How to Sell

What is Amazon Marketplace? From preparation for listing to selling

Amazon Marketplace is a service where you can list and sell with Amazon.
Please see this page for instructions on how to start listing (open a store) with the Amazon Marketplace.
Whether you’ve already got an established ecommerce business, a great idea for a new product, or you just have a passion for selling, here’s how to take that next step.
4,900 JPY a month (excluding tax) + selling fees
How to start selling with Amazon

Before you start selling

What is a Marketplace?

What is a Marketplace?
A marketplace is a type of ecommerce. It’s a place on the internet where various businesses list their products in one place, and visiting customers can select and purchase products from multiple Sellers.
Amazon Marketplace is a service where both individuals and corporations can become sellers, and are able to list and sell on Amazon.

What are the advantages of selling in the Amazon Marketplace?

・ Attracting customers: Hundreds of millions of customers have shopped in over 200 countries and regions on Amazon. There will be more opportunities for all different groups of people to buy your products on the Internet.

A simple listing process: Getting started is as simple as creating a seller account and adding products one at a time. If you already have what you want to sell, you can start selling it in as little as 10 days.

Access to a fulfillment service: You can use FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) services and let us handle shipping, customer service, and returns.

Advertising: Sponsored Product Ads, a tool that makes it easier for customers to find products sold by your company, can be operated easily even by beginners. Also, you can use it to generate reports on sales and performance of ad eligible products and targets, etc. These analyses are useful for identifying strategies and optimizing campaigns.

Amazon Store for your brand: Not only can you sell your own products, but you can also use free tools (such as creating a brand store) to increase brand awareness on Amazon without compromising your brand style.

The points above represent the main advantages but Amazon Marketplace is recommended for both those who are selling online for the first time, and those who are already selling online at their own company or other companies.

Selecting an Amazon Marketplace Selling Plan

There’s two selling plans on Amazon Marketplace: The Professional Selling Plan and the Individual Selling Plan. The Professional plan costs ¥4,900 per month, no matter how many items you sell. With the Individual plan, you’ll pay ¥100 every time you sell an item. Additionally, a sales fee is charged for each product sold in either plan option.
Of the two selling plans, we recommend the Professional plan. Out of sellers who actually switched from the Professional to the Individual plan, sales increased by 79.6%. ¹The services available to you will vary depending on selling listing plan, so please check the pricing page for an overview of the various fees associated with selling.

*Amazon research, ¹August 2022
Selling plans

Create an Amazon seller account

You can use your existing customer account to start selling, or you can create a new Amazon seller account with your business email. Before you sign up, make sure you’re ready with the following:
  • Government-issued ID with facial photo (e.g. passport, driver's license, etc.)
  • Statement issued by a bank or a credit card company within the last 180 days
  • Business email address or existing Amazon customer account
  • Phone number
  • Chargeable credit card
  • Bank account information (where Amazon can send you proceeds from your sales)
Amazon Seller Central home screen interface

Amazon jargon:

Seller Central

Seller Central is the sales monitoring website where sellers log in to monitor their Amazon listings activity. You can manage inventory, update pricing, communicate with buyers, review account health, contact selling partner support, and add new products.
Woman in black blazer looking at account on Amazon seller app

Go mobile

Use the Amazon Seller app to track sales, fulfill orders, find products to sell, respond to customer questions, capture and edit professional-quality product photos, and create listings—all from your phone.
QR code to download the Amazon Seller app to your cellphone
Click here to download the Amazon Seller app on the Apple App Store
Click here to download the Amazon Seller app on Google Play

Register your products on Amazon Marketplace

What can you sell on Amazon? It depends on the product, the category, and the brand.

Some categories are open to all sellers, some require a Professional seller account, some require approval to sell, and some include products that cannot be sold by third-party sellers.

To sell branded products protected by copyright, trademark, or patent, you must be the legal owner of the brand or an authorized reseller. Visit Seller Central to learn more about Amazon’s intellectual property policy for sellers.

The table below provides an overview of Amazon's product categories. Visit Seller Central Help to learn more about restrictions, and how to request approval. If you ship orders with Fulfillment By Amazon, be sure to review the specific list of FBA product restrictions.

