Making an income online with Amazon is honestly one of the more flexible ways to get into ecommerce, affiliate marketing, or even starting your own brand. Amazon isn’t just an online store; it’s a huge platform that opens a bunch of pathways for all types of sellers, whether you have experience or you’re just getting started. Finding the right approach for your situation makes a huge difference, so I’m going to break down the main ways you can use Amazon’s platform to make money, including what’s involved, what’s possible if you’re new, and what you’ll need to keep in mind.
Amazon Income Opportunities: What’s Actually Out There?
Amazon offers a pretty broad range of income options that suit all types of entrepreneurs. Whether you want to sell physical products, digital goods, or even just help promote other brands, there’s probably a spot for you. Here’s an overview of some main methods I’ve seen work for people:
- Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon): You send your products to Amazon’s warehouse, and they handle everything else. Picking, packing, shipping, and even customer service are covered for you.
- Amazon FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant): You list products on Amazon but pack and ship them yourself (or through your own warehouse).
- Retail Arbitrage & Online Arbitrage: Buying products from retail stores or online shops at a low price and reselling them on Amazon for profit. This method is a low-barrier entry for many newcomers.
- Private Label: Creating your own brand by sourcing generic products (often from China), branding them, and selling under your own custom label. This lets you set yourself apart from the competition.
- Wholesale: Buying in bulk from established brands and reselling at a markup on Amazon. This method often scales faster if you build strong supplier relationships.
- Amazon Handmade: Selling custom handmade products. Think of Amazon Handmade as an Amazon version of Etsy, giving creative makers a big potential audience.
- Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): Publishing and selling books or ebooks through Amazon’s marketplace. KDP is a top pick for writers or anyone who wants to share their expertise or stories.
- Amazon Affiliate Program (Amazon Associates): Earning commissions by recommending Amazon products on your blog, YouTube channel, or social media. No inventory required, just content creation and promotion.
Each path comes with its own setup process, learning curve, and potential, so it’s worth taking a good look at what fits your time, budget, and long-term plans. Getting clarity early on can help you avoid unnecessary hassles and costs later.
Getting Started as a New Seller on Amazon
Jumping into selling on Amazon for the first time might feel kind of intimidating, but the process is actually pretty straightforward. Amazon’s interface for new sellers walks you through the steps, and there’s plenty of support available if you hit a snag. Many people who have never considered ecommerce before find Amazon’s tools and educational resources helpful for a smooth start.
If you’re a complete newbie, the FBA program is usually the easiest way to start. You’ll need to set up an Amazon Seller Account, pick what you want to sell, and follow the prompts to get your products listed. For physical products, Amazon will tell you exactly where to ship inventory, and they handle the rest.
- Easy for beginners: The big benefit of FBA is skipping the shipping chaos. You just send batches of products to Amazon and they do the heavy lifting, making it easy to focus on sourcing or growing.
- Resources for learning: There are tons of free YouTube channels, podcasts, and Amazon’s own guides that break down each step. Even if you’ve never sold online before, you can find someone walking you through every stage.
- Costs to consider: There are fees to use FBA, but the tradeoff is more time to focus on growing your side hustle or business. These fees cover storage, shipping, and customer service, which are often worth the price for beginners.
Some learning is involved, but you really don’t need any fancy qualifications or special tech skills to get started. Amazon even provides Seller University, which is full of actionable tutorials and tips for new sellers.
What Selling Methods Are Available on Amazon?
There isn’t just one way to sell on Amazon. Here’s a rundown of the main methods and how they actually work, so you can pick the right option for your experience, budget, and goals:
- Retail Arbitrage: Buy discounted items from stores like Walmart, Target, or even local outlets, scan them using the Amazon Seller app, and list on Amazon for a higher price. This is a common entry point for new sellers because it doesn’t require a big upfront investment and you can build confidence by testing with small batches.
- Online Arbitrage: Pretty similar to retail arbitrage, except you find deals online instead of in physical stores. You don’t need to go anywhere, which saves time. Just ship products to your home or prep center, then to Amazon if you’re using FBA.
- Private Label: Source products from manufacturers, often in China using Alibaba, add your branding or tweaks to the package or product, and build your own brand on Amazon. It takes research, but you get more control and a chance to stand out.
- Wholesale: You buy products from other wholesalers or distributors in bulk and then resell them on Amazon under their existing brand. It generally requires relationships with suppliers and a little more money upfront, but can create more stability over time.
- Handmade: If you’re crafty, Amazon Handmade is a good place to showcase jewelry, home decor, art, and similar items. This lets artists and makers reach a massive audience without dealing with their own website.
- Kindle Publishing (KDP): If writing is your thing, you can publish both short stories and regular books digitally or in print through Amazon KDP. From novels to journals, this can become a recurring income stream if you build a catalog.
- Amazon Associates: Want to recommend products instead of dealing with stock? The affiliate program pays you for sending buyers through your unique links. No need to ship, pack, or customer service—just content creation and marketing.
The right method depends on your goals, how much time you want to spend, and whether you want to deal with inventory. Consider testing a couple approaches before deciding on your main focus.
The Role of the Amazon Reseller
An Amazon reseller is someone who buys products from manufacturers, distributors, or retail outlets and sells them on Amazon, usually without running their own brand. Resellers might specialize in retail arbitrage, online arbitrage, or wholesale. The appeal here is that you can start small, test the waters, and scale up without needing to design your own products or build a brand right away.
While profits can be lower if there’s a lot of competition, some people make a full-time living just by reselling discounted products they find locally or online. The skill really comes from spotting deals, keeping an eye on trends, and managing inventory well. Staying organized and learning which categories are hot can make a big difference in your success.
