Amazon is the most valued marketplace with a strong position and credibility in the e-commerce space. In 2024, its global brand value grew by 23%, further cementing its dominance and influence in the industry. Clearly, selling on Amazon can provide your business with the visibility and recognition needed to accelerate growth. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to expand, now is the ideal time to explore how to sell on Amazon and tap into its vast potential.
Once you’ve decided to start selling on Amazon India, it’s important to have all the details in place before you begin the registration process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, from the latest updates for selling in 2025 to effective strategies for boosting your sales.
How to Prepare for Selling Products on Amazon?
When a seller begins selling on Amazon India, it typically takes 90 to 120 days to start receiving orders. If product details are not provided correctly, it may take even longer to get your first sale. Therefore, it is crucial to be well-prepared before starting the onboarding process to ensure a smooth and efficient setup.
1. Choose the Right Selling Plan
Amazon offers two selling plans, each with minimal charges, designed to suit different needs. If you’re a new seller, the Individual plan is a great option at $0.99 per item sold. For those looking for more benefits, the Professional plan at $39.99 per month provides additional tools and features. With the Professional plan, you can build your brand store, access advanced tools, and create promotional coupons to help boost your product visibility and sales. To understand the selling plan in-depth, you can refer to Amazon’s selling plan.
2. Free Brand Building
To build your brand on Amazon, you need to enroll in the Amazon Brand Registry, a free program that helps you establish and protect your brand. To qualify, you must have an active registered trademark or a pending trademark application.
3. Prepare Product Listing in Advance
Preparing your product listings in advance before starting the process is essential so that you don’t juggle while uploading your product lists. Ensure you have a clear and detailed product description, including size, type, and color, depending on the product category—whether it’s electronics, fashion, or others. As per the latest update, effective from January 21, 2024, your product title must be concise, clear, and under 200 characters (including spaces). Special characters are not allowed, and repetition of words more than twice is prohibited. Additionally, you must have multiple high-quality images of your products ready before listing them will enhance your chances of success.
5. Fulfillment Models
Amazon offers various fulfillment models for various sellers operating at different scales. You can choose the fulfillment model suitable to your business from the following options.
- Self-ship – If you choose self-ship, you will store, pack, and ship your products on your own. This is a flexible option, as sellers can choose their delivery associates and set their own shipping price.
- Easy Ship – Easy ship allows sellers to transfer shipping responsibilities to Amazon. If you choose this fulfillment option, you will store and pack the products and hand over the package to an Amazon delivery agent. This fulfillment model is ideal for sellers who sell a variety of products and store them in their warehouse but want hassle-free shipping.
- Amazon FBA – Amazon FBA is an all-in-one solution where sellers can hand over complete responsibility to Amazon. Everything from storing, packing, shipping, and delivery is taken care of by Amazon. Sellers who want to save time and scale their business by selling a large volume of products can use Amazon FBA. This will save them time for product development, marketing, and sales.
The Self-Shipping model is best suited for sellers with large-scale warehousing and delivery networks, such as Kirana stores catering to nearby pin codes and offering same-day or next-day delivery through local delivery associates. Brands with their own warehouses but looking for hassle-free delivery often prefer the Easy Ship model. This is a great fit for sellers with a wide range of products, especially those with low margins, who want to tap into Amazon’s delivery expertise.
On the other hand, FBA is generally preferred by brands with high product volume and margins, or those aiming to save time, scale their business, and do not have the infrastructure for order fulfillment. Ideally, successful Amazon sellers should transition to the FBA model within 3-4 months to boost operational efficiency and focus on scaling their business.
Understand the Cost of Selling on Amazon
Amazon charges various fees, and understanding them is crucial so you can adjust your pricing accordingly and avoid any negative impact on your ROI. There are three main types of fees that Amazon levies on sellers.
1. Referral Fees
Referral fees vary by category. For example, baby products have an 8% referral fee, while eyewear is charged at 15%. On average, referral fees are around 15%, but they can range from 8% to 45%, depending on the product category.