Product categories

Product category

Example products

Available conditions

Categories without restrictions
Books
Books, calendars, magazines, and other publications
New, Used, Collectible
Music (CD Records)
CDs, cassette tapes, records, and other recorded music
New, Used, Collectible
Video & DVD
Movies/TV shows
New, Used, Collectible
Electronics
TV, CD player, car audio, GPS
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Cameras
Cameras, camcorders, telescopes
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Computers & Accessories
Desktops, Laptops, Drives, Storage
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Amazon devices accessories
Amazon devices accessories
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Home
Furniture, Interior, Kitchen
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Home Appliances
Small Home Appliances
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Major Appliances
Kitchen Appliances, Refrigerators, Kitchen Parts/Accessories
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Musical Instruments
Guitars, Keyboards, Band & Orchestra, Recording Equipment, Musical Peripherals
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Office Products
Office Products, Office Electronics
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
PC Software
Business, Media Education, Utilities, Security, Children's Software
New, Used
Video Games
Game Consoles, Game Consoles, PC Games/Accessories
New, Used
Tools & Home Improvement
Power Tools, Machinery, Work Tools, Lighting Fixtures, Kitchen/Bath Equipment
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Industrial & Scientific
Brand New, Refurbished, Used
Automotive & Powersports
Parts, Tires, Tools/Equipment, Accessories
New, Refurbished, Used, Collectible
Sports & Outdoors
Outdoor Equipment, Sportswear, Bicycle
New, Refurbished, Used, Collectible
Toys & Games
Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers, Learning Toys, Riding Toys, Figurines, Dolls, Board Games, Arts, Crafts, Hobbies
New, Used, Collectible
Baby Products
Childbirth, Infant Care Products, Feeding Products
New, Used, Collectible
Pet Supplies
Pet food, Pet Supplies (for dogs, cats and small animals)
New, Used
Drug Store
First Aid, Supplements
New
Beauty
Fragrance, Skincare, Makeup, Hair care, Bath
New
Food & Beverage
Beverages, Breakfast, Canned Food, Snacks, Meat, Seafood, Chocolate, Dessert, Gift Set
New
Jewelry
Earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets
New
Watches
All watch product types
New
Clothing & Accessories
Clothing & Accessories
New
Shoes & Bags
Shoes & Bags
New
Categories with restrictions
Currencies, coins, and cash equivalents
Amazon Devices, Repair & Maintenance Accessories
Laser Pointers & Related Products
Medical Device Handling (for Marketplace Sellers)

Product listing details

To start selling a product on Amazon, you’ll create a product listing in Seller Central (or via API.) A product listing includes:
  • A product identifier (such as GTIN, UPC, ISBN, EAN.) This is used to specify the exact item you’re selling. For UPC codes, you can request an exemption.
  • A SKU, which is a product ID you create to track your own inventory
  • Offer details, including price, product condition, available quantity, and shipping options
  • Product details like name, brand, category, description, and images
  • Keywords and search terms to help buyers find your product
If another seller already offers the same product, you’ll match an existing listing (which means some details will already be in place, like the product identifier). If you’re the first seller to offer a product, you’ll create a new listing.

Amazon jargon:

ASIN

Every product offered for sale on Amazon gets an automatically generated ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number). However, GTIN and SKUs are not automatically generated. Multiple sellers may offer the same ASIN.

Product detail page

Amazon Seller Central product detail page showing where descriptions go
Product description on the product detail page in Amazon Seller Central
Your offer details will be displayed on a “product detail page.” If you’ve ever shopped on Amazon, you’ve seen one. Product detail pages are where customers find all of the relevant information about a particular item.

When multiple sellers offer the same product, Amazon combines data from those various offers on a single detail page. Sellers who offers the product can contribute to detail page information - or request detail page reviews if the information displayed is incorrect.

If you sell your products under a registered trademark, consider enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry. Amazon Brand Registry is a free service that gives you increased control over product detail pages that use your brand name.
1.
Title
200 characters max, capitalize the first letter of every word
2.
Product images
500 x 500 or 1,000 x 1,000 pixels to increase listing quality
3.
Item Variations
Such as different colors, scents, or sizes
4.
Bullet points
Short, descriptive sentences highlighting key features and benefits
5.
Featured offer ("Buy Box")
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.
Product description
Keywords improve the chances that people will find your listing

Amazon jargon:

Featured Offer

Featured Offer (“Buy Box”) If more than one seller offers a product, they may compete for the Featured Offer (“Buy Box”), the most visible offers on the product detail page. Sellers must meet performance-based requirements to be eligible for Featured Offer placement.

Attracting customers

Once your products go live in Amazon's stores, there are a number of things you can do to attract customers. Here’s Amazon’s method for driving growth. It’s called the “Amazon Flywheel.”

