159 CommentsOne of the first big decisions you will need to make as a new Amazon FBA seller is the type of seller plan you will choose to use.
Currently, there are two types of Amazon FBA seller plans: individual and professional. This article defines and compares Amazon individual vs. professional seller plans, as well as the fees and other features of each.
- Are you going to sell more than 40 products per month?
- Do you want to sell in restricted categories?
- Do you want to win the Buy Box?
- Do you want to advertise your products on Amazon?
- Other Amazon professional seller features
If you’re interested in more information on how to sell on Amazon, check out our free resource: How to Sell on Amazon FBA for Beginners.
Amazon individual vs. professional seller plans: What are the key differences?
The primary difference between individual and professional Amazon seller plans is your projected volume of sales.
- Individual Amazon seller plans — for sellers who will sell less than 40 units each month.
- Professional Amazon seller plans — for sellers who plan on selling more than 40 units per month.
Here’s a look at more of the primary differences between Professional and Individual seller plans:
Having trouble figuring out which plan is best for you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you start selling products on Amazon:
Are you going to sell more than 40 products per month?
If you answered “yes,” then you should sign up for the professional seller plan. Here’s why:
- Subscription fees. The professional seller plan on Amazon comes with a monthly subscription fee of $39.99. In contrast, the individual seller plan on Amazon does not have a monthly subscription fee.
- Transaction fees. However, individual sellers are required to pay a $0.99 fee for each of their sales transactions; the professional seller plan does not.
Therefore, if an individual seller sells 41 products in a month, they will have to pay $40.59 (41 x $0.99) in seller fees.
On the other hand, professional sellers only pay the $39.99 subscription fee, regardless of the number of products they sell.
Note: these fee calculations exclude referral fees, special fees, and/or fulfillment fees which are the same for both individual and professional seller plans.
Do you want to sell in restricted categories?
Both Amazon individual and professional sellers can sell in 20 Amazon categories. Professional sellers, though, have access to an additional 10 restricted categories.
The 10 bonus categories include:
- Automotive Parts & Accessories
- Business to Business (B2B) products
- Collectibles Coins
- Fashion Jewelry
- Fine Jewelry
- Fine Art
- Grocery, Food & Gourmet
- Industrial & Scientific
- Professional Services
- Sports Collectibles
- Video, DVD, & Blu-ray
- Watches
In addition, certain variations of products —such as Collectible Books — may require a professional seller account.
If you want to sell in any of these categories, you should consider an Amazon professional seller account.
READ MORE | Amazon Restricted Categories: Your Guide to Getting Ungated
Do you want to win the Buy Box?
One of the biggest advantages that Amazon professional sellers have over Amazon individual sellers is their eligibility to win the all-important Buy Box. The Buy Box is the section of a product listing page that allows buyers to automatically add your product to their shopping cart. 🛒
But, if you aren’t an Amazon professional seller — and even if you are the only seller on a listing — buyers will have to go through more steps in order to make a purchase.
According to Statista, 82% of all purchases happen through the Buy Box.
Do you want to advertise your products on Amazon?
Another huge advantage that Amazon professional sellers have over individual sellers is the ability to create sponsored listings on Amazon.
Using Amazon’s pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, Amazon professional sellers can spend money to boost their products to the top of Amazon’s search results. This often results in more sales and profits for the sellers.
Amazon individual sellers, however, cannot create advertisements for their products on Amazon.
Other Amazon professional seller features
In addition to the reduced cost when selling more than 40 products per month, and bonus categories that come with using an Amazon professional seller plan, here are some additional advantages Amazon professional sellers have over individual sellers:
- Inventory management. Manage inventory through feeds, spreadsheets, and reports
- Shipping fees. Set your own shipping fees for non-media products
- API. Increase selling efficiency with API integration
- Promotions. Create promotions including free shipping for FBM offers
- Bulk listings. Create listings in bulk using inventory files
- Taxes. Calculate US sales and use taxes on your orders
- Multiple users. Grant use permissions and account privileges to other users
Why become an Amazon individual seller?