Total Referral Fees = Item price x Referral Fee percentage
Example: If you are selling a book priced at ₹550 and if the referral fee percentage for books category is 10%, the Referral Fees = ₹ 550 x 10% = ₹10
2. Closing Fees
A closing fee of $1.80 per item is levied on media categories, including DVDs, music, software, computer/video games, and video game consoles.
- FBA Closing Fees:
Total Closing Fees = Fees based on item price & category
- Easy Ship & Self Ship Closing Fees:
Total Closing Fees = Fees based on item price
3. FBA Fees
If you choose Amazon FBA, charges will be levied per unit for picking, packing, shipping, handling customer service, and product returns. These costs are based on the weight and dimensions of your product. Additionally, Amazon charges monthly fees based on the daily average volume that your inventory occupies in the fulfillment centers, specifically for products that have been in the center for more than 181 days.
4. Amazon’s Fair Pricing Policy
Sellers can set their own prices; however, Amazon regularly monitors pricing to ensure compliance with its pricing policies. If any pricing violations are found, Amazon may take appropriate action.
Amazon New Seller Incentive – Get Benefits worth ₹28,000
- Promotional ad credits: Up to ₹26,000 worth ad promotional credits in Ads account + 2-month free ad account management support
- Rewards up to ₹2,000: Up to ₹2,000 in potential rewards for adding more listings
Amazon Seller Registration – Step by Step Registration Process
Step 1: Start Amazon Seller Registration
- Register as an Amazon seller by clicking on this link https://sell.amazon.in/ and click on Start Selling.
- If you already have a customer account, you can use the login details to verify your phone number via OTP verification.
- If you don’t have the consumer login details, click on ‘Create Your Amazon Account’.
- Enter the details: Name, mobile no., Email Address, etc. Click to continue.
Source – Amazon India
Step 2: Enter GST Number
After signing in, you’ll need to enter your GST number. If you’re selling GST-exempt items (like books), select the option indicating you only sell tax-exempt products.
Step 3: Verify GST number
After entering your GST number, click ‘Continue to Verify’ and upload your GSTIN certificate (Form Reg-06 with Annexure A and B) in PDF, JPG, or DOC format (under 10MB). Then, click ‘Submit GST document’. Verification may take up to 72 hours, and you’ll receive an email with the result. While awaiting verification, you can proceed with other registration steps.
Step 4: Enter Store Name
Give your Amazon.in store a unique name to represent your business. You can either pick a name yourself or choose one of Amazon’s suggested options.
Step 5: Enter Pick Up Address
Enter the pickup address where Amazon will collect products for your orders. You can use the GST-registered address or add a new one under Account Settings in Seller Central. Make sure the pickup address is in the same state as your GST registration.
Step 6: Choose the Shipping Method
If you opt for Easy Ship, you’ll need to decide how shipping charges are handled. You can either include them in the product price to offer free delivery or list delivery charges separately.
Step 7: Select Bank Account
Enter the details of your active bank account, which will be used to transfer earnings from your Amazon.in sales. This account must be linked to your business transactions.
Step 8: Select Default Tax Rate
The Default GST rate or Product Tax Code (PTC) defines the applicable tax rate for product categories as per government regulations. This rate is automatically applied to your product listings unless you choose a different tax code for a specific product.
Step 9: List Your Product
Click ‘Add products and start selling’ to begin listing your products. This step is essential for launching your store on Amazon.in. Enter product details such as images, descriptions, and prices, which will help customers evaluate your offerings. At least one product listing must be completed to launch your store.
Inspiring Amazon Seller Sucess Story
Pankaj Bhatia, founder of Protecta’s, who sells laptop bags, faced significant challenges that nearly forced him to shut down his business due to payment issues with another e-commerce platform. After two difficult years, he decided to explore online selling once more, this time with Amazon. The decision proved transformative, as their business achieved 200% business growth. Today, he runs a thriving business, offering high-quality laptop bags and tech gear to customers nationwide.
