How to start selling on Amazon: a nine-step plan

How to start selling on Amazon

Short answer: Starting on Amazon usually takes two to six weeks. You work through nine steps: company details, choosing a selling plan, Seller Central registration with identity verification, VAT setup, EPR registrations, optional brand registry, adding products, arranging fulfilment, and preparing your first shipment. Verification and compliance registrations, not the technical setup, determine how long it takes.

Step 1 — Get your company in order

You need a registered company, a VAT number, a business bank account and a card in the company name. Amazon verifies all of it and will hold your account if the details on your registration, bank statement and ID do not match exactly. This is the most common cause of delay.

Step 2 — Choose a selling plan

Professional costs around €39 per month excluding VAT; Individual costs roughly €0.99 per item sold. Above about 40 sales a month Professional is cheaper — and you need it anyway for advertising, bulk uploads and Buy Box eligibility. [CHECK] local equivalents differ per marketplace.

Step 3 — Register in Seller Central

Expect identity verification with ID, a bank statement and sometimes a video call. Allow several days to two weeks.

Step 4 — Set up VAT correctly

If your stock sits in one country and you sell domestically, your local VAT number is enough. The moment stock is stored in another EU country — which is exactly what Pan-EU FBA does — you need a VAT registration there. For cross-border selling from a single country, the One Stop Shop scheme applies above the €10,000 threshold. [CHECK] Have your accountant confirm before you go live.

Step 5 — Handle EPR registrations

Extended producer responsibility is enforced: Amazon checks registration numbers and blocks listings when they are missing. Germany requires a LUCID number as soon as you sell to German customers, even if your stock sits elsewhere. France has registration obligations across almost every category. [CHECK] The PPWR regulation changes the landscape further from 12 August 2026. Submit your numbers via the Regulatory Compliance page in Seller Central.

Step 6 — Consider brand registry

With a registered word mark you get A+ content, better protection against hijackers and more image options. Trade mark registration takes months, so start it early.

Step 7 — Add your products

You need GTINs, usually EANs. Selling an existing branded product means attaching your offer to the existing ASIN. Selling your own brand means creating a new ASIN. Buy EANs from GS1 — resold codes get rejected.

Step 8 — Choose fulfilment

Ship yourself (FBM) or use Fulfilment by Amazon. For a first product, FBM is often the calmer start: you learn the demand without locking stock into a fulfilment centre. With a larger range you decide per product.

Step 9 — Make the listing ready to sell

A live listing is not a selling listing. Title, bullets, image gallery and backend search terms need to be right before you send traffic. See Amazon listing optimisation.

Your first 30 days

That week-four margin check matters most. Plenty of sellers discover after a quarter that their best-selling product is their worst-performing one. Use the full fee breakdown to get it right.

How Rylee helps you start

• Insight from order one. Connect Amazon (all European marketplaces) alongside bol, Kaufland, Shopify or WooCommerce and see orders, sales and stock in one shop analytics overview.

• Margin visible from day one. Costs, margins and contribution margin per product, plus a consolidated P&L, so the week-four check isn't a manual exercise.

• AI Listing Designer. Seven images per product from your own product photos — one main image plus six supporting images with extra angles, detail, use cases and USP visuals, including three revision rounds. Exactly what a new listing needs. Five products per month free for customers.

• AI Advisor. Ask questions about your own data in plain language, without building reports first.

• Support with fast response, live within weeks, and on-site help where it makes a difference.

• Amazon Legends and Ecom Legends — communities where sellers who made the same start answer your questions.

Try Rylee free for 14 days and start with your margin in view.

Frequently asked questions

How long before my Amazon account is active? Registration takes an hour; verification usually a few days to two weeks. EPR registrations and trade mark filings run longer.

Do I need a registered company? For selling as a business, yes. Amazon requires company details and a VAT number.

Can I start without my own brand? Yes. You attach your offers to existing product pages, but you miss A+ content and brand protection.

Do I have to advertise straight away? For a new listing of your own, some paid visibility is effectively necessary — a new ASIN has no sales history. Make sure your margin can carry it.