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Amazon New Seller Guide
Useful tips and things to know before selling on Amazon
Prefer some takeaway reading?
Why sell on Amazon Australia?
Customers love having a trusted destination where they can purchase a wide variety of goods - which is what makes sellers like you so important. As an Amazon seller, you take part in offering those shoppers better selection, better prices, and a top-notch customer experience.
Hundreds of millions of worldwide active accounts*
Third-party paid units represented 59% of total paid units globally in Q4 2022**
We ship products to customers in over 200 countries and territories
* Active customer accounts represent accounts that have placed an order during the preceding twelve month period.
** Excludes the impact of Whole Foods Market.
** Excludes the impact of Whole Foods Market.
The Amazon edge
When you start selling on Amazon, you become part of a retail destination that’s home to sellers of all kinds, from Fortune 500 organisations to solo vendors. They all sell here for a reason to reach the of millions of customers who visit Amazon to shop.
- If you’ve been looking for a ‘how to sell on Amazon’ guide, read on for tips and insights.
FAQ:
Is Amazon right for my business?
The short answer is: yes. The largest household brands sell on Amazon, as do small to medium businesses and emerging brands that will pop up on your radar soon. Whatever your business and its size, we’re excited for you to grow with us.
See tips for selling on Amazon
See tips for selling on Amazon
Don't have an Amazon seller account yet?
1. Getting started with selling
Your first sales could be right around the corner, but first it can help to understand the essentials. Here are a few useful steps and things to know before selling on Amazon.
Choose your selling plan
With two selling plans available, Amazon offers you the flexibility to sell one item or sell thousands. Before you begin registration, decide which plan is a better fit for your business.
Plans
Individual
Professional
This plan might be right for you if...
- You sell fewer than 50 items a month
- You don't need advanced selling tools or programs
- You're still deciding what to sell
- You sell more than 50 items a month
- You want access to APIs and more selling reports
- You want to sell with programs like Launchpad
Don't worry about making the wrong choice - you can change plans at any time. Also keep in mind that, in both cases, additional selling fees apply.
Verify your identity
You must complete identity verification to become successfully registered as a seller on the Amazon Australia store. Follow this step-by-step guide and the tips on each page to help prevent delays in your registration.
Register your brand
If you own a brand, Amazon offers tools to help you build, grow, and protect it. Enrolling in Brand Registry can help you personalise your brand and product pages, protect your trademarks and intellectual property, and improve the brand experience for customers—along with unlocking extra advertising options.
Understand the costs of selling on Amazon
There are a few different types of selling fees you might pay, depending on your selling plan and the products you sell.
Subscription fees
Our two selling plans give you the freedom to pay per sale or stick to a monthly subscription fee. You can change or cancel your plan at any time.
*If you expand to sell in other worldwide Amazon Stores using merged accounts, you will pay the equivalent of $39.99 USD per month, split proportionately across each country or region in which you have an active listing and charged separately in each local currency. You can downgrade at any time. For more information, see Monthly subscription fee FAQs and Merging Accounts for more details.
Selling fees
These fees are charged per item sold, and they include referral fees (which are a percentage of the selling price and vary depending on the product’s category), and variable closing fees (which apply only to media categories).
Shipping fees
When you fulfil orders yourself, Amazon shipping rates apply. We charge these shipping rates based on the product category and shipping service selected by the buyer.
FBA fees
For products that Amazon fulfils for you (known as Fulfilment by Amazon, or FBA), there are fees for order fulfilment, storage, and optional services.
2. Getting to know Seller Central
Once you register as an Amazon seller, you’ll have access to your Seller Central account.
What is Seller Central?
Think of Seller Central as your go-to portal for selling on Amazon. It’s a one-stop shop for managing your selling account, inventory and payments, information, making inventory updates, finding helpful content as you navigate your Amazon business.
Below are just a few of the things you can do from Seller Central.