Strategies for Faster Growth on Amazon in 2025
1. Choose Product Wisely
The product category you choose to sell on Amazon plays a significant role in shaping your business. For instance, in the fashion category, particularly with apparel, returns can be high, with return rates of around 26%. In footwear, returns may vary between 22% and 30%. On the other hand, FMCG products typically have minimal returns, though they come with stricter certification requirements. It’s crucial to consider these factors and weigh the pros and cons of each category. Ideally, you should choose a product category that aligns with your expertise, allowing you to better navigate the challenges and grow your business effectively.
2. Smart Product Listing
If the product you want to sell already exists on Amazon.in, you can simply search it with ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) and add your price and quantity to these ASINs to list and start selling. You can use UPC (Universal Product Code), EAN (European Article Number), or ISBN (International Standard Book Number) to search for product names, brand names, model numbers, etc. But if the product is not available, you will need to create a new list where all the relevant details of the products are provided.
- Title – 200 characters max; capitalize the first letter of every word
- Image – 500 x 500 pixels or 1,000 x 1,000 to increase listing quality
- Variations – Such as different colors, scents, or sizes
- Bullet points – Short, descriptive sentences highlighting key features and benefits
- Description – Optimize using keywords to improve listing discoverability.
3. Post-Purchase Emails to Boost Ratings
Amazon prioritizes customer satisfaction by showcasing the best products at competitive prices. As a seller, the number of reviews and ratings your products accumulate directly impacts their visibility, making them a key factor in driving sales. To encourage this, consider sending post-purchase emails or SMS to your customers, simplifying the process of leaving feedback and ultimately enhancing your product’s chances of gaining more attention.
4. Sponsered Ads
Many new sellers overlook the power of Sponsored Ads on Amazon. To improve visibility, it’s crucial to run ads consistently for at least 120 days. Ideally, you should allocate 10 times the price of your product for advertising to boost its presence. While it may take time to see results, consistent effort can yield a strong return on investment (ROI) in the long run.
Source – Amazon India
5. Promote Hero Products
In the early stages, sellers should identify the products gaining the most traction and focus on promoting those “hero products” for greater growth rather than spreading efforts across all items. Running PPC ads on these key products can help drive conversions and accelerate their success on Amazon.
6. Lightning Deals
Lightning deals are a great way to improve your product’s organic ranking on Amazon. Since these deals are time-limited, they create a sense of urgency, driving more attention and traffic to your products. Additionally, they provide an excellent opportunity to clear excess inventory. Just keep in mind that lightning deals are time-sensitive, so fulfilling orders promptly is crucial to maintaining a positive seller performance.
7. Vendor Powered Coupons
Vendor-powered coupons are an effective way for sellers to attract new customers and boost conversions. They also enhance search visibility, giving your product priority over competitors. The flexibility to activate or deactivate coupons at any time allows you to manage promotions efficiently. To learn how to add coupons to your products, follow this guide.
8. Smart Inventory Management
Manual inventory management has a lot of constraints– you can’t put 100% inventory live as it will be too risky. As your sales channel increases, distributing inventories will become complex. Every time the order arrives, you need to manually update inventory across all sales channels. Now, imagine doing this a hundred times a day! On top of that, you’ll constantly need to switch between different sales channel panels throughout the day.
Using advanced Inventory management solutions, you can put 100% inventory live across all sales channels. For instance, you have 100 units of inventory and want to sell on five different channels. You can show all 100 units of inventory on all sales channels. Advanced IMS solutions provide a centralized view where you can track inventory levels across different channels in one place and don’t need to visit different panels, thus reducing hassle and time. Moreover, you can put inventory formulas to block inventory on a particular sales channel.