Act according to the principles of the “Amazon Flywheel” and drive the growth of your business. Here are some specific ways:
Amazon Prime shipping screen with “Get it today”
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Provide fast shipping

Customers often shop products with the Amazon Prime badge. You can get it by using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to ship products from one of our fulfillment centers.
Graphs showing the automatic repricing and bulk pricing tools in Amazon Seller Central
PRICING

Set competitive prices

Many customers shop for the best price. Seller Central tools like automated repricing and bulk pricing for Amazon Business customers. Use these tools to set a price that lets you stay competitive against other sellers.

If your product sells on the Amazon Marketplace

The moment you’re selling on Amazon is the moment you can start growing. We have tools in place to help you take things to the next level and then some.

Get customer reviews

Customer product reviews benefit customers and sellers. There right and wrong ways to get more product reviews. Also, avoid policy violations.
A 4.5-star product review from an Amazon customer

Grow your business

Selling in Amazon stores enables you to build a worldwide company from your laptop. Advertising, promotions, and global selling are just a few ways to expand.
Seller Central screen showing growth opportunities for the Amazon Business Seller Account
Graph showing the health of an Amazon seller account

Stay successful

Amazon is committed to providing a trustworthy, delightful shopping experience. In order to achieve this, we set a high bar for Amazon sellers as well.

Would you like to learn more about Sell on Amazon?

Official social media accounts

Sell on Amazon operates official social media accounts.
Official YouTube Account
Sell on Amazon
Our official YouTube account distributes free videos explaining important points of listing, selling, and sales promotion on Amazon.co.jp in an easy-to-understand manner.

You can watch our videos from the button below.
Official Twitter Account
@SellOnAmazonJP
LINE Official Account
@sellonamazonjp
Our official Twitter account shares Sell on Amazon’s newest updates for Sellers and individuals who want to start selling on Amazon.

If you would like to receive information on Sell on Amazon’s newest promotions, tools, events and seminars, please follow the Twitter account from the button below.
Our LINE Official Account sends selected notifications sent via email and Seller Central requiring actions by Sellers regarding topics such as your account’s status, listing status, and payment disbursement.

You can add the Sell on Amazon LINE Official Account as your friend by clicking the button or by reading the QR code below.

*Not all notifications from the categories above are available on LINE. Please continue to check your email and Seller Central.

Frequently Asked Questions

Get answers to the frequently asked questions about starting to sell on Amazon.

Getting Started

What is selling on Amazon?
Selling on Amazon is a program that lets individuals and businesses sell their products and inventory on in Amazon's stores, like Amazon.co.jp.
What is Amazon Marketplace?
This is a service that allows you to sell and sell on Amazon. As a seller through the Amazon Marketplace, you can sell products through the e-commerce “Amazon.co.jp” for individuals and the e-commerce “Amazon Business” for corporate/sole proprietors.
Why should I sell on Amazon?
Here are just a couple of reasons: the opportunity to put your product in front of hundreds of millions of potential customers, plus the ability to start selling fast before you even set up a business website or physical store. There are many other benefits too.

Pricing

How much does it cost to sell on Amazon.co.jp?
Amazon has two selling plans. The Professional selling plan costs ¥4,900 (excluding tax) per month plus a per-item referral fee. Referral fees vary by category. The Individual selling plan costs ¥100 (excluding tax) per unit sold plus a per-item referral fee. Referral fees vary by category. If you plan to sell over 50 items a month, the Professional Selling plan may be best for you.

In addition the cost of your selling plan and referral fees, other costs may apply, depending on how you ship orders, whether you decide to advertise, etc.
What are the differences between Professional and Individual accounts?
Third-party sellers can sell in Amazon's stores by signing up for the Professional plan or the Individual plan. With the Individual plan, sellers pay a fee for each unit they sell. With the Professional plan, sellers pay one flat fee per month, no matter how many units they sell.
When do I start getting charged the monthly subscription fee?
The monthly subscription fee applies to Professional selling accounts only. The charges begin as soon as you finish the registration process. Your first monthly subscription fee will be charged at that time unless you’re signing up with a promotional offer.

Listing

How do I manage my selling account?
Use the Seller Central website to manage all parts of your Amazon business. Seller Central is the website where you manage your selling account, add product information, make inventory updates, and manage orders and payments.
How do I add inventory?
You have four options for entering product-related info:
  • Click the Sell on Amazon button on Amazon product pages.
  • Use the Add a Product feature on Seller Central to list one new product at a time.
  • Use Excel-based inventory files to add multiple product listings at once.
  • Use Amazon Marketplace Web Service to do bulk uploads and get bulk reports.
How will I know when I have a sale?
Amazon notifies you by email or text message when you receive an order. You can choose either notification method in your account settings.

Start selling today

Put your products in front of the millions of customers that search Amazon every day.
¥4,900 a month (excluding tax) + selling fees
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