Searching for how to sell on Walmart Marketplace? You’ve come to the right guide. Walmart Marketplace is currently the second largest eCommerce retailer in the US. Plus, inheriting the reputation of thousands of brick-and-mortar stores in its retail chain, this giant offers a high potential venue for sellers, which can help you reach more customers and ultimately increase their sales.
Selling on Walmart is similar to selling on the other top online marketplaces; it has specific requirements in the application process. In this article, we’ll give you a complete guide on how to start selling on Walmart and the best practices for success on this online selling platform.
- Step 1: Create a Walmart seller account
- Step 2: Verify your business
- Step 3: Set up your payment information
- Step 4: Configure your shipping methods
- Step 5: Start listing your products
Now, let’s learn how to sell on Walmart online and get ready for a journey to boost your sales.
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Selling on Walmart Marketplace: At a Glance
Before learning how to sell on Walmart Marketplace, let’s explore why selling on Walmart Marketplace is beneficial and the essential requirements you need to meet to get started.
Why sell on Walmart Marketplace?
Like eBay or Amazon, Walmart Marketplace is a popular online platform where third-party sellers can sell their products alongside Walmart’s own offerings.
According to Semrush, this marketplace attracts over 419 million unique visits to Walmart.com in May 2024. With categories ranging from clothing to electronics, Walmart Marketplace is a powerful sales channel for both small and large sellers around the world.
Research by Marketplace Pulse shows that Walmart’s marketplace has doubled in size in only 18 months, now hosting 100,000 active sellers. Each year, more and more sellers join the platform. Over the past year, 10,000 to 20,000 new sellers signed up every month, with at least 10% of them getting approved and becoming active.
With its rapid growth and expanding opportunities, Walmart Marketplace is an ideal platform for sellers looking to reach a wide audience and grow their business. Now, let’s explore the qualifications needed to start selling on Walmart Marketplace.
If you’re a beginner, read our comprehensive Walmart online marketplace review for more details.
What are the qualifications to sell on Walmart?
It’s essential to review the minimum qualifications to ensure you are eligible before learning how to sell on Walmart Marketplace. Here are what you need to sell on Walmart Marketplace:
- A Business License Number or Business Tax ID (SSN not accepted)
- Documents verifying your business name and address
- A proven record of success in eCommerce or marketplaces
- Items with GTIN/UPC GS1 Company Prefix Numbers
- A catalog that follows Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy
- B2C U.S. warehouse with return capabilities or fulfillment via Walmart Fulfillment Services.
With these qualifications in place, you’re ready to start selling on Walmart Marketplace. Now, let’s move on to the next part, where you’ll learn how to sell at Walmart.
In case you don’t meet the qualifications to sell directly on Walmart Marketplace, consider trying dropshipping on this platform instead. Find out more in our Walmart dropshipping guide.
How to Sell on Walmart Marketplace? 5-Step Guide
In this section, we’ve outlined a simple 5-step guide on how to start selling on Walmart. Follow these steps to set up your account, list your products, and start reaching millions of Walmart customers.
Let’s dive into the process of how to become a Walmart seller.
Step 1: Create a Walmart seller account
First of all, you’ll need to create a dedicated Walmart Marketplace seller account, which is distinct from any personal shopping accounts you may have. Here’s how:
To create your seller account:
- Visit Walmart’s seller signup page.
- Fill in your name, business name, tax ID, email, phone number, and password. Remember to choose the market and country of incorporation.
- Agree to the terms and conditions.
- Then, click “Create my account.”
Walmart will then send you an email to verify your business email address. Once confirmed, you can proceed with the process on how to sell on Walmart Marketplace.
Step 2: Verify your business details
Once you’re logged into your Walmart Marketplace seller account, kick off the onboarding process by confirming your business details. Before you begin, have these details ready:
- Your US Tax ID number (TIN)
- Your yearly gross merchandise value (GMV) range
- Your highest-performing product category
To confirm your business:
- Go to the seller homepage and click “Get verified.”
- Fill out the verification form with the requested tax, business, and seller profile details. You can save this form and come back to it later if needed.
- Then, hit “Submit for review.”
Note that business verification typically takes up to two business days. You can track the status of your verification through the seller application tracking site.
Step 3: Set up your payment information
The next step on how to sell on Walmart Marketplace is to set up your payment preferences. Depending on where you’re located, you have three options: PingPong, Hyperwallet, and Payoneer.
To set up payments:
- Go to the seller homepage and click “Get paid.”