9. Avoiding Shipping – Related Issues
In today’s scenario, consumers want their order as soon as possible. They may make their purchasing decisions based on the delivery date of the product. But, on the seller’s end, it becomes a huge responsibility to ensure that the order reaches the right location and at the right time. But, factors like rising shipping costs, lost shipments, and environmental factors can cause delays. Issues in shipment can cause a ripple effect as they increase the SLA breaches and return rate, ultimately adding to the seller’s cost.
Now that you are aware of potential mistakes, let’s see what can be done if you get stuck in any of the above-mentioned scenarios.
Amazon Payment Cycle & Reconciliation Process
While Myntra settles payment in 10-15 days and Flipkart in 10 days, Amazon settles payment in 7 days. The first time settlement will be within 14 days, but subsequently, it will be after every 7 days.
Amazon has an easy three-step reconciliation verification process. But before we understand the process, let’s see the important data required for the reconciliation process.
- All orders report – A comprehensive report of all your Amazon orders with invoice specifics.
- Disbursement report – it contains all information regarding Amazon payment to your account.
- All Returns – A report with all the data regarding returns.
- FBA return – It contains order-level reimbursement information.
- SKU Master – it is a master list of SKU or products
- Bank Statement – All data regarding bank transactions, including disbursement from Amazon.
Three-Step Verification Process
1. Payment Verification
The payment verification can be done by breaking down the expected & received sales. This section reveals any difference between the amount you anticipated or received and the amount actually disbursed from Amazon. It also contains the reconciled and unreconciled orders, underpayments, and overpayments from Amazon.
2. Amazon Fees Verification
Amazon levies various fees on each category-shipping fee, including closing fees, referral fees & more. Here, sellers can identify if there is any discrepancy in the fee applied by Amazon.
3. Bank Settlement Reconciliation
This step includes a complete overview of the bank settlement process. This analysis highlights settlement discrepancies like the settlement received from Amazon Amazon settlement received but missing from the settlement report.
How to sell on Amazon without GST
Many sellers are unaware that Amazon offers two categories for selling: GST levied and GST exempt. For certain products, sellers are required to pay GST, with rates varying by product category. For example, electronics are taxed at 18%, while ready-made garments are taxed at 12%. However, there are specific products which sellers can sell without GST because those goods come under the GST-exempted category.
There are primarily two types of GST exemptions for goods:
- Absolute Exemption: Goods that fall under absolute exemption are exempt from GST without any specific conditions. This exemption applies regardless of the supplier or receiver of the goods, as well as whether the supply is interstate or intrastate.
- Conditional Exemption: Certain goods may be exempt from GST subject to specific terms and conditions, as outlined in the GST Act, amendments, and notifications.
List of GST – exempted Products on Amazon India
- Food – cereals, ginger, salt, Non-branded flour, gram flour, whole flour.
- Tools and instruments- Hearing aids, Tools for agricultural work, Handmade musical instruments.
- Miscellaneous – Books, maps, newspapers, journals, Indian national flag, Organic manure.
If you are looking to sell without GST, Amazon can be a good platform to start. Before you begin selling, ensure that your product category qualifies as a GST-exempted good and familiarize yourself with Amazon’s GST guidelines.
Sell on Amazon – Build a Strong Festive Marketing Strategy
1. Make your Products Visible
Consumers are unlikely to buy your product unless they find it. In physical stores, your employees may help them find the product, but on the online marketplace, consumers search for the product via keywords. Sellers must ensure that their catalog has all the relevant keywords to your product. Another way to make your product visible is through Sponsored product campaigns. Let’s understand this further.
2. Use Amazon Ads
The festive season is the time when you can strategize your ad campaigns to make the most use of marketplaces. Amazon Ads could be the best way to reach out to a wider audience during the festive season. The seller can optimize their advertising strategy before, during, and after the festive season. You can learn more about it through Amazon video lectures.
3. Stay Updated With Inventories
Real-time inventory updates can help you remain updated during festive sales. The festive season is a time when you can quickly run out of stock, but when you have the idea of fluctuating inventory updates, it will be easy to restock your inventory according to the estimated upcoming orders.
