Setting up a new online selling business can be a tedious
process, especially when there are so many options and ways to do so. To the
individual sellers and entrepreneurs who have just taken their initial steps in
beginning their business of selling online, the vastness and unfamiliarity of
the online market can seem intimidating. Moreover, for beginners and
individuals, bearing the costs of online selling can be tough. Here is where
Amazon’s option of an Individual seller account can help them and be a great
option for them to set up their business. If you are also planning to enter the
online selling business and want to know how to sell on Amazon as an individual
seller, firstly let’s understand what exactly is Amazon’s individual seller account:
What is Amazon’s Individual seller account and how is it different from a Professional account?
Amazon has two different account types for online sellers,
namely, Individual and Professional.
- A Professional seller account is designed for the sellers who are in the online selling business for the long haul and have a business plan and products ready to be sold. The Professional seller account is also ideal for people who will be selling over 35 items in a month and will be requiring Amazon’s advanced tools like Amazon Advertising. It also gives them access to Amazon’s platforms like Launchpad and Handmade. For the Professional account, the seller will have to pay a monthly subscription fee of £25 regardless of whether they make a sale that month.
- An Individual seller account is designed for sellers who have not decided upon a business plan and products to sell, and do not require any of the advanced selling tools. It is also for people who will be selling less than 35 items in a month. However, Individual seller account users still get access to basic listing and order management tools of Amazon. Most importantly, with an Individual selling account, the seller will only pay as they go - meaning, they will only be paying Amazon for every sale they make.
How to Sell on Amazon
as an Individual seller?
In order to begin selling online with Amazon as an
Individual seller, you will first need to begin the process of registering
yourself as a seller. After providing the required details, when asked to
choose an account type, choose ‘Individual.’ Later in the process, you will be
required to provide certain documents and information to Amazon to sign you up
as a seller. The required details/documents include:
-
A valid ID proof (like a passport)
-
The official e-mail address of your business or your
existing Amazon customer account
-
Registration details of your company/business (like tax
documents and VAT number)
- A chargeable credit card.
Another important thing you need to know about how
to sell on Amazon (UK) as an Individual seller is the payment structure. As
mentioned earlier, for an Individual account, Amazon will charge you a fee for
every sale you make, apart from its generally applicable fees. In the case of
Amazon UK, you will be charged £0.75 for every item sold.
Amazon also has an option for switching account types. If a Professional seller wishes to switch to an Individual account or vice versa, they can do so whenever they want via Amazon’s website.
Once you have learnt about how to sell on Amazon as an
Individual seller, you can begin doing market research regarding your products.
You can also start looking for ways to promote your business and products.
