Short answer: To sell on Walmart Marketplace, apply through Walmart's seller application with your US business details (including an EIN), wait for approval, complete your Seller Center profile and payment setup, list products with valid GTINs/UPCs, and choose between your own fulfilment and Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS). Then optimise listings for Walmart's Listing Quality score, win the Buy Box on price and delivery speed, and use Walmart Connect ads to build early sales.
In this article
Most brands we talk to are already on Amazon and want a second marketplace that doesn't need a whole new audience. Walmart is usually the first answer. It has huge US traffic, fewer sellers than Amazon in most categories, and buyers who are already used to ordering online.
It also has its own rules, and sellers who copy their Amazon approach often get stuck at approval or never get traction. This is how our Walmart Marketplace management team takes brands from application to first sales.
Is Walmart Marketplace worth it?
For most established product brands selling in the US, yes. Reasons we recommend it:
- Less competition per category than Amazon, so good listings can rank faster.
- No monthly subscription fee for marketplace sellers; you pay referral fees on sales.
- A different customer base that adds sales, not just shifts them from Amazon.
It's less suitable for brand-new sellers with no sales history or operations yet. If you're still deciding where to start, read Shopify vs Amazon: where to sell first.
Requirements and how to get approved
Walmart reviews every seller application. Requirements change, so check Walmart's current seller application page, but expect to need:
- A US business tax ID (EIN) and supporting documents, such as a W-9 or an IRS EIN letter
- A verified business address
- Products with valid GTINs (UPC codes from GS1)
- Evidence of e-commerce or marketplace experience, which helps your application
- Strong customer service and fulfilment capability, including fast and reliable shipping
Applications get rejected most often for incomplete business details, no sales history, or categories Walmart doesn't need more sellers in. Setting up the business correctly from the start helps; our US LLC and seller account setup service covers it.
Step-by-step: from application to first sale
- Apply. Submit the seller application with your business details, product categories and catalogue size.
- Complete Seller Center onboarding. Add your company profile, tax information, payment account and shipping settings.
- List products. Add items one by one, by bulk spreadsheet, or by matching to existing Walmart listings. Use complete attributes and good images.
- Set up fulfilment. Choose your own warehouse or 3PL, or send inventory to WFS.
- Launch ads. Start Walmart Connect Sponsored Products to get early sales and reviews.
- Monitor performance. Watch on-time delivery, cancellation rate and Listing Quality, and fix problems quickly.
Fees: what selling on Walmart costs
| Cost | How it works |
|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None for marketplace sellers |
| Referral fee | A percentage of each sale, varying by category; check Walmart's current referral fee table |
| WFS fees (optional) | Per-unit fulfilment fees based on weight and size, plus storage |
| Advertising (optional) | Walmart Connect Sponsored Products, cost per click |
| GTINs | Buy UPCs from GS1 if you don't have them |
Fulfilment: WFS or your own
Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) works much like Amazon FBA. You send inventory to Walmart's warehouses, and they pick, pack, ship and handle returns. WFS items can show fast-delivery badges, which tend to improve conversion and Buy Box chances.
Seller-fulfilled works if you already have a strong 3PL with fast shipping. Walmart watches on-time delivery closely, so only choose this if you can meet its standards reliably.
Our default: start with WFS for best-sellers, keep slow movers seller-fulfilled.
How to rank and win the Buy Box
- Listing Quality score. Walmart scores your content, ratings and reviews, and offer (price, shipping). Fill every attribute, use clear titles and at least four images.
- Competitive price. Walmart compares prices across the web. A cheaper price elsewhere can hurt your Buy Box.
- Fast delivery. Two-day or faster shipping helps both ranking and conversion.
- Reviews. Walmart runs a Spark Reviewer program for eligible items. Early ads also help generate first reviews.
- Keywords. The research process is similar to Amazon's. Use our keyword research process and adapt it to Walmart's search.
Walmart vs Amazon: key differences
| Walmart Marketplace | Amazon | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Application and approval required | Open registration in most categories |
| Monthly fee | None | Professional plan monthly fee |
| Competition | Lower in most categories | Very high |
| Fulfilment | WFS or seller-fulfilled | FBA or FBM |
| Ads | Walmart Connect | Amazon Ads; see our Amazon PPC strategy |
Most brands do best running both, with Amazon as the main engine and Walmart as a growing second channel. Launching a brand-new product? Start with our Amazon product launch playbook, then bring the winners to Walmart.
FAQ
How do I start selling on Walmart Marketplace?
Apply through Walmart's seller application with your US business details, complete Seller Center onboarding after approval, list products with valid GTINs, set up fulfilment, and launch ads to get first sales.
How do I get approved to sell on Walmart?
Provide complete US business information including an EIN, a verified address, products with GTINs, and evidence of e-commerce experience and reliable fulfilment.
How much does it cost to sell on Walmart?
There is no monthly fee for marketplace sellers. You pay a referral fee on each sale that varies by category, plus optional WFS fulfilment and advertising costs.
Is selling on Walmart better than Amazon?
Walmart usually has less competition and no monthly fee, but Amazon has more traffic. Most brands do best selling on both.
What is Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)?
WFS is Walmart's fulfilment program, similar to Amazon FBA. Walmart stores, picks, packs and ships your products and handles returns for a per-unit fee.
Want help getting approved and growing on Walmart? Talk to our team.
Want us to do this for your brand?
Book a 30-minute call and we will scope your project.