- Keep track of your inventory and update your listings from the Inventory tab
- Download custom business reports and bookmark templates you use often
- Use customer metrics tools to monitor your seller performance
- Contact Selling Partner Support and open help tickets using the Case Log
- Keep track of your daily sales for all the products you sell on Amazon
Go mobile
Use the Amazon Seller App to track sales, fulfil orders, find products to sell, respond to customer questions, capture and edit professional-quality product photos, and create listings from your phone.
Don't have an Amazon seller account yet?
3. Listing your products
What you choose to sell - and how you sell it - is vital to finding success in selling online. It helps to give plenty of thought to your product choices, to consider how you’ll source or create your products, and to understand the restrictions for certain products and categories.
Read more: what can I sell on Amazon?
Read more: what can I sell on Amazon?
How to list your first product
To sell a product on Amazon, you must first create a product listing.
While Individual sellers list products one at a time, sellers using a Professional seller account can choose to list products in large batches using bulk uploading or inventory management with third-party systems.
While Individual sellers list products one at a time, sellers using a Professional seller account can choose to list products in large batches using bulk uploading or inventory management with third-party systems.
FAQ:
How to sell my own products on Amazon?
If you’re listing a product that’s new to Amazon, you may need to purchase a UPC or request an exemption.
Add product listing information
In most cases, products must have a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), such as a UPC, an ISBN, or an EAN. Amazon uses these product IDs to identify the exact item you’re selling. If you match a listing, you won’t need to provide a product ID since it already exists.
In addition to a product ID, here’s some more important information to include in each product listing:
- SKU
- Product title
- Product description and bullet points
- Product images
- Search terms and relevant keywords
FAQ:
What are restricted product categories?
It’s important that customers are able to shop with confidence on Amazon, which is why some product categories are known as “restricted product categories". Amazon might require performance checks, additional fees, and other qualifications in order for you to sell such products. You can request approval from within Seller Central.
Check the details before launch
Make it easy for shoppers to find your offers by adding descriptive titles, clear images and feature bullets to your items. Consider these important elements prior to launch:
Clear variations
Products that vary only by colour, scent, or size might be a good candidate for listing as variations. Ask yourself if the customer would expect to find the products together on the same page. If not, list them separately.
Image compliance
Your images must be at least 500 x 500 pixels (increase the size to 1,000 x 1,000 for high-quality listings) and set against a plain white background. The product should fill at least 80% of the image area.
Product IDs
Make sure you’re meeting the requirements for product UPCs and GTINs (Global Trade Item Number). Consistency in these codes helps promote confidence in the range of products shown in the Amazon catalog.
Don't have an Amazon seller account yet?
4. The product detail page
The product detail page is where customers can find all the relevant information about a particular item.
When multiple sellers offer the same product, Amazon combines data from all the offers into one product detail page to present customers with the best experience. If you think information is incorrect you can propose product information and request detail page reviews, as can other sellers and manufacturers.
As you’re building your product detail pages, consider what will help customers find your products, answer their questions, and inspire a purchasing decision. Aim for the ultimate customer experience by making your listings accurate and easy to understand.
When multiple sellers offer the same product, Amazon combines data from all the offers into one product detail page to present customers with the best experience. If you think information is incorrect you can propose product information and request detail page reviews, as can other sellers and manufacturers.
As you’re building your product detail pages, consider what will help customers find your products, answer their questions, and inspire a purchasing decision. Aim for the ultimate customer experience by making your listings accurate and easy to understand.
1.
Title
200 characters max, capitalise 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 colours, scents, or sizes
4.
Bullet points
Short, descriptive sentences highlighting key features and benefits
5.
Featured offer
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
5. Delivering your products
People both buying and selling on Amazon can benefit from fast, reliable delivery. So how can you get your orders out to customers?
Select the best fulfilment option
Amazon sellers have two options for getting shoppers their orders. Both methods have their benefits—you just need to decide which is right for your business. You can choose different fulfilment options for different products in your inventory.
Option 1: Fulfilling the order yourself
Merchant-fulfilled means you store and ship products directly to customers yourself. Amazon charges shipping rates based on the product category and shipping service selected by the customer, then passes the amount on to you in the form of a shipping credit.
If you’d like Amazon to handle the complexities of shipping for you, you can choose to use Amazon Easy Ship for a flat fee per consignment.
