To list something on Amazon, you need a seller account, a product identifier like a UPC barcode, and your product details ready to go. The entire process can take as little as 15 minutes for a single item that already exists in Amazon’s catalog, or closer to an hour if you’re creating a brand-new product listing from scratch.
Choose a Selling Plan
Amazon offers two seller account tiers. The Individual plan has no monthly fee but charges $0.99 per item sold. The Professional plan costs $39.99 per month with no per-item fee. If you plan to sell more than 40 items a month, the Professional plan saves you money. If you’re testing the waters with a handful of products, the Individual plan keeps your upfront costs at zero. You can switch between plans at any time after registration.
To sign up, go to sell.amazon.com and click the signup button. You’ll need a government-issued ID, a credit card, your tax information, a phone number, and a bank account where Amazon can deposit your earnings. Amazon typically verifies your identity within a few days, though it can occasionally take longer.
Get a Product Barcode
Almost every product listed on Amazon needs a product identifier. For most physical goods, that means a UPC barcode. Amazon checks UPC numbers against the GS1 database, which is the global registry for barcodes. If your UPC doesn’t match GS1’s records, Amazon may flag your listing as invalid, force you to relabel products, or suspend your account.
Buy your UPCs directly from GS1. A single barcode starts at $30, with an annual renewal fee. If you need barcodes for multiple products, GS1 offers prefix packages that cover a range of items. Avoid discount barcode resellers, since those codes often fail Amazon’s verification checks.
If your product is handmade, a bundle you created, or a generic item without a manufacturer barcode, you can apply for a GTIN exemption through Seller Central. This lets you list without a UPC, though Amazon may ask for photos and product details to confirm your item is legitimate.
Check for Category Restrictions
Some product categories on Amazon are “gated,” meaning you need approval before you can list anything in them. Categories that typically require approval include Grocery and Gourmet Food, Jewelry, Watches, Fine Art, Topicals (skin creams and similar products), and Collectible Coins. The Beauty and Health and Personal Care categories also have restrictions that vary by subcategory.
Beyond category gates, certain brands are individually restricted regardless of which category they fall into. Major names like Nike, Apple, Sony, Lego, Disney, and Hasbro all require brand-level approval. Even if you’re approved to sell in a category, you’ll still need separate permission for gated brands within it.
To get approved, Amazon generally asks for wholesale invoices from an authorized distributor showing you purchased the products legitimately. Some categories have additional requirements. Topicals may require FDA registration and product testing documentation. Grocery items sometimes need FDA paperwork. The Toys and Games category adds seasonal restrictions during Q4 (roughly October through early January), limiting it to sellers who meet certain performance thresholds.
You can check whether a specific product or category requires approval by searching for it in the “Add Products” tool in Seller Central. If approval is needed, Amazon will show you the application steps right there.
List a Product Already in Amazon’s Catalog
If someone else already sells the same product on Amazon, you don’t need to create a new listing. You add your offer to the existing product page. This is the fastest way to get listed.
Go to Menu, then Catalog, then Add Products in Seller Central. From there you have two options:
- Search by name: Type in the product title or keywords, find the matching item in the results, click it, select the condition (new, used, collectible, or refurbished), then click “Sell this product.” Fill in your price, quantity, and shipping details, then hit “Save and finish.”
- Search by product ID: If you have the UPC, EAN, ISBN, or ASIN, click “Product IDs,” enter the code, and submit. Amazon pulls up the product page, and you fill in your offer details from there.
Your listing typically goes live within minutes, though some categories may take up to 24 hours.
Create a New Product Listing
If your product doesn’t exist in Amazon’s catalog yet, you’ll build the listing from the ground up. Go to Menu, then Catalog, then Add Products. Click “Blank form” and then “Start.”
Enter your product title first. Amazon will suggest a product type (the category your item fits into). If the suggestion is right, confirm it. If not, select the correct category manually. From there, you’ll work through several tabs of information:
- Product identity: Your UPC or other barcode, brand name, and manufacturer.
- Description: Product title, bullet points highlighting key features, and a detailed description. Write these for a shopper scanning quickly. Lead each bullet point with the most important detail.
- Product details: Dimensions, weight, color, material, and other attributes specific to your category.
- Offer: Your price, quantity available, and condition.
- Safety and compliance: Any required safety information, warnings, or certifications.
You can save a draft and come back later, or submit immediately when everything looks right.
AI-Assisted Listing Tools
Amazon now offers shortcuts that use AI to pre-fill your listing details. You can upload a product image, and Amazon will generate suggested titles, descriptions, and attributes based on what it detects in the photo. Alternatively, you can paste your brand website URL, and Amazon will pull product information from your site to populate the listing fields. In both cases, review everything the AI generates and edit it before submitting. Auto-generated content often needs adjustments to accurately represent your product.
Add Product Images
Photos are the single biggest factor in whether shoppers click your listing. Amazon requires at least one image and allows up to nine. The main image must have a pure white background, show only the product (no props, text, or logos), and be at least 1,000 pixels on the longest side so shoppers can zoom in.
For your additional images, show the product from different angles, include lifestyle shots of it being used, and add a photo that conveys size or scale. If your product has important details like a label, texture, or included accessories, dedicate an image to each.
Choose Your Fulfillment Method
When setting up your listing, you decide how orders get shipped. You have two main options.
With Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you ship your inventory to Amazon’s warehouses. When a customer orders, Amazon picks, packs, and ships it. They also handle returns and customer service for those orders. FBA products are eligible for Prime shipping, which can significantly boost sales. The trade-off is fees: Amazon charges storage fees (monthly, based on how much space your inventory takes up) and fulfillment fees (per unit shipped, based on size and weight).
With Merchant Fulfilled (FBM), you store inventory yourself and ship directly to the customer when an order comes in. You control the packaging and shipping speed, and you avoid Amazon’s storage and fulfillment fees. The downside is that your listings won’t display the Prime badge unless you qualify for Seller Fulfilled Prime, which has strict delivery speed requirements.
For your first listing, FBM keeps things simple since you don’t need to ship inventory to a warehouse before you can start selling. As volume grows, FBA often makes more sense because of the Prime visibility and hands-off logistics.
Set Your Price
Before you finalize your listing, account for all the fees that come out of each sale. Beyond your selling plan fee, Amazon charges a referral fee on every transaction, which is a percentage of the sale price. The percentage varies by category but falls between 8% and 15% for most products. If you’re using FBA, add the fulfillment and storage fees on top of that.
Look at what competing sellers charge for the same or similar products. If you’re adding your offer to an existing listing, pricing competitively matters because Amazon’s “Buy Box” (the default “Add to Cart” button) rotates among sellers based partly on price. Being the lowest price isn’t always necessary, but being significantly higher than competitors will cost you sales.
After Your Listing Goes Live
Once you submit, Amazon reviews your listing. Most go live within 15 minutes to a few hours. Some products in restricted categories or flagged for compliance review can take longer. You can check the status in Seller Central under “Manage Inventory.”
If your listing doesn’t appear, the most common causes are a barcode that doesn’t match GS1’s database, missing required product information, or a category that requires approval you haven’t received. Seller Central will flag the specific issue so you can fix it and resubmit.
Once you’re live, monitor your listing for the first few days. Confirm the images display correctly, the description reads well on both desktop and mobile, and the price is accurate. Early sales velocity and customer reviews shape how Amazon ranks your product in search results, so getting the details right from the start gives you the best shot at visibility.