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Walmart Marketplace is now home to 100,000 active sellers, with new ones being accepted each year. The platform has a strict application process, but once you’re accepted, it opens the doors to new audiences, including the possibility of ending up on Walmart’s physical shelves.
If you’re an established business, there’s no reason not to be on Walmart. There’s less competition, giving your products a better chance to shine and the fees are reasonable. Walmart Seller Center is also intuitive and easy to navigate, so you can be up and running within a few hours.
Here’s a guide on how to use Walmart Seller Central and its multiple features.
Walmart operates its ecommerce platform at Walmart.com, bringing the brand’s vision of providing top-quality, affordable products to consumers online. With Walmart Marketplace, they’ve accepted third-party sellers to list their items alongside Walmart’s products. This allows Walmart customers to access millions of brands from different companies.
For sellers, this provides a great opportunity to showcase their products alongside well-known brands and to tap Walmart’s reputation as a leading US retailer. Walmart screens third-party sellers to ensure only top-quality items are listed on the platform.
Sellers manage their listings using the Walmart Seller Center, a proprietary platform where you can categorize products, manage orders, and review store analytics. Walmart accepts both 1P and 3P sellers, where 1P sellers act as suppliers of wholesale items that will be tagged as “sold and shipped by Walmart,” and 3P sellers retain maximum control over their product listings, inventory, and pricing.
Walmart also accepts international sellers from India, Canada, the UK, Vietnam, and China. Since 2021, when they first opened doors to non-US sellers, the number of international sellers has grown, with China leading the pack. Marketplace Pulse reports that in 2024, 73% of Walmart’s new active sellers came from China alone.
Walmart is an established platform with millions of monthly visits, giving your products an extra boost in visibility. Walmart sellers enjoy multiple perks, which makes the platform a strong contender for diversifying from being solely Amazon sellers.
Here are the reasons you should be selling at Walmart Marketplace:
Walmart receives 400+ million unique monthly visitors, making it the third most visited ecommerce website after Amazon and eBay. Selling on Walmart gives you a massive audience and a higher chance of getting your products seen by your target audience. It’s not as saturated as Amazon, so there's a higher probability that your products will make it to the top of search results. There’s also less competition, making it easier and faster to grow your brand.
Walmart makes it virtually risk-free to list your products on its platform by only charging seller fees after you sell an item. They don’t charge a regular selling or listing fee, so you can confidently explore Walmart’s platform without worrying about hidden costs.
Walmart has built its name as a reputable brand that stays true to its brand promise of top-quality and affordable items. By selling on Walmart, you’re aligning your brand with Walmart’s reputation. New customers are also more likely to trust your products because they are listed on a platform they already know.
Walmart offers customers a convenient checkout process that’s efficiently done in a few clicks. Information is also encrypted, giving customers confidence that their data is secure from unauthorized access.
Walmart helps you monitor the success of your products with detailed visuals of your store analytics. You can see which items are the top-performing products and understand what makes them popular. You can also see which listings need to be further optimized and what changes you can make to improve them.
Because Walmart carefully screens its sellers, not everyone is approved to launch their products on the platform. You have to meet the following strict requirements to guarantee your application’s approval.
International sellers should also comply with the above requirements, in addition to providing business information specific to their country, such as information about their business identity.
To start selling on Walmart Marketplace, simply create an account at marketplace.walmart.com. Complete all required fields and ensure you input the correct information. Walmart will use them to verify your business entity and approve your account.
Walmart automatically detects your location so it knows if you’re an international seller. You’ll be asked to indicate the country or region of your business incorporation and provide your Tax ID. If you’re already in the US, it won’t ask for this information upon sign-up.
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You’ll also create a password to access your account. Once you click Create My Account, you’ll automatically enter the Walmart Seller Center, where you can list your products. To activate your account, you must complete three steps to verify your business before you can start selling.
The process is straightforward and can be completed in under 24 hours if you have all the necessary information. However, if Walmart needs to perform multiple verification steps, the approval process can take several weeks. It’s best to have your requirements ready—especially those related to your legal business information—to expedite the approval process. Providing detailed business information reduces back-and-forth communication, which can cause delays in the approval process.
Likewise, to increase your chances of securing approval, make sure you already have a successful track record with another marketplace or your own eCommerce website. Walmart checks if you’re a credible seller, and they prioritize those who can provide a positive shopping experience for their customers.
