start adding up, reaching $0.50 or more per unit after 365 days. Keeping inventory lean and turning it over quickly is essential with FBA.
One more cost to watch: inbound defect fees, which Amazon charges when your shipments to their warehouses don’t meet preparation and labeling standards. These fees increased substantially in 2026, ranging from $0.32 to $1.74 per unit for standard items and up to $5.72 for bulky products. Following Amazon’s prep guidelines carefully saves real money here.
Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM)
With FBM, you store inventory yourself and ship directly to customers when orders come in. You avoid all FBA fees, storage charges, and aged inventory surcharges. This model works well for sellers with low-volume, high-margin products, oversized items where FBA fees would be prohibitive, or products you already ship from an existing warehouse or retail location.
The trade-off is that FBM listings don’t automatically get the Prime badge, which can reduce your click-through and conversion rates. You’re also responsible for customer service, returns, and maintaining fast shipping speeds. As of February 2026, all FBM orders require prepaid return labels, adding a cost that didn’t previously apply to merchant-fulfilled sellers.
Set Your Price and Launch
Before going live, calculate your true cost per unit. Add up your product cost, shipping to Amazon (if FBA) or to customers (if FBM), the referral fee, fulfillment fees, and storage costs. Subtract that total from your selling price to find your actual margin. Many new sellers underestimate fees and discover their product isn’t profitable at the price they set.
Amazon provides a Revenue Calculator in Seller Central that lets you input your product details and see estimated fees for both FBA and FBM side by side. Use it before committing to a fulfillment method.
Once your listing is live, your product is searchable on Amazon, but visibility depends on factors like your price competitiveness, review count, sales velocity, and whether you run advertising. Amazon’s Sponsored Products ads let you pay per click to appear in search results, and most new sellers use them to generate initial traffic while organic rankings build over time.