The biggest question you need to ask yourself when choosing an Amazon seller account is how involved you want to be in your Amazon business.
The individual seller plan is good for people who want to get rid of a few extra items around the house. It’s also a good plan for those who want to give selling on Amazon a try before going all in and expanding their business to something like private label.
Finally, an individual seller account is a good way to gain access to Amazon’s seller dashboard and forums without committing to a $39.99 monthly payment.
Amazon Individual vs. Professional Seller Plans: which one is right for you?
Ultimately, the plan you choose to use boils down to the reasons why you’re planning to sell on Amazon in the first place.
If you only want to get rid of a few items and make a little spare change, then select the individual seller plan. However, if you want to actually build a business and make a regular income selling on Amazon, signing up for the Amazon professional seller plan is the smarter option.
What made you decide to become either an individual or a professional Amazon seller? Let us know in the comments below, along with any questions.
If you’re ready to start a real business on Amazon, check out Jungle Scout, the all-in-one solution for Amazon sellers.
159 comments on “Amazon Individual vs. Professional Seller Plans: The Complete 2024 Guide”
is it necessary to have a professional account to sell brand (MEAN For FBA wholeale)
Yes, it is
Thanks much. The information is very helpful.
I want to sell some of my classical music CDs and perhaps some books. So, for me, the individual seller account would work best.
Hi
I’ll start to sell products on amazon as an individual not a business to give a try at first. My question is: Should I register with an authority to pay taxes for what I’m selling or how can I pay the taxes?
Hi,
You will need to pay taxes on your earnings regardless if you sell under an individual seller account or a professional. I suggest speaking with an accountant to help you with your tax questions.
Thank you so very much. No wonder my product doesn’t showed up even when I typed in the correct name. LOL
If you set up an individual account under your personal name but later on want to change it to a Profesional account as an LLC, is this possible? I know they want to verify identity with utility bill or bank statement. Would we just get our LLC, FEIN, and bank account open with the LLC before trying to make the switch?
You can update your business information within the account settings section in Seller Central. I suggest contacting support beforehand to let them know you will be updating your account info.
Just FYI, you do not need an LLC to open a professional seller account.
Can an individual/sole trader use the Amazon “professional” selling account or do you have to be a Limited Company to use that?I am based in the Uk.
Hi Eliza,
Yes, you can. You do not need to have a registered business to use the professional account.
Thanks for the info provided, massively helpful. Would you advise new sellers get an individual account first in order to familiarize themselves with seller central or is it too restricted in functionality as opposed to the professional account?
Hi James,
Yes, you can start with that, but it is limited, as you mentioned. Once you are ready to sell and are serious about selling products on Amazon, upgrade to the pro account.
I have an individual account at the moment, for shipping, Amazon charges $4.99 to.ship on moat of the items I am selling. but the actual shipping is almost 8 times more to some places, what accout is best for me? Thanks foe your advise
Hi Dawn,
A professional account would be best, as you can set custom shipping costs. Also, if your shipping costs that much, Amazon may not be the best place to sell that item.
Dear Sirs AMAZON, we are a coople seniors. We have some family pieces or sets that we wish to sell. Some of them, such as ‘italian silver cutlery’ or ‘set of crystal glasses with more than 100 pieces’ are in a ‘NEVER USED’ condition. We believe that our case is adapted to ‘individual sellers’. We want to know if that is our best option as well as details about: packaging, shipping, responsibilities and others.
Hi Luis,
In this case, I do not think Amazon is the best place to sell these items as you will not have multiple units. I suggest eBay or Facebook marketplace for such items.
Thank you so much for this great article. Such a big help.
I have a book published through kdp that I would also like to sell on my website using a professional seller account (I have other books in the publishing process outside of kdp. Can I do that?
Much appreciation. Blessings!
Hi,
I suggest you add your KDP book on your website linking to Amazon.You also may be able to sell it on your website and have a print on demand paperback copy to your customer.