You must also ensure that your products don’t fall in the restricted categories of Walmart’s policies since even one prohibited product can disqualify your entire application. By being mindful of Walmart’s seller requirements, you can set up your Walmart shop soon and start reaping the benefits of selling on the platform.
For a step-by-step walkthrough, check out our detailed guide on how to set up your Walmart Marketplace account.
When your application is approved, you can start listing your products through the Walmart Seller Center. This is a centralized dashboard where you can track orders, monitor inventory, and access various seller tools and resources. Walmart provides this hub to help third-party sellers manage their sales and products on the Walmart Marketplace.
To use your account, log in through seller.walmart.com and enter your username and password. Walmart uses two-factor authentication by asking you to verify your account using a code sent to your email address.
Once logged in, you’ll see the home page of your Walmart Seller Center dashboard. It contains the basic analytics of your store’s performance and helpful tips to grow your business. From here, you can access various parts of your store through the sidebar.
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There are several methods to list your products on Walmart:
This option is available once you’ve completed the 3-step setup process mentioned above. It’s ideal for large catalogs because you can leverage work you’ve done for other marketplaces to save time and energy in listing your products on Walmart.
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To start this process, click on Build Your Catalog > Add Items > Drag and Drop the spreadsheet to the box > Next > Import Items. Ensure that the spreadsheet file (.xlsx) is under 5MB and contains minimum details like GTIN, Shipping Weight, and Price.
Once you’ve imported the catalog, Walmart automatically converts the items into its designated format. You can then review and update information as needed.
Walmart offers a customizable Excel template to help you fully set up your store. From the Items option in the sidebar, go to Add Items. Look for the Walmart Template Link just below the Upload a spreadsheet section. You have two options:
“Create a full-setup template” will walk you through several selection steps where you’ll identify the product categories and types so you can download the right template. This works for both seller-fulfilled and Walmart-fulfilled products.
“Set Up Items by Match” will automatically download a template with the required fields to match your products with existing Walmart listings.
For both templates, it’s important to fill out the required sections to avoid data errors. There’s also a dedicated column for adding image URLs to photos representing your products. You must ensure that these images follow Walmart’s image guidelines.
Once you’ve completed the templates, you can upload them in Items > Add Items > Upload a spreadsheet. Depending on the size of your spreadsheet, products can appear as quickly as 15 minutes or as long as four hours.
If you only have one or several items, you can quickly list them as single items on Walmart. You can either:
To add a product that’s already in the Walmart catalog, navigate to Items > Add Items > Search the Walmart catalog. You can enter either the item name or product identifier to generate the top results. To review a product and ensure it’s the exact match, click on More Info or View on Walmart.com.
Once you’re sure that it’s the right item, click Add item and provide other offer details like the selling price, fulfillment type, condition, and shipping weight. Since you’re adding a product already in Walmart’s catalog, you don’t have to provide other data like images and brand information.
If you’re offering a new product not currently offered on Walmart.com, you can create a new item from scratch. Navigate to Items > Add items > Create a New Item. Fill out the required sections such as item identifier, category, item name, and more. Once all fields are complete, verify they’re accurate and click submit. It takes 15 minutes to 4 hours for product updates to appear on the marketplace.
For sellers with well-established ecommerce businesses, you can use APIs to integrate into an existing system. Walmart provides a robust API Developer Portal where tech teams can find the resources they need to seamlessly integrate Walmart into existing platforms.
To access the API portal, you need a Client ID and a Client Secret. This is also required every time you need to generate a token for an API call.
If you prefer a third party to import your catalog to Walmart, you can choose from several solution providers. Walmart has a list of companies that offer specialized services to help you manage and sync your ecommerce data with Walmart Marketplace. Some offer a full-service integration, while others perform specific functions.
Now that your products are published on Walmart, you need to optimize your listings to ensure they’re seen by your target customers. One way to achieve this is by writing compelling product descriptions and optimizing them for SEO.
Another function you can perform on Walmart Seller Center is to manage your store’s orders. The Order Management section in the sidebar gives you options for acknowledging orders, processing returns and refunds, and settling disputes. Every time you receive an order, you must acknowledge it by checking the box beside the order.
