Overview

Selling on Walmart Marketplace and Amazon’s third‑party platform offers distinct routes to reach millions of online shoppers. While both sites draw high traffic, they differ in fee structures, fulfillment models, and advertising tools, making it essential for sellers to understand each ecosystem before allocating inventory and marketing spend.

Key Points

• Audience Profile — Walmart’s shoppers tend to prioritize low price and value, giving price‑sensitive sellers a natural fit.
• Fee Comparison — Amazon’s referral rates often exceed 15 % and include monthly subscription fees, whereas Walmart generally caps referral fees around 6‑15 % with fewer ancillary charges.
• Listing Simplicity — Walmart requires a concise set of product attributes, while Amazon asks for extensive titles, bullet points, and backend keywords to improve search relevance.
• Fulfillment Choices — Amazon relies heavily on its Fulfilled‑by‑Amazon (FBA) network; Walmart offers both a proprietary fulfillment service and a seller‑fulfilled option.
• Brand Controls — Amazon enforces strict brand‑gating, demanding proof of ownership before allowing high‑profile items, while Walmart’s gatekeeping is less restrictive but still requires documentation for certain categories.
• Advertising Landscape — Amazon’s Sponsored Products dominate the ad spend ecosystem, whereas Walmart’s Sponsored Search is newer, typically delivering lower cost‑per‑click (CPC) rates.

How Marketplace Selling Works

1. Create Professional Accounts — A fashion boutique registers for a Walmart Seller Center account and an Amazon Seller Central account, entering business credentials, tax information, and banking details.
2. Upload Product Catalog — Using CSV templates or API integrations, the boutique imports 120 SKUs to Walmart with basic titles and images, then adds the same items to Amazon, enriching each listing with detailed bullet points and backend search terms.
3. Set Prices and Stock Levels — The seller prices a stainless‑steel water bottle at $12.99 on Walmart to stay competitive, while listing it for $14.99 on Amazon to offset the higher referral fee and subscription cost. Inventory quantities are entered separately for each marketplace to avoid overselling.