How to Sell on Walmart Marketplace: Requirements, Fees and Setup

If you already sell on Amazon, your own store or eBay, Walmart Marketplace is the obvious next channel. It puts your products on Walmart.com in front of a huge US audience, charges no monthly fee and is less crowded with third-party sellers than Amazon.

The catch is that Walmart doesn’t let just anyone in. It reviews every application, wants proof that you’re a real business with ecommerce experience and holds sellers to strict shipping standards. This guide walks through the requirements, the application, listing tools, fees and the key differences from Amazon, so you can decide whether you’re ready and get approved the first time.

Who can sell on Walmart Marketplace

Walmart’s 2026 seller registration guide lists these requirements:

• A business tax ID or business license number. Walmart says an SSN is not accepted, so sole proprietors usually need an EIN. Our guide on how to get an EIN online covers that free process.
• Documents that verify your business name and address.
• A history of marketplace or ecommerce success. Walmart doesn’t publish a minimum, but expect it to look at your sales track record elsewhere.
• Products with GTIN/UPC codes from GS1 company prefixes. Private label or handmade items can request a GTIN exemption.
• A catalog that follows Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy.
• US fulfillment with returns capability, either your own B2C US warehouse or Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS).

Your tax registration must exactly match your IRS records, and you’ll need a government-issued ID for the applicant or legal representative. Walmart verifies your details with federal, state and international organizations.

International sellers can apply too. Walmart lists extra documents for sellers based outside the US, such as a certificate of incorporation and a business phone number.

Key takeaway: Walmart Marketplace is a curated marketplace, not open registration. Have an EIN, matching business documents, real GTINs and a provable sales history ready before you apply.

Gather your business details before applying

Before you start the application, gather:

If you’re still setting up your company, see how to form an LLC online.

Step 1: Apply and complete onboarding

You sign up with a business email, then work through 5 onboarding steps in Seller Center, according to Walmart’s registration guide:

1. Verify your business: entity type, tax registration and personal ID. Walmart says business verification can take from a few minutes to 2 business days.
2. Choose your payout method: link a supported third-party payment processor in the Payments section. Options vary by your country of incorporation.
3. Add market details: your store’s display name and customer service email and phone.
4. Set up fulfillment: shipping policy and returns settings.
5. Set up your catalog: create or upload your first listings.

Watch the clock: Walmart says that once you complete your business details, you have 30 days to finish setting up payments, or your account is declined and you have to reapply. New sellers also face a payment hold after they start selling.

Step 2: List your products

Walmart offers several ways to create listings:

If you already sell on other channels, a multichannel listing tool or solution provider can sync inventory and avoid overselling.

Listing quality matters on Walmart just like anywhere else. Use clear titles, complete attributes, accurate specs and high-quality images. Our guides on writing product descriptions and taking product photos with a phone apply directly.

Step 3: Understand Walmart Marketplace fees

Walmart’s pricing page states there are no monthly or setup fees. Instead, you pay a referral fee only when an item sells. The rate depends on the category, and it applies to the total sale price, including shipping and other charges.

Rates range from about 3% to 20% across categories. Fees change, so check Walmart’s current pricing page before setting prices.

Walmart’s New-Seller Savings program for stores that go live during its 2026 program window, which runs through January 31, 2027, offers discounts on referral fees plus credits for WFS and advertising. Eligibility rules and opt-in steps apply, so read the terms in Seller Center.

If you use WFS, you’ll also pay fulfillment and storage fees. Walmart says WFS has no setup or monthly fees and provides a cost estimator for per-item costs.

Step 4: Choose your fulfillment method

You can ship orders yourself or use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS), where Walmart stores your inventory and picks, packs and ships orders.

According to Walmart, WFS:

• Ships orders in 2 days or less and adds a “Fulfilled by Walmart” tag to eligible items
• Handles customer questions and returns, including returns in Walmart stores
• Can fulfill orders from other channels such as your own website, Amazon, eBay, Shopify and TikTok Shop through its multichannel option
• Accepts non-perishable products up to 500 lbs that don’t need temperature control

Self-fulfillment gives you more control and can suit oversized or slow-moving items. WFS is usually the faster path to 2-day shipping badges. The trade-off is similar to Amazon’s: see Amazon FBA vs FBM for how to think about it.

Step 5: Meet Walmart’s performance standards

Walmart is strict about delivery. Its Seller Performance Standards for US sellers include:

Walmart says failing these can lead to listing suppression, suspension or termination. Higher-tier programs, like Pro Seller badges and expedited shipping, have stricter targets. Check your Performance dashboard in Seller Center weekly.

Walmart Marketplace vs Amazon: key differences

Amazon figures come from Amazon’s seller pricing page. For a full breakdown, see Amazon seller fees explained and how to start selling on Amazon.

The short version: Amazon is easier to join and reaches more shoppers, while Walmart has lower fixed costs, less seller competition and a stricter entry bar. Many sellers run both, along with channels like eBay and TikTok Shop.

Where to start this week

1. Confirm eligibility: EIN, matching business documents and GS1 barcodes.
2. Pull your sales history from your current channels.
3. Pick 10 to 20 proven products with healthy margins after a 15% referral fee.
4. Decide on fulfillment: self-ship if you already hit 90%+ on-time delivery, or price out WFS.
5. Apply, and finish payment setup well within the 30-day window.
6. Start with Setup by Match for products already on Walmart.com, then add new listings.
7. Check performance metrics weekly for the first 90 days.

Also review your sales tax setup. Large marketplaces generally collect and remit sales tax on marketplace orders in states with marketplace facilitator laws, but your own website sales are still your responsibility. See sales tax nexus for online businesses. This is not legal or tax advice.

Conclusion

Walmart Marketplace is a strong second or third channel for established sellers: no monthly fee, mostly 15% referral fees and less competition than Amazon. Getting in requires a real business with an EIN, verified documents, GTINs and an ecommerce track record, and staying in requires fast, trackable shipping. Prepare your documents, start with a focused catalog and treat Walmart’s performance standards as non-negotiable.

For more marketplace guides, browse our top lists.

Sources

• Walmart Marketplace: How to start selling on Walmart.com — requirements, onboarding steps, verification timing, 30-day payment setup window and listing methods
• Walmart Marketplace: Pricing — referral fees by category and no monthly or setup fees
• Walmart Marketplace: New-Seller Savings 2026 — 2026 new-seller incentive terms and dates
• Walmart Fulfillment Services — WFS features, returns and eligibility
• Walmart Marketplace Learn: Seller Performance Standards — on-time delivery, valid tracking and cancellation standards
• Amazon: Selling plan pricing — Amazon plan fees and referral fee ranges