You can also use this section to split orders in case you’re shipping them in batches and to update tracking numbers for order delivery. To fulfill your orders, you must set up your fulfillment methods. It can be:
Seller-fulfillment implies you’re using your own seller-managed fulfillment center. To set this up, go to Settings > Seller Fulfillment > Fulfillment Centers > Add Fulfillment Center. Enter the complete address (must be US-based) and operating schedule. You can also set the days off when the center won’t fulfill any orders.
Follow the same process above if you’re setting up a fulfillment partner. Walmart offers Deliverr and ShipBob as available partners. You must have an account with either partner and comply with their requirements before you can use them.
For example, Deliverr only accepts items less than 75 pounds with maximum dimensions of 40” x 30” x 15” (L x W x H). You can sign up with these partners on their websites.
Just like Amazon FBA, Walmart also offers end-to-end fulfillment services. They’ll store your inventory and handle the pick, pack, and shipment of your orders. Walmart will also provide customer support and returns for orders fulfilled through WFS.
As a WFS seller, your products enjoy two-day shipping and have Fulfilled by Walmart tags, which increases their visibility and conversion.
To use WFS, you must convert your products to WFS listings and send your inventory to assigned Walmart fulfillment centers. You’ll then link your WFS account to your shipment settings and use it to fulfill your orders. Walmart charges a base fee of $3.45 for items less than 1 pound. The fee increases as the shipping weight increases and whether an item has special requirements. You can use the WFS Calculator to find the exact estimate of your item’s fulfillment and storage fee.
Click to learn more about Walmart Fulfillment Services.
Finally, you can discover insights for improving your store through the Analytics section in your Walmart Seller Center dashboard. You get a broad overview of your store’s GMV (gross merchandise value), AUR (average unit retail), units sold, and more.
You discover growth opportunities by knowing which listings are optimized and which ones are not. You can also check customer ratings and find out which products are well-received or not. There’s even an option to view your financial statement and analyze the financial performance of your store using a Payments or Transactions report.
By regularly viewing your analytics, you can assess your store’s performance and make improvements before it’s too late. You’d also be able to maximize emerging growth opportunities to continually delight customers.
Walmart Seller Center also has other features worth exploring, such as an App Store, where you can find various tools to help grow your ecommerce business. You can also access the Walmart Ad Center, where you can set up display ads to boost product awareness.
There’s also a success hub with helpful guides to give you personalized suggestions on growing your Walmart business. You can manage the rest of your store settings, including administrative options and partner profiles, from the Settings option.
If you need further help using the Seller Center, Walmart provides comprehensive knowledge base guides with step-by-step instructions.
Does Walmart accept individual sellers?
At the moment, Walmart only accepts established businesses. Unlike Amazon, individual sellers aren’t accepted to Walmart unless they can meet the criteria of a qualified business, such as having a legal business name and a tax ID. Walmart differentiates itself from other marketplaces by exclusively working with qualified businesses.
How much does it cost to sell at Walmart.com?
Walmart only charges a commission (or seller fees) when you make a sale. Commissions vary depending on the product type and can range from 5% to 15% of the selling price. If you decide to fulfill your products through WFS (Walmart Fulfillment Services), expect to pay at least $3.45 per item. The exact WFS fees vary depending on the shipping weight and product dimensions.
Walmart also charged a fixed monthly storage fee amounting to $0.75 per cubic foot per month to cover the storage costs of keeping your items at their fulfillment centers. This fee can increase during peak season depending on the volume of items stored. Long-term storage fees also apply for items kept for more than 12 months in their warehouses.
Wrapping Up
Walmart is a great alternative marketplace if you’re an established business looking to expand your customer base. By partnering with an established retail brand, you can tap an audience that values affordability and authenticity.
Walmart Seller Center makes it easy to manage your Walmart store and provides all the tools and resources you’ll need to run a successful business. Use it to your advantage and complement it with the best third-party apps.
Threecolts offers several dedicated apps for ensuring pricing competitiveness, delighting customers with timeline responses, optimizing product listings, and more. With the help of these tools, you can run your Walmart store efficiently and profitably while delighting customers.
Browse through our blog and read our other posts and data-driven insights from our very own proprietary data. Learn more about Mother's Day trends and best practices, Easter sales, price elasticity of demand, Amazon FBA fee changes, Amazon product title optimization, winter seasonal products, Amazon end-of-year sales, Valentine’s Day trends and best Amazon fulfillment centers by location, and throughput.