- Choose your preferred payment processor and either create or sign in to your account by choosing the corresponding button.
- Follow the prompts to complete your payout setup.
Note: New sellers may experience payment holds after starting to sell on Walmart Marketplace. This period can be up to 14 days for US sellers and up to 21 days for global sellers.
Step 4: Configure your shipping methods
Now, let’s configure how to sell products on Walmart by handling shipping and returns for your customers. Here’s how:
- Go to the seller homepage and click “Start shipping.”
- Choose your shipping templates, which specify order fulfillment speed, shipping destinations, and customer costs. For more customization, click “Advanced setup.“
- Review and accept Walmart’s Returns Shipping Service for printing return labels.
- Enter your return center’s name and address, which are printed on return shipping labels.
- Then, hit “Submit.”
Step 5: Start listing your products
Now that your business is verified and your payment and shipping details are set, you’re almost done with how to sell on Walmart Marketplace. It’s time to build your product catalog! Depending on the size of your catalog, you have a few options:
- Single item method: Add products one by one, best for sellers with small catalogs.
- Bulk upload: Upload multiple items at once using a spreadsheet, which is ideal for sellers with many products,
- Third-party tools: Use external tools like LitCommerce for automatic updates, suitable for sellers selling on multiple marketplaces.
To add products individually:
- On the seller homepage, head to Product Catalog > Items and click “Add Items.”
- In the Search the Walmart catalog field, fill in your product name or identifier. If your product isn’t found, click “Create a new item” and provide the required information to submit it for approval.
- When you find the right product, click “Add Item.”
- Then, update the Offer Details section with your item details.
- Hit “Submit” to create the product in your catalog.
To bulk upload items:
- On the seller homepage, go to Product Catalog > Items and hit “Add Items.”
- In the file upload space, upload your updated Walmart template or custom spreadsheet.
- Hit the “Next” button and follow the prompts to add these items to your product catalog.
To add products via third-party tools:
Another method suited for sellers managing multiple marketplaces is leveraging third-party tools like LitCommerce. With LitCommerce, sellers can efficiently list their products across various platforms, including Walmart Marketplace.
To list your products on Walmart using LitCommerce:
- Set up your sales channels on LitCommerce
- Start listing your products on Walmart Marketplace
For comprehensive instructions, refer to our guide on how to integrate with Walmart to sell on Walmart Marketplace.
Effortlessly List Your Products on Walmart
With LitCommerce, you can quickly and easily move all your products from your website to Walmart Marketplace. Save time and avoid listing items one by one.
With these steps, you’re well on your way to selling on Walmart Marketplace. Now, let’s explore what types of items you can list on the platform.
What Types of Products Can You Sell on Walmart Marketplace?
Now that you know how to sell on Walmart Marketplace, the equally important question is: what can you sell there?
Well, you can sell many things at Walmart, ranging from grocery items, household items, and toys to automotive. However, some of the best seller Walmart items are:
- Personal Cares
- Babycares
- Kitchenware
- Cleaning/ laundry supplies
- Women’s Clothing
- Fitness
If you haven’t got any ideas of what to sell on Walmart marketplace, the products can be a great starting point for your business.
But be aware there are some rules to follow. Each product category has its own restrictions, so check your product categories to see how your products could be affected. Also, keep in mind that Walmart Marketplace doesn’t allow products with parts from restricted places, like Iran or North Korea. Moreover, some product types, like fragrances or luxury items, need approval before you can sell them. If you’re interested in selling any of these, reach out to Partner Support.
Best Practices to Succeed Selling on Walmart Marketplace
Now that you know how to sell on Walmart Marketplace, it’s time to excel in your selling efforts on this platform. Here are some top Walmart marketing strategies to ensure your business thrives on Walmart Marketplace:
Optimize new product listings
To succeed in selling on Walmart Marketplace, focus on creating product listings that help your customers easily find you. Especially if you’re adding a new item to Walmart’s catalog, ensure it meets Walmart’s approval. Here are some tips to make your listings stand out:
- Stick to Walmart’s rules for product names and descriptions.
- Write clear, concise copy that’s helpful for shoppers and boosts your SEO.
- Use formatting tools like bullet points to make descriptions easy to read.
- Use several high-quality images on a white background, as Walmart requires.
- Include images from different angles, with accessories if needed, and show your product in action if possible.
- Hire a pro photographer for top-notch images if you can.
You can check out our thorough Walmart SEO guide to optimize your listing better.