Can a business sell under the individual platform and pay only when I sell a product? I’m getting started but am a business.
Hi Michael,
Yes, you can start with the individual plan. But if you sell over 40 units a month, it makes sense to use the professional plan.
Hi,
Thinking about selling on Amazon to make a scond income, and I know nothing about selling on Amazon or knowing how to really choose profitable items.
First of all, Do I have to get one of Amazon’s plans or just one of JungleScout’s plans would be enough to start being a seller on Amazon?
You will need to create an Amazon seller account first before anything. You can use Jungle Scout to help you find a profitable product you can sell on Amazzon.
I have an Individual account and have had people want to purchase multiple copies of my book on Amazon (seller fulfilled) but it charges them the standard shipping ($3.99 each) which is much more than it costs to ship multiple books. How can I offer a discount on shipping for multiple books bought? Do I need a Pro account or is there a way to do this with an individual account. Note, I’m not currently selling more than 41 units a month.
Hi Chris,
You cannot edit the cost of shipping on your products unless you have a professional seller account.
can i switch from individual seller to a business seller or not ?
Yes, you can.
I had degraded my account to individual plan….I have applied for brand approval for one of very good cosmetics brand items by following Amazon instructions by submitting original purchase receipt of purchasing items directly from manufacturer, but even then Amazon didn’t give approval for that brand items… I don’t know why Amazon is rejecting my request nor answer me with about reason of rejection., Kindly give your deliberations
What was the reason you were not approved? You need to send a legitimate invoice with at least 10 units purchased, not a receipt.
I would like to go with Amazon Individual seller because I don’t have large capital to invest in it and in the starting I don’t want to get extra items in my house. Probably in future or after spending or getting a experience I’ll covert as APS.
I just opened Amazon seller account in few days ago with individual plan but I get an email saying your account is suspended and they ask for utility bill . My question is if I change it to professional plan when my account suspended or I have to activate the individual plan first to let me change to professional plan . Thank you
Hi,
You likely won’t be able to upgrade to a professional plan until your account is active.
How do I start an individual account? I am creating a seller account and I only see the option for $39.99 professional account as I going through the 5 steps. Please let me know as this has held me back for a few weeks. Pretty frustrating. Thanks.
Hi Christian,
Have you tried this link under the pricing page: https://sell.amazon.com/pricing#selling-plans
If you cannot sign up for the individual plan, you can sign up for the pro plan and ask seller support to downgrade you and refund you.
How can we create Amazon professional sellers have over Amazon individual sellers , how can do this work
Hi Mayank,
Just follow this article and it will help you understand the differences and how to set up an account
Thanks for sharing this kind of useful information.
Thanks for reading!
Very important seller plan mentioned in this blog.
Helpful
awesome! thank you!
If you set up an individual account under your personal name but later on want to change it to a Profesional account as an LLC, is this possible? I know they want to verify identity with utility bill or bank statement. Would we just get our LLC, FEIN, and bank account open with the LLC before trying to make the switch?
Thanks for this valuable information.
Amazon can cause some difficulty when opening an account. Is it possible to disapprove of individual plans? You know, amazon’s words and actions are different.
If I open an account with a professional plan and convert it to an individual, can I get a refund of 39.99 USD?
Hi Burak,
Yes, typically if you contact Amazon seller support, they will refund your money if you’re not using the professional account.
nice article
After 8 years of having a professional account I changed to an individual account. Now I can’t offer free shipping and even worse my transit time was increased from 3-6 days to 3-14 days! No warnings! Plus I can forget about getting the Buy Box. How do they get away with this? Very unprofessional. Please advise.
Hi Tom,
That’s just how it is, nothing you can do except change back to a professional seller account. Why did you downgrade?
1- $39.99 is per item or per account (unlimited items and orders)
2- Can we switch in between from individual to profession or from professional to individual.
I would like to sell more than 40 items per month, but as a new seller I can not predict and I am not sure.
