How to become a Walmart Seller – A step by step guide for beginners

Becoming a Walmart seller is a rewarding venture that opens up new opportunities to reach millions of customers across the U.S. The process of joining Walmart’s marketplace involves a few key steps to ensure that only qualified, reputable businesses participate. Here’s a comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to apply and set up your Walmart seller account.

Step 1. Check Your Eligibility and Prepare Required Documents

Once you confirm that your business meets eligibility standards as mentioned in the above section, gather all required documents as outlined in the eligibility section above. Having these documents on hand will streamline the application process and improve your chances of quick approval.

Additional Preparation Steps

• Decide on Fulfillment Strategy: Determine whether you’ll use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or handle fulfillment through a U.S.-based B2C warehouse. This choice will influence your shipping setup and customer service strategy, so it’s essential to decide early.
• Organize Financial Details: Set up a U.S.-based bank account if you haven’t already, as Walmart requires this for receiving payments. Ensure your account details are ready to simplify the registration process.
• Double-Check Compliance: Review your product catalog to confirm that each item aligns with Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy. Ensuring compliance will help avoid any issues with product listings during or after onboarding.

Step 2. Complete the Walmart Marketplace Application

Begin the application process on Walmart’s Marketplace Registration page and click “Join Marketplace”. You’ll be prompted to create an account and provide essential information about your business, including business name, tax information, and product categories. When all required details are filled, click “Create my account”.

Tips: Use an email that ends in your domain name rather than a generic email domain. This increases your chance of approval. Fill out the application accurately and double-check for any errors, as this can impact the speed of your approval. Include as much detail as possible to demonstrate your credibility.

Step 3: Verify Your Email

Once you’ve submitted your application, Walmart will verify the email address you provided. You’ll be directed to a page prompting you to check your email for a verification link. Look for an email with the subject line “Account Verification.” Open the email and click on “Verify my account.” Be sure to complete this step promptly, as the link will expire in 24 hours.

Step 4: Wait for approval

After submitting the application, Walmart will conduct a thorough review of your business. This includes verifying your legal status, product compliance, and ability to meet Walmart’s quality standards.

Approval Timeline: The approval process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on application volume and completeness. You’ll receive an email from Walmart notifying you of the decision.

Step 5: Sign the Walmart Retailer Agreement

After signing the agreement, you’ll gain access to the Walmart Seller Center, an all-in-one platform for managing your products, orders, and analytics. Walmart will now prompt you to log in to the Walmart Seller Center with the email and password you initially entered. Enter your Email and Password and click “Login.”

By default, Walmart has enabled 2-step verification for added security (you can turn it off in Settings). You will need to check your email for the verification code. Enter your verification code, and click “Continue.”

Step 6: Login to Walmart Seller Center to set Up Your Account

Complete your Seller Center account setup by entering your business details, payment information, and shipping settings by following three steps that need to be completed before beginning selling:

•  Business VerificationThe first step is to complete Business Verification, where you’ll confirm your company’s eligibility to sell on Walmart. Click “Get verified” and fill in all required fields.This section is divided into two parts: Business Details (such as your address and Gross Merchandise Volume, or GMV) and Seller Profile (where you set your Display Name and provide customer service contact information).

  After entering the necessary information, check the box to confirm accuracy and click “Submit for review.” If you’re missing any details, you can enter what you have and save your progress by clicking “Save and close.”

  This step involves a manual review by Walmart, which may take a few days. Once approved, you’ll see the message “Your business is verified!” along with a “Review” option to view your submitted information.

• PaymentThe next step is setting up payment details so Walmart can pay you when sales start coming in. This step becomes available only after your Business Verification is approved.Walmart partners with three payment providers: Payoneer, Hyperwallet, and PingPong. Click “Get paid,” select your preferred payment method, and click “Set up.” You’ll be directed to create an account with the chosen payment provider.
• ShippingThe third step is setting up your shipping and returns. Click “Start shipping” and complete the following three sections:
  • Shipping Templates: These templates are for seller fulfillment. You can select the default option or choose Advanced setup for customized rates and shipping times by region.
  • Return Labels: Walmart provides a return shipping solution that you’ll need to accept to simplify returns for customers.
  • Return Center: Set up a return address for returned items, which can be the same as your shipping address if preferred.

