For many suppliers, expanding into online retail is a key step in scaling growth. Walmart Marketplace offers a strategic opportunity to reach millions of shoppers through one of the largest retailers in the world without going through traditional brick-and-mortar channels.
What is Walmart Marketplace?
Walmart Marketplace is an e-commerce platform that allows sellers to list and sell their products directly on Walmart.com.
Unlike some marketplaces that serve as intermediaries, Walmart Marketplace gives sellers more control, allowing them to manage their own product listings, inventory, and fulfillment methods.
If you're a brand or independent retailer thinking about joining the ranks, it's important to know what the full picture looks like when it comes to such a big decision.
What are the Walmart Marketplace Seller Requirements?
When signing up to be a seller on Walmart Marketplace, there are a few requirements that need to be met to qualify as a Marketplace seller.
Here's how to get started and what you’ll need:
Prepare your business license number or U.S. business tax ID (SSNs are not accepted).
Prepare supporting documentation that attests to your company's name and address, such as an EIN Verification Letter.
Make sure your products adhere to Walmart's Prohibited Products Policy and have GTIN/UPC GS1 Company Prefix Numbers.
Be ready to process orders via Walmart Fulfillment Services or another B2C warehouse in the United States that accepts returns.
How to Sign Up for Walmart Marketplace
Visit the Walmart Marketplace Application page to begin your application. The process involves providing detailed information about your business, including contact details, market location, and tax ID.
Source: marketplace.walmart.com > Join Marketplace
Following application submission, Walmart will examine your application to determine whether your company meets the above requirements for Marketplace. This assessment considers elements like your product quality, customer service skills, and e-commerce experience. A solid track record on other platforms can help your application because Walmart wants to ensure only trustworthy, well-established sellers join the Marketplace.
After Walmart approves the application, you will then move into seller onboarding that involves setup tasks like adding market details, managing fulfillment, setting up payment processes, setting up your item catalog, etc.
Understanding Walmart Marketplace Referral Fees
Selling on Walmart Marketplace is free; there’s no additional cost to signing up. . There is, however, a charge called a referral fee which varies based on the product category of the item being sold and is generally taken off after a sale is made. Most referral fees vary from 5% to 20%.
Selling on Walmart Marketplace is a relatively small investment initially. Both small and large businesses can use this model because it enables them to begin selling without incurring large upfront costs.
If you enroll as a seller on Walmart, you are only required to pay a fixed amount after you start selling your goods. Walmart charges an average referral rate of 15% for its categories, with jewelry being the highest at 20%. In contrast, Amazon charges $39.99 per month in addition to seller fees that cost an average of 15% per referral. The amount you pay is decided by the category of products that you prefer to present for sale.
Walmart’s Marketplace Referral Fee Schedule:
Contract Category | Referral Fee Percentage |
Apparel and Accessories |
|
Appliances - Compact |
|
Appliances - Major | 8% |
Automotive & Powersports | 12% |
Baby Products |
|
Base Power Tools | 12% |
Beauty, Health & Personal care |
|
Books | 15% |
Camera & Photo | 8% |
Collectibles (for approved sellers) | 8% |
Consumer Electronics | 8% |
Electronics Accessories | 15% on the first $100, then 8% on the rest |
Grocery |
|
Home, Kitchen, Decor & Garden | 15% |
Indoor & Outdoor Furniture |
|
Industrial & Scientific Supplies | 12% |
Jewelry & Precious Metals |
|
Luggage & Travel Accessories | 15% |
Music | 15% |
Musical Instruments | 12% |
Office Products | 15%, except 12% for printer cartridges |
Outdoor Power Tools |
|
Outdoors Products & Sports | 15% fee except 8% for hunting trail monitors, binoculars, telescopes, spotting scopes, night vision goggles |
Personal Computers | 6% |
Pet Supplies | 15% |
Plumbing Heating Cooling & Ventilation | 10% |
Shoes, Handbags, Backpacks & Sunglasses | 15% |
Software & Computer Video Games | 15% |
Tires & Wheels | 10% |
Tools & Home Improvement | 15% |
Toys & Games | 15% |
Video & DVD | 15% |
Video Game Consoles | 8% |
Watches |
|
Everything Else | 15% |
Source: marketplace.walmart.com/pricing/
Referral fees are based on the total sales price—which includes not just the item cost, but also shipping, handling, gift wrap, and any other charges. Depending on what you sell, you might also see lower base fees in certain categories like Baby, Beauty, Electronics Accessories, Grocery, and Health & Personal Care.
Fortunately, once your store goes live, Walmart offers new sellers discounted referral fees to help ramp up sales. You’ll receive 30% off the base referral fees on your first $50,000 in gross merchandise value (GMV), and 75% off between $50,000 and $750,000 in GMV.