Offer excellent fulfillment service
Getting a customer to buy your product is just the start of the journey of how to sell on Walmart Marketplace. To impress them and keep them coming back, you must fulfill their order effectively. This means shipping their item quickly and handling returns smoothly if needed.
Walmart Marketplace simplifies this with Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS). With WFS, Walmart handles fulfillment for you, using its vast network of warehouses and reliable shipping system to serve your customers.
During the selling on the Walmart Marketplace setup process, you can opt for WFS as your fulfillment service. However, if you choose another provider, ensure they can still deliver a great customer experience.
You can also boost your conversions by offering free or faster delivery options with expedited shipping on Walmart. These tags attract shoppers seeking speedy delivery. Additionally, we ensure that standard delivery is provided for customers who are comfortable with longer wait times.
Price your products competitively to win the Buy Box
The Buy Box is the top spot on search pages, with all other products listed below. Walmart’s algorithm evaluates pricing (including shipping), inventory, and product quality information to determine the winner.
With the right Walmart pricing strategy, enough stock, and accurate listings, you increase your chances of winning the Buy Box position on Walmart
Encourage customers to share positive reviews
Another aspect you should pay attention to when learning how to sell on Walmart Marketplace is product reviews.
As you may not know, product reviews play a crucial role in the success of your listings. They act as social proof, which shapes customers’ initial opinions about your product and your reputation as a seller. Once customers receive their purchased item, they can leave reviews for the product and the seller. These reviews are visible to other customers on product pages and your profile.
You can prompt customers to leave positive reviews by offering a stellar experience from start to finish. This includes providing clear and accurate product descriptions and photos, responding promptly to inquiries, and ensuring timely shipping.
Run Sponsored Search ads with Walmart Connect
Besides optimizing the ranking of your listings, you can also learn how to advertise on Walmart Marketplace to drive more traffic and boost conversions. With Sponsored Search ads from Walmart Connect, your brand and products reach customers searching Walmart’s site and app. You only pay when customers click your ads.
Walmart Connect provides two types of Sponsored Search ads for Walmart Marketplace sellers:
- Sponsored Product ads: These ads show up in prominent spots, including relevant search results on item pages. Clicking leads customers to your product’s page.
- Sponsored Brands: This premium feature is for marketplace brand owners registered with the Walmart Brand Portal. It elevates your brand logo and products to the top of relevant search results.
Use an inventory and order management tool
The last tip for successfully selling on Walmart Marketplace is to use an inventory and order management tool.
Tracking inventory is crucial, especially if you’re selling across multiple platforms. An inventory system streamlines this process, saving time and preventing errors. It also avoids selling products that are out of stock, which can be stressful for sellers and disappointing for customers.
Ideally, you can use a third-party Integration tool, like LitCommerce, to integrate seamlessly with your sales channels. This tool lets you sync inventory and price nearly instantly and manage everything from a single dashboard.
Pro tip: If you follow all the tips above and meet certain Walmart requirements, you can become a Walmart Pro Seller. Earning this title comes with numerous benefits, providing you with a competitive advantage over other sellers.
How to Sell on Walmart Marketplace – FAQs
Walmart Marketplace is basically an online platform that lets third-party sellers list their items for sale on Walmart.com. It provides sellers with access to millions of Walmart customers and offers various tools and resources to help them manage their online businesses efficiently. Here’s how to sell on Walmart Marketplace: No, only approved businesses can sell on Walmart Marketplace. Walmart reviews the seller’s catalog, operations, and other business details during the selection process. This ensures that Walmart can provide consistent, high-quality experiences to all its customers on Walmart.com. There are no setup, monthly, or hidden fees for sellers on Walmart Marketplace. Instead, you only pay when you sell something. Walmart deducts a referral fee from each sale, which varies depending on the item category and total sales price. Referral fee rates typically range from 6% to 15%. Getting approved to sell on Walmart Marketplace can be challenging, especially for beginners, as Walmart has strict criteria for sellers. You need to provide necessary documents like business tax ID or license, products with GTIN/UPC GS1 numbers, and a compliant catalog. Moreover, you must demonstrate experience in e-commerce, ideally on platforms such as Amazon and eBay.
Start Selling on Walmart Marketplace Now!
Now that you know how to sell on Walmart Marketplace in just 5 simple steps. With our practical tips, we believe you’re fully equipped to begin your journey as a Walmart Marketplace seller.
If you still have any questions regarding selling on Walmart Marketplace, don’t hesitate to contact us for assistance.
