Amazon Seller Central - the practical guide.

Amazon Seller Central is the portal third-party sellers use to list, sell and fulfil products on Amazon's marketplace. It supports two main models: Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM), where you ship orders yourself, and Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA), where Amazon stores, picks, packs and ships from their fulfilment centres in exchange for fees. For most consumer brands, Amazon is effectively a non-optional channel.

Consumer brands selling physical products - FMCG, beauty, electronics, home, toys, books, supplements - who want access to Amazon's enormous shopper base and Prime logistics. Strong for both established brands and FBA-first sellers. Not a fit for services, B2B SaaS, or brands with strict DTC-only positioning.

Individual plan is $0.99 per item sold (no monthly fee). Professional plan is $39.99/month plus per-category referral fees (typically 8-15% of sale price). FBA adds storage and fulfilment fees (typically a few dollars per unit) and longer-term storage surcharges. Amazon Ads (Sponsored Products etc.) is paid separately.

Right for any consumer-physical-goods brand wanting maximum reach, Prime eligibility and Amazon's logistics network. Wrong fit when your margins can't absorb 15-25% Amazon take-rate plus FBA fees, or when channel control and customer data ownership are critical.

Amazon owns the customer relationship - you don't get email addresses or repeat-purchase visibility. Account suspensions can happen quickly and recovery is painful. Hijackers and counterfeit listings need active brand protection (Brand Registry helps). FBA fees rise most years. Amazon's own private labels can clone winners.