Many people saying it can take 6 to 8 months to start your proper sale, so minimum $40×6 = $240 is not it better to invest these $240 in products.
Hi Alam,
It’s $39.99 per month per seller account.
Yes, you can switch back and forth if needed.
With the professional account, you have more access to features, advertising, and the Buy Box. If you don’t have the Buy Box, it will be hard to launch a new product.
6 to 8 months is a very long time. If you’re not getting sales in that time period, you are selling the wrong products.
How do you plan to sell on Amazon? With retail arbitrage, wholesale, or private label?
Could you please provide guidance on selling as a sole proprietor? This option is not currently listed for Amazon. I am trying to get started with Amazon FBA but as a sole proprietor. thanks
Hi Helene,
You can choose, “I am an individual” when signing up for an account.
Sir according to you we dont need license for our business to registered on amazon, then how will we provide our tax id to amazon.
Hi Usama,
I suggest you go through the steps and you will see exactly what Amazon needs from you. You do not need a business tax ID, you can use a personal tax ID such as a social security number.
If someone tries amazon for the first time and he wants to sell some of the professional services line account handling accounting related what would be the best option either he go for Amazon individual seller plan or Professional seller plan.
Hi Abid,
You cannot sell services on Amazon. You can try a freelancing marketplace to list your services for Amazon sellers.
I want to become a professional seller on an Amazon,but till date I am new Now the time I will just learning .
You are in the right place to learn about selling on Amazon!
Sir thanks for this informative article it help me alot.
Tell me more, please?
I want to do some thorough research on this process with FBA. It certainly appeals to me from ownership to selling and the processes in between without complications. I have heard some things like Hijacking and other terms as not familiar. Need to learn more
Hi Michael,
I suggest checkout out our How to Sell on Amazon for Beginners guide!
I really appreciate you for sharing this informative post and clearing the main deference between Amazon’s individual seller plan vs professional seller plan. No doubt professional seller plan is best for those who have to sell more with effective features and tools.
Thanks with Regards
Hi Praveen,
Yes, agreed! The professional account is the way to go if you’re serious about selling.
Thanks for reading!
Brian
Hi Brian,
Can you start off with an individual and then upgrade to a professional account later on?
Thanks.
Hi,
Yes, you can! You can change your account type at any time.
What were the suggested companies for insurance liability coverage?
Thanks!
Hi Sharon,
Check out our post on Amazon seller insurance!
I’d love a link to sign up for an Amazon Individual Plan. All searches lead to a Professional Plan for $39.99/month. I just have a few things to sell but can’t sign up for a free plan. Thanks!
Hi Stacie,
Check out this link here: https://sell.amazon.com/pricing.html?ref_=sdus_soa_sell_pricing_plans#selling-plans
Have tried for one whole day with all different links and icons on Amazon pages including the ones suggested by junglescoutt but still being asked for biz registration while I intended to open an individual account as the first step. Wonder if Amazon still accept individual account. And is biz registration a must if later upgrade ? Very frustrated. Hope you can help
Hi Sunnie,
Check out this page here to sign up for the individual plan: https://sell.amazon.com/pricing.html?ref_=sdus_soa_plans_n#selling-plans
Hi, my listing is not appearing in the search results in Amazon, despite using keywords and title in the search box. Amazon have assured me it is visible, by copying/pasting a link to it (with the search terms embedded in the URL). I am an individual seller but have 200 items to sell. I think the only way to get my listing selling is to convert my account to a professional one and start a PPC campaign. Would you agree?
Hi Joanne,
If it is a brand new listing, it will not automatically show up on the first page, second page, third page, and so on. If there is no sales history, it will not be ranked high by Amazon.
Yes, I suggest upgrading to a professional account and start advertising your product. That way, you can reach the first page and begin making sales. As your product sells, your organic keyword ranking will rise.
Also, you will not have the buy box as an individual seller, making it harder for customers to purchase. It is worth upgrading to the pro account.