Can Anyone Sell Anything on Amazon?
Amazon is huge, but it doesn’t accept every product out there. Some categories are open for anyone, like books or home goods, while others need approval. For example, health, beauty, or certain electronics require more paperwork or vetting before you’re allowed to sell.
Restricted categories usually need you to be a little more established, maybe having invoices or showing that your products meet certain safety standards. If you’re just starting out, picking open categories is the fastest way to get selling.
It’s also worth mentioning that some things can never be sold: copyrighted items you don’t have rights to, recalled items, banned substances, certain knives, adult products, and the like. If in doubt, checking Amazon’s “prohibited products” list keeps things tidy and risk-free so you don’t end up with a suspended account.
Do You Need Your Own Products?
No, you don’t need your own products. One of the biggest perks of selling on Amazon is being able to get started with products from manufacturers, wholesalers, or even retail stores. If you want your own brand, private label is how to get there, but for retail arbitrage, wholesale, or even dropshipping (if you do it right), branded products from other companies are totally fine to start with.
If you do want to launch a brand eventually, building up some experience and cash flow as a reseller is a smart way to test the platform without a huge risk upfront. Many successful private label sellers started by reselling familiar name-brand items before growing into their own line.
Where in the World Can You Sell on Amazon?
Amazon actually supports sellers from a long list of countries. Big markets include the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, and India. Each region operates as its own “marketplace,” meaning you may need to set up accounts and meet regional requirements, like tax rules or local product standards. If you’re thinking about selling in another country, research what adjustments you may need for packaging, translation, or taxes specific to that marketplace.
Some countries aren’t supported, mainly for tax or security reasons, so checking Amazon’s Approved Seller Countries list before you sign up is a smart move. As long as your country is on the list, signing up is pretty simple and the process is mostly guided step by step.
Can You Earn from Affiliate Marketing with Amazon?
Yes, you can make money as an Amazon Associate even if you never list or sell a single product directly. The affiliate program pays you a small commission each time someone clicks your unique Amazon link and makes a purchase, and you can promote links on your blog, website, YouTube channel, or social media accounts.
This is especially handy for folks who want to avoid inventory, shipping, or customer service headaches. The trick is creating content that attracts visitors and gets them curious enough to buy through your links. Some people find their groove by reviewing products they already own or curating lists for specific audiences.
Can You Use Dropshipping on Amazon?
You can kind of dropship on Amazon, but with some rules. Basically, dropshipping means you list a product on Amazon, and only buy from your supplier (who ships straight to your buyer) after you get a sale. Amazon does allow dropshipping, but you need to be the “seller of record.” Your name or business must appear on all packing slips, invoices, and packaging, not the dropshipping supplier, and you handle all customer service.
FBA is actually a cleaner way to run a hands-off business since Amazon handles fulfillment, but for classic dropship setups, just make sure you read Amazon’s policy so you don’t get your account restricted. Communicating with suppliers to make sure branding and paperwork line up is vital.
Do You Need to Hold Inventory to Sell on Amazon?
You don’t always have to keep stock at home. With FBA, Amazon actually warehouses your products for you. With dropshipping, the supplier ships directly to the buyer as long as everything looks like it’s coming from you. For KDP or affiliate sales, there’s no physical product at all, so you don’t hold inventory in those cases either. Not holding inventory can make things more hands-off and stress-free, which is attractive to new sellers.
For FBM (you ship yourself), you’ll need to have stock on hand and handle all packaging and postage. If you value your time over your storage space, FBA is usually easier, especially when starting out, though FBM can work well if you have unique local items or want extra control.
Can You Buy Products from China to Sell on Amazon?
Sourcing products from China is super common for both private label and wholesale sellers. Websites like Alibaba and Global Sources make it pretty simple to find manufacturers who will produce or customize items for you. Just be ready to check samples, handle shipping logistics, and make sure products comply with your target market’s safety rules.
It’s smart to start small, order samples, and check quality before investing a lot. Also, keep a close eye on product restrictions and safety standards, because Amazon takes those seriously, especially in categories like toys, electronics, and anything that touches food or skin. Taking these steps helps avoid issues down the line and gives you peace of mind.
Common Questions about Making Income on Amazon
Here are a few things people often ask when they’re thinking about selling on Amazon or using the platform for income:
Question: Do I need a business license to sell on Amazon?
Answer: Not for most categories, but once you start making regular sales, it’s a good idea to chat with a tax professional about the right business setup for your situation.
Question: How much money do I need to start?
Answer: It depends on your method. Retail arbitrage can start with under $100, but private label or wholesale businesses might need at least a few hundred or even thousands of dollars for inventory, samples, and shipping.
Question: Can I sell digital items?
Answer: Through KDP, yes, for ebooks. For software, music, or other downloads, you’ll need to use Amazon’s platform specific to those categories, and there are some extra rules to follow.
Question: How do I avoid my account getting banned?
Answer: Read and follow Amazon’s rules, sell genuine products, be honest in your descriptions, and always keep customers happy. Staying on top of your account health and watching for complaints helps you avoid problems.
Ready to Start Making Money with Amazon?
Jumping into Amazon as a way to make money online has a lot of possible routes, whether you want to sell your own products, resell stuff you found on clearance, launch a whole new brand, or just share links through a website. The more you learn about each path, the better you’ll be at picking the right fit for your goals, time, and resources. Amazon is always updating its platform, so staying flexible and open to learning pays off. If you’re ready to get started, take the time to research and pick one method, then get your feet wet and adjust as you go.
You can research “selling on Amazon” online or YouTube for more information and country specific guidelines. You will find Amazon training and much more here