Ask Me Anything: For Singapore Sellers Looking to Sell on Amazon.com

There are a few key differences between selling on Amazon.sg and Amazon.com:

1. Local vs Global – Amazon.sg allows you to start selling to customers in Singapore, while Amazon.com allows you start selling to customers in the US.
2. Customer visits – Amazon.sg sees around 5 million+ monthly customer visits, while Amazon.com has around 3 billion+ monthly customer visits.
3. Selling plans – Amazon.sg provides a professional subscription fee waiver till 31 December 2024*, while Amazon.com starts from US$39.99/month with selling fees.
4. New seller benefits – Start your local selling journey on Amazon.sg with the New Seller Starter Pack which includes 90-day launch support, product listing support, and other Service Provider Network offers. On the other hand, start your global selling journey on Amazon.com with our New Seller Incentives with over US$50K in potential benefits ranging from discounts on FBA services, Sponsored Products credits, cashback, and more.

Learn more about the key differences here.

No, you do not. Global registration allows you to create Amazon selling accounts in multiple Amazon stores worldwide through one registration application. This unifies your selling experience across Amazon’s international stores and lets you more easily manage and scale your business. By using single sign-on, you will have access to a single view of sales, orders, and buyer messages from all of the stores you sell in. You can also access tools previously restricted to specific countries, and benefit from a discounted monthly fee for the Professional selling plan.

Learn more about global registration here.

We recommend carrying out product research to find profitable products to sell:

1. Conduct an industry analysis and adequate category research – consider which categories have the greatest potential and the competition involved
2. Consider your product positioning – how do you differentiate yourself based on customer shopping behavior and demographics?
3. Choose your pricing strategy – how should you price your new products to give yourself a healthy profit margin?

For more product research tips, read our FAQ on Product Research Ideas for Singapore Sellers here.

There are a wide range of products you can sell on Amazon. However, depending on the product, you may be required to apply for approval to sell or be registered under a professional seller account.

If you are shipping orders through Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA), it is important to ensure that your products are compliant with our product regulations.

Check out our full list of product categories with and without restrictions here.

To sell in the Grocery & Gourmet Food category, please follow the policies for product quality, product branding, and consumer safety here.

Amazon sellers have two options for getting shoppers their orders: You can do it yourself, maintaining your own inventory and shipping products to customers (merchant-fulfillment), or have Amazon take responsibility for packaging, labeling, and shipping products through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). Each method has its own set of benefits—you just have to decide which one is right for your business.

Read our guide to leverage Amazon’s logistics services here.

If your product does not have a barcode or product ID, also called a GTIN (Global Trade Item Number), you might be eligible to request for a GTIN exemption.

First, check the Amazon catalog to see if your product already exists. If your product matches an existing product, you can add your offer on the existing product detail page without a GTIN. However, if your product does not match an existing product, you have to request a GTIN exemption and then add your product.

Learn more about product listing best practices here.

Amazon charges a referral fee for each item sold. The amount depends on the product category, and most referral fees are between 8% and 15%.

The total cost to selling on Amazon depends on your selling plan, product category, fulfillment strategy and other variables. Learn more about referral fees and the costs to sell on Amazon here.

You are encouraged to consult with a tax advisor if you have questions about the law and regulations concerning tax payment. We recommend that you consult your tax and regulatory advisors before making decisions about how you will sell on Amazon marketplaces.

However, in general, sellers are responsible for export Customs Fees (if any), and buyers are responsible for any import Customs Fees related to their purchase. Customs Fees paid by any party (if any) are in addition to the sales proceeds collected by Amazon. For additional information about shipping products internationally, see important information for international sellers here.

When your seller account is settled and you have a positive balance, Amazon sends the money to your bank account using an Automated Clearing House (ACH) or electronic funds transfer. It can take up to five business days for the money to appear in your bank account after Amazon initiates a payment.

Before we can pay you, you must provide a valid bank account as the Deposit Method in your seller account settings. We cannot make payments to a credit card or online payment system, such as PayPal.

Yes, there are currently 2 available grants for Singapore and Malaysia SMEs. For additional information, please see here.

In addition, we offer New Seller Incentives (NSI), including 10% back on your first USD$50,000 in branded sales, credits to try cost-per click (CPC) advertising or kickstart your product reviews, and more. Learn more about NSI here.

We have a suite of useful resources curated just for you to kickstart your Amazon Global Selling journey here. You can also connect with like-minded sellers through our Facebook Community Group here.