Thank you for sharing such nice information.
If a person create individual account on Amazon then that person can leave individual account account and make professional account?
Hi Haroon,
Yes, you can upgrade your seller account at any time.
Hi,
I am individual professional seller on amazon. My account has been suspended. I suspect is because I can sell around Europe, but is not what I want. I wish to be only UK seller. How ti bring my account back?
Please help!
Hi Magdalena,
Amazon did not give you a reason for the suspension? Have you tried contacting support?
Good Information, I would like to know some legal points related to business account..These are as follows:
For professional account, Do I Need a Business License or Do I need a sellers permit or Do I have to be a registered business to sell on Amazon? do I need any approval from government or any authorize body?
Hope you will clarify these points with your best expertise. Thanks
Amir Shaikh
Hi Amir,
No, you do not need a business license or seller permit to sign up for a professional seller account.
Thank you for this information. I recently started trying to sell books on Amazon. I have had difficulty setting it all up. I received a letter/email from Amazon saying I have been deactivated from selling. It said I incorrectly selected “individual” for my legal entity. Then it says I can only select Individual if I do not sell for profit.
This was not mentioned in the above article. Do you have any advice on where to to from here? I am wanting to sell for profit.
Thank you
Hi Tami,
I have never seen that from Amazon. Which Amazon marketplace are you trying to sell in? The US or another country?
I suggest going with the pro account anyway, it will be worth it in the long run.
Hi, hope you are safe and well. I am new to Amazon and would like to tart selling on it. However, I am in conundrum whether I should go as Individual or Professional seller? Even though being individual seller looks like the best option. Additionally, in future I would like to build a business and make a regular income selling on Amazon will I be able to change my account from individual to professional?
I look forward for your prompt guidance on it.
Regards, Faisal
Hi Faisal,
If you are just starting out without many products to sell, start with the individual plan. Though if you start to sell over forty units per month, it is worth signing up for the pro plan. You can also switch back and forth within your seller account.
Can I start as an individual plan then as I start to sell over 40 products a month transition into a professional plan?
Hi Rowan,
Yes, you can! You can switch between account types at any time.
How can I sell product without investment or acting as a broker.please help me
Hi Umer,
Do you want to start selling on Amazon for free? We actually have an article on this exact topic! You can check that out in our blog or use this link: https://www.junglescout.com/blog/sell-on-amazon-without-money/
Thanks for sharing this wonderful information !
This is the Amazon Guidelines. Honestly, this is my first book selling in my account. It could sell a little or a lot on its own. If I am an Individual, I cannot even market it. That is not a fair thing when a person is just starting. Am I going to treat this as a business? If it sells well, yes I can start devoting more time to Amazon. If it sells less than 40 books a month, then I would keep it as a hobby because I cannot market it on Amazon Platform anyway.
How about having multiple uploads in ACX, iTunes, Ebook and paperback? Would it still be subject to 40 sales a month in total or on each category separate 40 sales? Can we always move from Individual to Professional without any trouble?
Hi Alan,
You can list in multiple categories with your seller account and you would be subject to 40 sales a month in total. Though, what you listed are not Amazon categories.
If you do sell an ebook, it will be on Kindle Direct Publishing, separate from Amazon seller central.
Professional written article thanks! can I run PPC campaigns for an individual account in 2021? Please need your suggestions
Hi Julie,
No, you can’t. You will need to have a professional account to run PPC ads.
Hi i create new seller account and been veriefied 18.12.2020 and now is ready for sell….is here in UK. i forgot login details to seller account which i create 1.3.2020 or after 3 ip claims they deactivated my account 15.8.2020. i heard we can have 2 seller account…now i am confused becouse they ungated me for lot categories…can they now deaktivated my account ?i have plan for PL and 25000 for new inventory
Hi Viktor,
You are not allowed by Amazon to have two seller accounts. Your first account was deactivated because you couldn’t log in? You can simply change your password, they shouldn’t suspend your account.
