The Beginner’s Guide to Selling on Walmart Marketplace

Sellers can enjoy several advantages on marketplaces, including low setup costs, reliable fulfillment, a trustworthy selling platform, and more. As consumers increasingly prioritize convenience, marketplaces will likely continue to attract more customers.

Over the past decade, Walmart Marketplace has emerged as one of the fastest-growing eCommerce platforms in the U.S. due to the wide range of products offered by its sellers and its innovative selling solutions. If you’re interested in selling on Walmart Marketplace but don’t know where to start, this guide will provide you with all the necessary information. This no-frills guide is up-to-date and will cover the following topics:

Why sell your products on a marketplace?

Online marketplaces have transformed the way consumers shop by offering a one-stop destination for products across all categories. In fact, a survey by Mirkal revealed that 70% of consumers find online marketplaces to be the most convenient way to shop, thanks to better delivery options, selection, and prices.

Furthermore, online marketplaces can attract valuable repeat customers due to their product selection and price transparency. According to Forrester, these marketplaces are projected to contribute to approximately 67% of global eCommerce sales in 2022.

Selling your products on an online marketplace can enable you to tap into the massive $40.2 billion eCommerce sales they generated in 2022 (double the amount from 2017, which was $18.6 billion). As a seller, you can take advantage of several benefits, such as a built-in customer base, low setup costs, enhanced product visibility, reliable fulfillment, easy returns, a trusted platform, and lower risk.

What is Walmart Marketplace?

• Walmart Marketplace is a trusted community of professional sellers whose high-quality offerings complement the first-party products on Walmart.com.
• Walmart provides innovative solutions to simplify the selling experience for brands of all sizes, allowing them to sell their products confidently on Walmart.com.
• There are no monthly or setup fees for sellers, allowing them to save and earn more.
• Sellers have access to a built-in audience of 120 million Walmart.com monthly visitors and loyal customers who shop across different categories and channels.
• Innovative pricing, catalog management, advertising, fulfillment, returns, and brand management solutions help fuel seller growth at scale and provide peace of mind.
• Onboarding is a smooth process, allowing sellers to sell quickly and easily.
• Walmart Marketplace sellers can take advantage of Walmart’s omnichannel capabilities, including online and in-store presence.
• Customers can manage returns online or in person at Walmart stores, providing enhanced returns that offer seamless experiences and flexibility to boost customer satisfaction and earn repeat shoppers.

What are the qualifications to join Walmart Marketplace?

Joining Walmart Marketplace is a simple and easy process, designed to help you offer products to customers quickly.

To qualify for Walmart Marketplace, you must have:

• a Business Tax ID(s) (SSN not accepted) or Business License Number.
• supporting documents that verify your business name and address.
• a history of success in eCommerce or other marketplaces.
• products with GTIN/UPC GS1 Company Prefix Numbers.
• product catalog which complies with Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy.
• to fulfill orders through Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or another B2C U.S. warehouse that has returns capability.

How to start selling on Walmart Marketplace

If you’re ready to get started with Walmart Marketplace, the process is quick and easy. Simply visit the Walmart Marketplace signup page, fill out the required information, review the terms, and create your account. It will only take about a minute!

After creating your account, you’ll complete a three-step setup process to begin onboarding:

Business verification: Submit your details and complete your Seller Profile to verify your business. Make sure your tax information matches IRS records to speed up the verification process and enable you to sell faster.

Payments: Let us know where to send your payments. Rest assured, there are no setup, subscription, or monthly fees for selling on Walmart Marketplace.

Shipping: Configure your shipping methods and costs. Choose your preferred returns method and carriers based on your budget.

By completing these steps, you’ll be well on your way to selling on Walmart Marketplace.

What does it cost to sell on Walmart Marketplace?

As you begin your journey as a Walmart Marketplace seller, you may be curious about the associated costs. At Walmart Marketplace, they believe in transparent pricing and offer competitive commission rates to their sellers.

Unlike other marketplaces, Walmart don’t charge any setup, monthly, or hidden fees. You only pay for what you sell. Walmart deduct a reasonable referral fee from each completed purchase. Their referral fees vary by category and total sales price and typically range from 6% to 15%.

Walmart’s aim is to help the marketplace sellers earn more through competitive referral fees. To determine the referral fees for your products, you can refer to their guide.

Tips for selling faster on Walmart Marketplace

If you want to sell on Walmart Marketplace and get approved quickly, consider these tips:

PRO TIP 1:
Having a history of eCommerce or marketplace success can significantly improve your chances of approval. Walmart Marketplace values established and credible sellers, which allows them to offer their customers a great selection of high-quality products.

PRO TIP 2:
Review Walmart Marketplace’s Prohibited Products Policy to ensure that none of your products violate the policy. The list includes hazardous materials, alcohol, certain types of food, offensive products, and more. If you have any of these items in your product catalog, your application will be denied.

PRO TIP 3:
Provide as much information about your business as possible in your application. Completing all the required fields upfront can prevent delays in the review process and save you from unnecessary back-and-forth communication.

Review the Walmart Performance Standards and Policies so you’re fully aware of and compliant with all Walmart Marketplace policies, rules, and guidelines.

Tools to help you grow on Walmart Marketplace

As a Walmart Marketplace seller, you can take advantage of innovative solutions right from the start to maximize your potential. Once you have completed your account setup and listed your products, you will have direct access to Walmart Fulfillment Services and Walmart Connect.

Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) is an end-to-end fulfillment service for Walmart Marketplace sellers. Here’s how it works:

• Join Walmart Marketplace to gain access to WFS and set up your products.
• Ship your inventory to a WFS facility.
• WFS stores, picks, packs, and ships your orders.

With one of the world’s largest supply chains, Walmart Marketplace provides the scale, quality, cost, and efficiency you need to grow a successful business on Walmart.com.

Conclusion

Walmart Marketplace provides several advantages, including low setup costs, reliable fulfillment, better deals, and more. As consumers continue to prioritize convenience, marketplaces are expected to play an even greater role in eCommerce.

As a Walmart Marketplace seller, you can benefit from their ecosystem of solutions designed to help you succeed in eCommerce. With their growth-focused solutions, you can reach a wider audience and sell more effectively. Create your Walmart Marketplace account today to explore the benefits of Sponsored Search advertising from Walmart Connect and Walmart Fulfillment Services.