Quick answer
To sell on Walmart, you apply to Walmart Marketplace with a registered US business, a tax ID and a record of selling online, then wait for approval before you list. Walmart charges no setup, subscription, or monthly fees and takes a referral fee of 15% in most categories. On a $30 sale, that comes to $4.50.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the fee comparison. See where Nation fits.
How to sell on Walmart: the short version
Walmart Marketplace lets approved third-party sellers list items on Walmart.com. You cannot open a shop and start listing the same day. You apply first, Walmart reviews the business, and you can list only after the application is approved.
Signing up is completely free, and Walmart charges no setup, subscription, or monthly fees. When an item sells, it takes a referral fee of 15% in most categories, charged on item price as well as shipping and handling, gift wrap and other charges.
Most of the work is in the application. Walmart asks for a registered business with a tax ID, proof of the business name and address, a track record of selling online, products with GTIN barcodes and a way to ship orders from the US. The sections below go through each one.
Walmart seller requirements: who can become a Walmart seller
Walmart lists what it wants to see before you apply. If you do not meet these requirements, Walmart says you won’t be qualified to sell on Walmart Marketplace.
Two of these matter most for small sellers. Sole proprietorships are on the list of business types Walmart does not accept in the US, so a seller without an LLC or corporation has to form one first. And Walmart asks for a selling history, so a seller with no sales on any marketplace or own store may not meet that requirement.
For a US business, the tax form is a W-9 and the tax ID is an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Businesses outside the US use a W-8ECI or W-8BEN-E instead. The catalog matters too: if you plan to sell restricted items, Walmart says your Walmart Marketplace application will be denied.
How to become a Walmart seller: application and approval
These are the steps from the application form to an approved account, as Walmart's seller help center describes them.
Gather your documents
Have your EIN, your W-9 details and a business document ready before you start. If Walmart asks for more documents, it accepts an IRS-issued EIN verification letter (IRS LTR 147C) or IRS-issued SS4 confirmation letter (IRS LTR CP 575), or a state-issued business license, registration certificate, articles of incorporation or a Certificate of Good Standing.
Fill in the application
Walmart asks for your legal business name, entity type, business phone number and state-issued business registration number. These details must match the information on your official business documents. Pick the entity type carefully: once submitted, you can’t change your entity type.
Pass business verification
Walmart checks the business against your documents. Business verification takes from a few minutes to a few business days. The document list includes Photo ID (required), and each uploaded file must be less than 5MB.
Verify your identity if asked
Based on its review, Walmart may ask you to verify that you are authorized to represent the business, using photo ID. If it asks, you must respond within seven days of receiving the notification or the account is closed.
Set up payments
After the business details are done, you have 30 days to set up payments. If you miss it, your account will be declined, and you'll need to re-apply. Walmart pays out through the Marketplace Wallet or an approved third-party payout provider; ACH direct deposit payouts to your bank account aren't available.
How to sell on Walmart Marketplace: your first listing
Once the account is approved, Walmart says you must complete the account setup process, add inventory and set pricing before the shop goes live.
Check whether the item already exists
If Walmart's catalog already has the product, you can match it and add your offer. Walmart's Express setup method lets you List up to 50 items at once that already exist in its catalog.
Create new items
For products Walmart does not carry yet, you create the listing yourself with Walmart's Full Setup template. Walmart also offers a way to Import items from another marketplace.
Handle items without a barcode
Handmade or private-label items without a GTIN need a GTIN exemption request. After it is approved, wait four hours before setting up the item.
Set price and inventory
Add stock levels and prices. Walmart says account setup may take up to four hours to finalize after you add inventory.
Walmart seller fees on one $30 sale
The same $30 sale on Walmart Marketplace, Amazon and eBay, using each marketplace's own published rates for a general category.
- eBay $4.48 no monthly plan Final value 13.6% $4.08, Per order $0.40
- Walmart Marketplace baseline $4.50 no monthly plan Referral 15% $4.50
- Amazon $4.50 plus $39.99/month Referral 15% $4.50
Assumes a $30 item in a general home category, free shipping, no sales tax, the seller ships the order, no ads and no promotional discounts.
Walmart referral fees by category
Walmart's referral fee depends on the category, and in some categories on the price. The fee is only deducted once you complete a sale, and it is charged on item price as well as shipping and handling, gift wrap and other charges.
New sellers can pay less for a while. Walmart offers eligible new sellers base referral fee discounts in tiers of 20% off, 30% off and 40% off, with total savings up to $75K. Eligibility criteria apply, and Walmart says the offer ends Jan. 31, 2027.
Shipping orders: your own warehouse or Walmart Fulfillment Services
You can ship orders yourself from a US warehouse, or send stock to Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS). With WFS, Walmart stores your stock, ships orders and handles all customer support and returns.
WFS has its own fees: fulfillment starts at $3.45 per unit for the lightest standard items, and storage costs $0.75 per cubic foot per month outside the October to December peak. Long-stored items carry a peak-season storage surcharge (Add $1.50 per cubic foot per month). Low-priced items carry a fulfillment surcharge (Add $1), and new sellers can get 10% off on items fulfilled with WFS.
Walmart seller performance standards
After launch, Walmart measures every seller against performance standards, evaluated over the last 30 days or 60 days. Sellers who fall short risk suppression, suspension or termination.
New US sellers also wait longer for money at first. Walmart's new-seller payment hold is up to 14 days per payout, and the hold ends once 90 days have passed since your first order has been shipped or delivered, and you've received $7,500 in payments.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not in the fee comparison.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not in the fee comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeQuestions about selling on Walmart
How much does it cost to sell on Walmart?
Selling on Walmart Marketplace costs nothing up front: Walmart charges no setup, subscription, or monthly fees. When an item sells, Walmart takes a referral fee of 15% in most categories, charged on item price as well as shipping and handling, gift wrap and other charges. On a $30 sale that is $4.50.
What are the Walmart seller requirements?
Walmart seller requirements include a business tax ID (Business Tax ID(s) or Business License Number (SSN is not accepted)), documents that verify the business name and address, a personal ID, a history of selling online, products with GTIN barcodes, a catalog that follows Walmart's prohibited products policy, and US fulfillment or Walmart Fulfillment Services.
Can a sole proprietor sell on Walmart Marketplace?
A sole proprietor cannot sell on the US Walmart Marketplace. Walmart lists the business types it does not allow in the US as non-profit organizations, sole proprietorships (excluding India) and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF). A sole proprietor would need to register a business entity, such as an LLC, and get an EIN before applying.
How long does Walmart seller approval take?
Walmart seller approval runs in stages. Business verification takes from a few minutes to a few business days, and identity checks must be answered within seven days of receiving the notification. After approval, you have 30 days to set up payments, and account setup may take up to four hours to finalize after you add inventory.
What are Walmart referral fees?
Walmart referral fees are the share of each sale that Walmart keeps. The rate is 15% in most categories, with lower or tiered rates in some, such as jewelry at 20% for the portion of the total sales price up to $250. The fee is only deducted once you complete a sale.
Does Walmart charge a monthly fee to sellers?
Walmart does not charge sellers a monthly fee. Its pricing page lists zero setup, monthly, or hidden fees for Marketplace sellers. Sellers who choose Walmart Fulfillment Services pay fulfillment fees from $3.45 per unit and, outside the October to December peak, storage fees of $0.75 per cubic foot per month.