I would like to sell my products on Amazon
Hi there,
I had sign up on amazon as a professional seller in December 2018, but due to financial hardship I couldn’t create my inventory. Now I am planning to create my inventory. Will I get my refund for all this month.
Hi,
Amazon won’t refund you for the last 2 years. If you just created the account, Amazon may refund you for one month.
Hi !
Thanks for the article. It looks like the Individual seller account is no longer available. Every time I click on it, it takes me straight to professional account. Any help please?
Thank you!
Hi,
try this Amazon link: https://sell.amazon.com/pricing.html?ref_=sdus_soa_sell_pricing_plans#selling-plans
Hi,
Ultimately I would love to sell more than 40 products a month, however if I’m just starting out, how do I know my products will move hence meaning I should sign up for pro account? Also if I purchase more than 40 products from supplier, n choose to open a individual account, does that mean I can only enter 40 products in my inventory?
Would be interesting to know your thoughts/ tips etc.
Thanks I’m advance.
Hi Dawn,
If you have done your research properly, you will have an idea of how many units you can sell per month. You can enter in more than 40 products in your inventory but if you sell more than 40 units, the individual won’t be worth it.
Also worth noting, you will not get the buy box if using an individual account.
Hi,
I wanted to sell some of my audio CDs on Amazon, but when I made an Amazon account it wasn’t free, they asked for a monthly subscription of £25…. is there anyway I can sell without the subscription fee??? (I am selling in the uk).
Yes, you can sign for an individual account which is free!
can individual seller later convert to professional account with the same settings and all the parameters he has already ste while being a individual seller
Yes! You can easily upgrade or downgrade whenever you’d like.
Wonderfull analysis .
I am learning about Amazon VA services so i read it for that purpose its really helpful i appreciate it.
Many thanks
I am importing a snacks ( like wafers and chocolate tablets) from Europe , by small containers. I want to sell on Amazon, what’s your advice ?
I suggest you read our How to Sell on Amazon guide for Beginners: https://www.junglescout.com/how-to-sell-on-amazon-fba/
This will help with many questions you may have when first starting out.
My confusion is that
On a company account can we have individual plan as well ?
Not sure what you mean. Your seller account is either the paid professional account or the free individual account. You can upgrade/downgrade at anytime.
I am a new user for amazon seller.
Whoch would you prefer for me in the market of UAE region ,professional account is better of individual?
To save money you can start with the individual account but I recommend going with the pro account if you plan on selling more than 40 units per month.
I would like to have an individual account first so I can learn the basics.
That’s a smart move!
Hi:
i have an individual account, would switching to professional give me more exposure and increase my sell?. How can i increase my sell ?
Hi,
As an individual account, you are not eligible for the buy box. You need a pro account to have your products in the buy box. When buy box eligible, you have a higher chance of selling.
I just sign up as a individual account, but can I upgrade it to a professional account after some time?
Hi Tony,
yes, you can upgrade or downgrade at any time.
Thank you Dave, does professional account relevant to business entity, I mean you should have a company ?!
Hi Ahmad,
No, you don’t need a business entity to open a professional selling account. Just your SSN or EIN.
Excellent post! We will be linking to this great content on our website.
Keep up the good writing.
Hi,
From researching and speaking to Amazon Seller Support representatives, I learned that I can sell on Amazon to buyers within the UK and Europe without a need for “VAT registration” since my turnover is less than £85,000.
I am shown as eligible for the “VAT Services on Amazon”, a VAT compliance solution that allows you to manage your European VAT registration and filing obligations. From this, it appears that its purpose is to work with already existing VAT registration in a European country(ies). This being the case, it looks like it would be redundant to complete the registration process for “VAT Services on Amazon”.
