Selling on Amazon does not begin with listing a product. Account opening, tax and identity verification, brand registry and the logistics decision each have to be handled in order. Breaking the order stretches the timeline.
Documents you need
An Amazon seller account requires a legal entity and tax registration; a sole proprietorship is enough in most cases. Typically requested:
- Company registration document and tax certificate
- Identity document for the authorised person (passport preferred)
- Bank account details in the company name
- Proof of address issued within the last 180 days (bank statement or utility bill)
- A credit card enabled for international transactions
Selling into the US additionally requires a tax information form, and some categories require extra approvals. Check category restrictions in advance — loading products into a gated category and then waiting is a common waste of time.
Account type: Individual or Professional?
An Individual account has no monthly fee but charges a fixed fee per sale, and tools like advertising and brand registry are closed. If you have a serious sales plan, Professional is the right choice from the start.
Brand Registry
Brand Registry is open to sellers with a registered trademark and gives you three things: control over your listings, A+ content, and protection against infringement. Trademark registration can take months depending on the country, so start it before you begin selling.
Listings: the step that decides your first sale
On Amazon the product page is both a sales page and a search result. Title, bullets and backend keywords determine which searches the algorithm shows your product in.
- The title should carry the main keyword, the brand and the distinguishing feature
- Bullets should communicate benefits, not list specifications
- Images: a white-background hero plus usage and scale shots
- Do not repeat terms in backend keywords — add new ones
FBA or your own fulfilment?
| FBA | Own fulfilment (FBM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Prime badge | Yes | Conditional |
| Storage cost | Yes | Your warehouse |
| Returns handling | Amazon | You |
| Control | Low | High |
| Fast delivery | High | Depends on operations |
For small, fast-moving products FBA usually wins. For bulky, heavy or slow-moving items storage fees can eat the margin. Decide product by product.
When to start advertising
Advertising against a weak listing is expensive: you buy clicks and get no conversions. Finish the product page first, then open Sponsored Products on a controlled budget and optimize it against search term reports.