  Once all fields are complete, click “Submit”.

  The registration process is generally straightforward. Take a moment to double-check your entries to ensure accuracy.

Step 7: Complete Item Setup

The Item Setup process for Walmart Marketplace is the most detailed part of creating your account—understandably so, as this is where you’ll add all your product content, including images, short and long descriptions, and key attributes.

Item Setup can actually be started before Business Verification is complete. However, items will remain in draft mode until your account is fully approved and the prior steps are finalized. During this stage, item setup is limited to catalog matches, and bulk uploads are not enabled until the initial 3-step setup is complete.

To get started, navigate to the “Items” page under “Product Catalog” and click “Add items.”

Walmart provides several options for item setup:

Bulk Upload Files
For those comfortable with spreadsheets, Walmart offers an efficient item setup process through bulk uploads using a pre-made template. In the “Upload a spreadsheet” section, select “Walmart template.” You’ll find two upload options:

• Full Item Template (Advanced Users): Download a blank template file organized by category, allowing you to upload items across up to seven categories at once. Click “Create a full-setup template.” This will direct you back to Seller Center, where you’ll specify whether items are Seller Fulfilled or Walmart Fulfilled—as this affects which columns appear on the spreadsheet.
  • Select your fulfillment type.
  • Under “Full Setup,” choose the categories for upload. Each category has different attributes, though not all are mandatory. The more details you include, the more complete your listing will be.

Once your file is ready, upload it through the designated section. Some errors may trigger a download file immediately for correction, while others will display after Walmart has processed the file.

Item Match in Bulk

If you’re listing products that already exist on Walmart.com, you can upload a catalog match in bulk. Simply click “Set up items by match,” and you’ll receive a template with only a few essential fields to complete, as most of the product details are already available on Walmart.

Storefront Import
You can import your catalog from an existing storefront on marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Instacart, Shopify, Target, and Wayfair. In the “Import your store” section, select the platform you’re importing from and enter your store’s URL.

Walmart will retrieve as much product data as possible, though certain details—like SKU and sales price—will still need to be completed manually.

Catalog Match
If the item you’re listing already exists on Walmart.com, you can set it up individually. Go to the “Search the Walmart catalog” section and enter the Product ID, which can be a GTIN, UPC, or Walmart ID (found in the Walmart URL). The item will appear, allowing you to view it on Walmart.com to confirm it’s the correct product. Click “Add item” to begin the setup, and Walmart will prompt you to provide any additional required information.

When importing from an existing storefront, Walmart’s onboarding team is available to assist you through the process.

Remember, while product information can be updated later, it’s essential to input accurate details from the start—particularly SKU and Product ID fields, as these are more challenging to change once set.

Regardless of the setup method you choose, you can track the status of your uploads on the “Activity Feed” page under “Product Catalog.” Here, you’ll see if your file is processing, completed, or has encountered errors. You can download an Error Report to identify any issues, and in cases of internal errors, Walmart may simply require you to re-upload the item.

Step 8: Start Selling

After completing the 3-step setup, verifying your business, and ensuring your items are listed with available inventory, you’re ready to start selling on Walmart.

To confirm that your item is live and visible on Walmart.com, go to the “Items” page under “Product Catalog,” search for the item, click on its title, and select “View on Walmart.com” in the pop-up. This will open a new tab where you can see your product as it appears to customers on Walmart’s site.

Step 9: Monitor Performance and Optimize with Data Analytics

After your products are live, it’s essential to track performance metrics, including sales, customer feedback, and order defect rates. Walmart monitors seller performance, so maintaining high standards in these areas is crucial for long-term success.

Optimize with KwickMetrics: Use KwickMetrics to gain deeper insights into sales trends, profitability, and customer satisfaction. By analyzing these metrics, you can make informed decisions to optimize your listings, adjust pricing, and refine your strategy.