Learn about Amazon Easy Ship
If you’d like Amazon to handle the complexities of shipping for you, you can choose to use Amazon Easy Ship for a flat fee per consignment.
Learn about Amazon Easy Ship
Option 2: Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA)
Around the world, Amazon has more than 175 fulfilment centres containing more than 150 million square feet of storage space. With FBA, you get to store your inventory on those shelves. You also get Amazon’s world-class customer service and returns, along with other advantages (like automatic Prime eligibility that help you scale your business—fast.
Learn about FBA fees
Learn about FBA fees
How FBA works
Step 1
Ship your inventory to Amazon. It will be scanned and made available for sale.
Step 2
With each order, Amazon packages and ships the product directly to the customer.
Step 3
Amazon collects payment from the customer and sellers should be aware that it can take up to five business days for your money to appear in your bank account after we initiate payment. For more information click here.
Step 4
Amazon’s customer service team handles questions, returns, and refunds for FBA orders.
Don't have an Amazon seller account yet?
6. You’ve made your first sale. What’s next?
Your first sale is a big milestone—but it’s just the beginning of your growth opportunities selling on Amazon. Once your store is up and running, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
Monitor your performance
Amazon sellers operate at a high standard so we can provide a seamless, delightful shopping experience. Keep an eye on these key metrics:
- Order defect rate (a measure of a seller’s customer service standards): < 1%
- Pre-fulfilment cancel rate (initiated by the seller before shipment): < 2.5%
- Late shipment rate (orders that ship after the expected date): < 4%
You can keep tabs on your performance and make sure you’re meeting your targets in Seller Central.
Encourage positive customer reviews
Customer product reviews are an integral part of the shopping experience on Amazon. Make sure you’re familiar with the right and wrong ways to encourage more product reviews, and avoid policy violations.
Amazon jargon:
Seller University
Seller University is an online resource from Amazon, with videos featuring step-by-step guides, tutorials, and training to help entrepreneurs start (and grow) their Amazon business.
Don't have an Amazon seller account yet?
7. Growing your business
Once you’ve launched your business, Amazon has tools in place to help you take your business to the next level (or the next couple of levels).
Advertise your store
Amazon’s advertising solutions offer new ways for you to reach and engage shoppers, whether they’re just starting to compare products or ready to make a purchase.
Amazon offers three advertising solutions, and all of them are accessible through Seller Central.
Amazon offers three advertising solutions, and all of them are accessible through Seller Central.
1. Sponsored Products
Sponsored Products are ads for individual product listings on Amazon, so they help drive product visibility (and product sales). They appear on search results pages and product detail pages.
2. Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands showcase your brand and product portfolio. They’re search-result ads that feature your brand logo, a custom headline, and up to three of your products.
3. Amazon Stores
Stores are custom multipage shopping destinations for individual brands that let you share your brand story and product offerings. They’re easy to build, and don’t require prior website experience.
Offer promotions and coupons
Customers love to save, and promotions can help to encourage instant purchases. There are three types of promotions: money off, free shipping, and buy one get one free. You can also offer percentage or money-off discounts with digital coupons.
Expand globally
Selling globally could mean hundreds of millions of new customers and the potential for a big boost in sales. With Amazon Global Selling, you can use Amazon’s global infrastructure to get your products in front of a worldwide audience. It’s possible to list and sell products on any of our online stores in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Learn about Global Selling
Learn about Global Selling
8. Navigating the first 90 days
The first three months after you launch your Amazon business are an important time for establishing practices that will boost your performance from there on out.
A checklist for growth
Opportunities for growth are all around you—but here are a few things to try as you start out as an Amazon seller.
Keep an eye on your account health in Seller Central
Use Fulfilment by Amazon or Amazon Easy Ship
Advertise your listings or offer deals and coupons
Enroll in Brand Registry and create enhanced brand content
Expand your selection by listing more products
Use the Automate Pricing Tool in Seller Central
Start selling today
Put your products in front of Amazon customers.
$49.95 (excl. GST) per month + selling fees.
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