Am I right in making this assumption? I started the registration process of “VAT Services on Amazon” and have clicked the ‘Confirm’ and ‘Agree and Continue’ button on the “VAT Services on Amazon” page, and this has brought me to the Status Dashboard page https://sellercentral.amazon.co.uk/vat-registration/v2/index.html#/dashboard where it remains for me to click the ‘start’ buttons on the marketplaces for the listed EU countries and follow through to completion. If it is not required for me to complete this process, can I return to the beginning of the process or do I need to cancel the “VAT Services on Amazon”?
I appreciate your feedback.
Thanks
I want to sign up for an individual account , until I try it out. Every time I try it takes me to the professional sign up , I’m going around in circles here.
I have the amazon buying app. I don’t see there where I can sell.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Hi Carol,
Try this link: https://sell.amazon.com/pricing.html?ref_=sdus_soa_sell_pricing_plans#selling-plans
If that doesn’t work, you can sign up for the pro account and then contact seller support to downgrade you and refund you.
The Amazon buying app is separate from the selling app! It’s called Amazon Seller.
Thank you for the information. What are the prohibited item categories as a individual seller. How long should I wait to sell after creating a amazon account. Is this same like ebay that all the time it’s getting suspended?
Hi,
You will most likely be gated in toys & games, automotive, cell phone & accessories, beauty, etc., but you will need to check your with account.
You can begin selling as soon as your account is created.
Hi & thank you for your responsiveness to questions, I’m impressed with your professionalism & commitment! I’m considering embarking with Amazon FBM as an individual account at this point (brand new retail arbitrager / want to get my bearings & my feet wet) and had a few questions –
(1) It sounds like grocery is completely off-limits going the individual route, however I’ve been watching recent YT videos mentioning ‘getting ungated’ in h&b / ‘topical’ (and other categories as well) – I would imagine the same brand ‘gating’ restrictions apply to individual & professional sellers alike (and you’d just find that out on an item-by-item scanning basis), but the entire h&b category isn’t off limits to individual sellers?
(2) As an individual seller, is $0.99 per item sold the ONLY cut that Amazon takes off sales? (I’ve heard total FBA fees – apart from a prof seller account – are ~33%)
(3) I’ve also heard that Amazon will be making public the contact info of their sellers on Sep 1, 2020 (for many, this would be their home address & phone) – is this true / if so, it sounds like the best (if not cheapest) recourse is to get a PO Box & Google phone #?
Thanks so much for your help!
Hi Jill,
Yes, the same gating restrictions will apply to an individual vs pro account.
For h&b, I am not 100% sure. They only way to figure out for your account is to try to list something in that category or scan an item in that category and see what your account says!
You will pay a referral fee of 15% per item sold. You can see the fee breakdown here: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/help.html?itemID=200336920
Yes, you can use a PO Box as your business address on Amazon.
Let us know if you have any more questions!
Brian
Wonderful website and jungle scout services. Same time you provided helpful information.
Excellent info. Is there any restriction switvmching individual to professional account ?
Hi,
No, there is not. You can switch account types whenever you want.
Hi
I want to know about individual 40 items limit. If exceed this limit then how they charge extra item.
Thanks
Hi Asim,
There is not a limit. With an individual account, you will be charged an extra $0.99 per transaction. If you are going to be selling over 40 items per month, you should have the pro account since it costs $39.99 per month.
Hi there
I have the same question as Scott (above, but looks like he hasn’t returned to answer Brian’s question). On top of that, I also can’t find anything on Amazon regarding FBM or trade-in book programs (electronic devices and such, yes, but not books/textbooks). Could it be possible they recently did away with it? Thanks!
Hi Barbara,
You are also having issues signing into your old account? You can still sell books via FBM, no problem.
Regarding the trade-in program, I am not sure if they did away with it for books. I see what you mean, I only see for electronic devices.
But if you would like to sell your books using FBM, you absolutely still can.
Brian
Do I need a TAX ID (EIN) if I open a professional account? I am an individual looking to start a business on Amazon, but I don’t know how much I will be selling at this point and don’t have a TAX ID.
Hi Sana,
You can use your EIN or SSN when opening an account.