Maximize Growth and Visibility on Amazon
Amazon holds an identity for efficient operations and ample scope for scalability by expanding its reach over 180+ countries. Amazon’s data-driven ecosystem enables sellers to optimize product listings, pricing, and inventory. It provides streamlined processes, advanced shipping models, and faster payment cycles, empowering sellers to thrive in a demanding yet rewarding marketplace. Start selling on Amazon now and scale your business like never before!
FAQs on How to Sell on Amazon India
1. Is selling on Amazon India free?
Selling on Amazon is not free, but you can create a seller account for free. There are fees such as referral fees on each sale and optional professional account subscription costs. Additional expenses may include shipping, storage, and advertising fees.
2. Do I need GST to sell on Amazon?
To sell on Amazon, you need to provide your GST number during registration. If you plan to sell GST-exempt products, you can select the option: “I only sell tax-exempted products such as books.” This allows you to proceed without a GST number for eligible categories.
3. Is there a minimum quantity to sell on Amazon?
There is no minimum quantity to sell on Amazon. You can list and sell even a single product on the platform. However, maintaining inventory levels can help improve customer satisfaction and sales.
4. How do I start selling products on Amazon India?
There is a simple process to start selling on Amazon. Create a seller account, provide your business details, and list your products. Once listed, you can start receiving orders and managing sales through Amazon’s platform.
5. What are the different selling plans on Amazon India?
Different selling plans on Amazon are the Individual Plan and the Professional Plan. The Individual Plan costs $0.99 per sale, making it ideal for occasional sellers. The Professional Plan costs $39.99 per month, offering unlimited sales and advanced tools for businesses.
6. What fees are associated with selling on Amazon?
Fees associated with selling on Amazon include referral fees, which are a percentage of each sale, and subscription fees for professional accounts. Additionally, sellers may incur fees for shipping, storage, and optional advertising services. These costs vary based on the product category and services used.
7. What is Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)?
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service where Amazon stores, packs, and ships your products for you. It also handles customer service and returns on your behalf. This allows sellers to focus on growing their business while Amazon manages logistics.
8. How do I list my products on Amazon India?
To list your products on Amazon, you need to create a seller account and choose the right product category. Then, you can either add products manually or upload them in bulk using a spreadsheet. After listing, you can set your price, inventory, and shipping options.
9. What are the best practices for creating product listings?
The best practices for creating product listings include using clear, high-quality images and writing detailed, accurate descriptions. Make sure to use relevant keywords for better search visibility and provide competitive pricing. Additionally, include product specifications, customer reviews, and clear return policies.
10. How can I manage my inventory effectively on Amazon?
To manage your inventory effectively, use Amazon’s inventory management tools to track stock levels and set up alerts for low stock. Regularly update product listings to reflect current availability and optimize your shipping strategy. Consider using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to streamline storage and shipping.
11. What are Amazon’s India policies and guidelines for sellers?
Amazon’s policies and guidelines for sellers include adhering to product listing requirements, maintaining accurate inventory, and following shipping and fulfillment standards. Sellers must comply with Amazon’s code of conduct, customer service expectations, and rules regarding prohibited products. Violations may lead to penalties or account suspension.
12. How do I handle customer service and returns?
To handle customer service and returns, respond promptly to customer inquiries, and address issues professionally. Amazon provides a standard return policy, and sellers are required to follow it, offering refunds or replacements when necessary. Using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) can simplify the process by handling returns on your behalf.
13. How can I grow my business on Amazon India Marketplace?
You can grow your business on Amazon by optimizing your product listings with relevant keywords and compelling images. Utilize Amazon’s advertising tools, such as Sponsored Products, to boost visibility and attract more customers. Focus on providing excellent customer service and maintaining positive reviews to build trust and drive sales.
14. Do I need a license to sell on Amazon in India?
To register your business, seller must provide a valid GST number or Business Permanent Account Number (PAN). Amazon India may request business license documents, so ensure that your provided details match those on your license.
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