To sell on Amazon, you need a government-issued ID, a bank account, a chargeable credit card, tax information, and proof of your residential address. Beyond those basics, you’ll also choose a selling plan, verify your identity through a video call, and meet ongoing performance standards to keep your account active. Here’s everything involved in getting set up.
Documents You Need to Register
Amazon requires several pieces of documentation before you can create a seller account. Have these ready before you start:
- Government-issued ID such as a passport or driver’s license
- Bank account and routing number where Amazon will deposit your earnings
- Internationally chargeable credit card for paying seller fees
- Proof of residential address dated within the last 180 days, like a bank statement or credit card statement
- Business license or registration if you’re registering as a business
- Tax information (your Social Security number for individuals or your Employer Identification Number for businesses)
During registration, you’ll enter your full legal name (including middle name), country of citizenship, country of birth, date of birth, and residential address. If you’re registering a business, you’ll also need the exact business name as it appears on your registration, your company registration number, and the registered business address from your license.
Identity Verification Process
After you submit your initial information, Amazon will ask you to upload a color scan or photo of your government-issued ID and your proof of address. These images need to show all four corners of the document, with legible text. Screenshots and blurry photos will be rejected, and any document that requires a signature needs to be signed.
You’ll then join or schedule a video call with an Amazon associate. Bring your government-issued ID and proof of address to the call. This step confirms you’re a real person and that your documents match what you submitted online. The entire registration process, including the video call, typically takes a few days to complete, though verification timelines can vary.
Choosing a Selling Plan
Amazon offers two selling plans, and the right one depends on how much you expect to sell.
The Individual plan has no monthly subscription fee. Instead, you pay $0.99 per item sold. This works well if you’re selling fewer than 40 items per month or testing the waters before committing to a larger operation.
The Professional plan costs $39.99 per month regardless of how many items you sell. You don’t pay the per-item fee. This plan also unlocks tools the Individual plan doesn’t offer, including bulk listing, access to restricted categories, advertising features, and eligibility for the Buy Box (the “Add to Cart” button customers see on a product page). If you plan to sell more than 40 items a month, the math favors the Professional plan quickly.
Both plans charge additional fees on top of the plan cost, including referral fees (a percentage of each sale that varies by category) and fulfillment fees if you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to store and ship your products.
Restricted Categories and Approval
Not every product category is open to new sellers. Amazon restricts certain categories and requires approval before you can list items in them. Some of the main gated categories include Automotive, Powersports, Collectibles (coins, entertainment, sports memorabilia), Fine Art, Gift Cards, and Watches.
To apply for approval, log into Seller Central, search for the product you want to list under “Add Products,” and look for a “Show limitations” link. Clicking it will display the specific requirements for that category. Depending on the category, you may need to provide:
- Invoices from authorized distributors (typically one to three)
- A Letter of Authorization from the brand owner
- Compliance certifications such as FDA approval for health-related products
- Lab test results for products like cosmetics or supplements
Even outside gated categories, individual brands may be restricted. If a brand owner has enrolled in Amazon’s Brand Registry, you may need to prove you’re an authorized reseller before listing their products.
Performance Standards You Must Maintain
Getting approved is only the first step. Amazon monitors your seller account continuously and holds you to specific performance thresholds. Fall below these standards and your selling privileges can be suspended or revoked.
Three metrics matter most:
- Order Defect Rate (ODR): Must stay below 1%. This measures the percentage of orders that result in negative feedback, an A-to-Z Guarantee claim, or a credit card chargeback.
- Cancellation Rate: Must stay below 2.5%. This tracks how often you cancel orders before shipping them. It doesn’t count cancellations initiated by the buyer.
- Late Shipment Rate: Must stay below 4%. This measures the percentage of orders you confirm as shipped after the expected ship date.
If you use Fulfillment by Amazon, the cancellation and late shipment metrics are largely handled for you since Amazon picks, packs, and ships the orders. If you fulfill orders yourself, staying on top of inventory accuracy and shipping timelines is critical.
Brand Registry for Brand Owners
If you sell products under your own brand, enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry gives you tools to protect your listings and build your brand’s presence. To qualify, your brand must have an active registered trademark or a pending trademark registration. The trademark needs to be either a text-based mark (a word mark) or an image-based mark that includes words, letters, or numbers, issued by an approved government intellectual property office.
When you apply, you’ll need to provide your brand name exactly as it appears on the trademark record, your trademark registration number (or pending number), the product categories your brand covers, and an image of your product or packaging showing the brand name permanently affixed. If you have a brand website, you’ll enter that as well.
Brand Registry unlocks features like enhanced product detail pages (A+ Content), tools to report counterfeit listings, and access to Amazon’s advertising suite. It’s not required to sell on Amazon, but it gives brand owners significantly more control over how their products appear and who else can list them.
What You Can Sell Right Away
Once your account is verified and your selling plan is active, you can list products in any open (ungated) category immediately. Most common consumer goods fall into open categories: books, clothing, electronics accessories, home and kitchen items, toys, and many more. You can list products that already exist in Amazon’s catalog by matching to an existing listing, or create a new product listing if you’re selling something not yet on the platform.
If you’re reselling products from other brands, make sure the items are authentic and that you’re not violating any intellectual property restrictions. If you’re launching a private-label product, investing in a trademark and enrolling in Brand Registry early will save you headaches down the road.