Hi
When you mentioned selling less than 40 products Per month may I check if you actually mean units ?? If it is 40 different products than as an individual account would suffice. Appreciate your clarification. Thanks
Hi Betty,
Thanks for the question! That means 40 units per month, not 40 different products.
-Brian
Nice article.
I’m considering dropping down to an Individual plan for a while. At this time, I only have media products, don’t have much left in FBA (most are FBM), and biz is slow. It’s been seven years since I was briefly on the Individual plan, and cannot find the answer nor remember this: Which, if *any* reports will I have access to once I flip to Indiv? Amazon’s statements of “Manage inventory using feeds, spreadsheets, and reports – and – Manage orders using order reports and order-related feeds” are pretty vague. I won’t need to upload listings or shipment using spreadsheets, but what will I be able to see?
Many thanks.
D
Hi Denise,
Thanks for the question!
You will not be able to see any of the available reporting tools. The best way to see exactly is to just downgrade and see what was taken away. You can always upgrade if you really need the reporting tools.
If i start as an individual seller can i upgrate to business seller along the way? (in 4 to 8 months or even after 1 or 2 years?)
Hi Pit,
Thanks for the question!
Yes, you can. You are able to upgrade and downgrade your seller account whenever you want.
Hi can you start an individual account as a COMPANY? The idea is to start it now but wont be selling for a few months so once ready then will switch to business account.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for the question!
You are able to start under an individual account and then upgrade to a professional seller account whenever you want.
Hi- I used to sell my old textbooks on amazon with no challenge. It has been a few years and now a few more to post. My seller account has been closed and none of the buttons work to re-establish a FBM plan. I’ve emailed several times, but getting no response. I’m trying to register but the button doesn’t work. Any ideas?
Hi Scott,
You are unable to sign into your old account?
Hi, I’m a starter in Asia. Do I have to sign up with a company located in the US if I choose professional seller plan to sell in North America? Thanks.
Hi Leah,
Please refer to this post here: https://www.junglescout.com/blog/how-to-sell-on-amazon-from-overseas/
It will give you the info you are looking for to sell on Amazon US from Asia.
I hope this helps!
Brian
Great article thanks! can I run PPC campaigns for an individual account? thanks
Hi Zoltan,
You can only run PPC campaigns under a professional selling account. That is because you are not ‘Buy Box Eligible’ as an individual seller. Your offer needs to be in the buy box for your ad to show. I hope this helps!
Can I use FBA as an Individual Seller?
Hi Karin! Yes, you can. You will just be charged an additional 99 cents per order as an individual seller. If you upgrade to a pro account, it costs $39.99 per month. An individual account is fine if you are selling less than 40 items per month.
Can you switch from an Individual plan to a Professional one at any time?
Gabor,
I believe so. At least back in MY day, you could. You might have to send a message to seller support to do it, though.
I am actually switching my account from Professional to Individual because I now have less time to devote to my Amazon business. I was so happy when it was suggested by Amazon that I down grade without loosing my amazon business entirely. That was a great relief.
Hi Dave, Thanks for the post. Question – If I’d like to sell bulk product and get an Amazon Professional seller account – however, at the moment am a few months out from that point (getting samples, supplier needs a few months to make it and then shipper to send it overseas) – can I start on an Individual account – for the purpose of accessing Amazon Seller Central’s info regarding where to ship to, as in which distribution centers, as that’s information I’m curious about?
Hey Puja,
Great question. Yes, I believe so. Although, I’ve heard the system in Seller Central that lets you switch from individual to professional can be a little buggy at times. You might check with seller support before getting started there.
It’s been a long time, but I think I started as individual and switched to pro after about a month.
Is it possible to switch from Individual to Professional Seller Plans in any time?
Great question, Jelena, and yes…you can switch from an individual seller plan to a professional seller plan at any time. And here’s a link to a Seller Forum thread that explains how to do it: https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/t/how-can-i-change-my-selling-account-from-individual-to-professional/19298