How to Win at Selling on Walmart Marketplace: An Insider's Guide to Success

Since launching its online marketplace in 2009, Walmart has transformed its digital presence from a simple extension of its stores into a powerhouse omnichannel ecommerce platform. This strategic expansion enabled carefully vetted third-party sellers to complement Walmart's first-party offerings, creating a more diverse shopping experience.

Today, Walmart Marketplace hosts over 150,000 active sellers across more than 35 product categories, from fashion and home goods to electronics and specialty items. This rapid growth reflects Walmart's commanding position in retail — the platform reaches over 152 million unique monthly visitors, and its US ecommerce sales reached $65.4 billion in 2024, representing a 22% increase compared to the previous year.

Walmart.com's meteoric rise, reaching $100 billion in global ecommerce sales in 2024, signals an unprecedented opportunity for sellers. As the second-largest online marketplace in the United States, Walmart offers distinct advantages that set it apart: a rigorous vetting process that reduces competition, built-in trust from millions of loyal Walmart customers, and integration with its vast network of physical stores for convenient pickup and returns.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the benefits of joining Walmart Marketplace, outline the application process, and share proven strategies to help your ecommerce business thrive on the platform.

What is Walmart Marketplace?

Think of selling on Walmart Marketplace as renting space in Walmart's online world and tapping into its massive customer base. The Marketplace is their third-party ecommerce platform where approved sellers (like you) can list and sell their products alongside Walmart's offerings. Instead of Walmart buying your products directly from you and reselling them, you sell directly to Walmart customers usingWalmart.com as your storefront.

Pros of selling on Walmart Marketplace

1. Expand your reach.

Leveraging Walmart's commanding online presence is a massive advantage for selling onWalmart.com — you gain direct access to millions of shoppers who already know and trust the brand.

The numbers tell an impressive story. While Amazon still wears the crown for third-party sales, Walmart is rapidly gaining ground. Their Marketplace saw a remarkable 30% jump in growth, reaching roughly $10 billion in value, riding the wave of a 16% surge in global ecommerce sales. eBay maintains its position as a significant player with $35 billion in sales, though it's carved out a different niche by focusing on specialty collectors and enthusiasts.

What separates Walmart Marketplace from other selling platforms is that it is not just another selling platform but an exclusive community. They are selective about who gets in, looking for sellers who bring their A-game with competitive pricing, stellar products, and exceptional customer support.

This selectivity works in your favor. Instead of drowning in a sea of competitors, your products stand out more. Plus, you'll be in excellent company, with your items appearing alongside carefully vetted sellers and Walmart's trusted products.

2. Pay only for what you sell.

Walmart is known for its low prices on quality products, and that's also true for its sellers. Walmart Marketplace uses a straightforward, simple pricing structure and charges no setup or monthly fees. Instead, the only cost is a reasonable referral fee on each completed purchase. 

This fee varies by category but is typically 15%. It applies to many categories, including apparel, beauty products, and home and garden. Specific product categories, such as consumer electronics and cameras, have a lower referral fee of 8%. 

Source: SaaSant

Business costs increase when you use order fulfillment services for Amazon FBA or Walmart WFS or participate in advertising auctions.

3. Embrace innovation.

When you partner with a large retailer like Walmart, you can access innovative ecommerce solutions to manage and grow your online business.

• Listing quality tools: Your listing quality score (LQS) considers your listing content, item discoverability, availability, and customer ratings and reviews. It's crucial to address listings with issues, as a low LQS can affect your item's discoverability and whether your item appears on Walmart.com.  

• Advertising options: Advertisers of all sizes use Walmart's scale, reach and proprietary customer data to connect with customers. With access to their closed-loop measurement, you can track your campaign's impact on sales across Walmart's site and app, in Walmart stores, and, for some campaigns, in the rest of the market.

• Expedited delivery: Enjoy regional flexibility with Walmart Marketplace's one-, two- or three-day delivery. Improve your conversion rates, win customers, and reduce cart abandonment with a fast, free delivery promise. If you're eligible, you have two ways to opt-in based on how you manage fulfillment. Learn more about seller-managed and third-party-managed shipping options here. 

• Data-driven insights: You'll find details about how people see your items online, top keywords related to your products, and recommendations for improving your listings. You can learn about customer purchase patterns and generate reports to check on performance to help calibrate your marketing strategy and improve your bottom line.

How to sell on Walmart Marketplace

Ready to enter the world of Walmart Marketplace selling? Let's walk through your launch checklist and turn your marketplace dreams into reality. Think of this as your roadmap to becoming a Walmart seller. We'll ensure you have everything you need to take that first step.

1. The application process.

Requesting to sell on Walmart Marketplace consists of a business verification process that can take a few minutes to two business days. To expedite the process, have the following items at hand. 

• A US Business Tax ID (SSN not accepted).

• A W9 or W8 and EIN Verification Letter from the Department of Treasury that verifies your US business address or place of physical operations.

• A planned integration method for your product catalog (bulk upload, API, solution provider).

• Primary product categories, catalog size, and related information (e.g., total SKUs you will be selling on Walmart.com initially with verified UPC information, used vs. refurbished, etc.)

• A catalog that does not include any products from Walmart's Prohibited Products Policy.

• A fulfillment method, either through Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or another B2C US warehouse, with returns capability.

All Walmart Marketplace sellers are responsible for being aware of and compliant with all policies, rules, and guidelines. Failure to adhere may result in account suspension or termination from the Marketplace program.

Pro tip. Enter your business details exactly as they appear on your documents to avoid delays in processing your information.

2. Registration.

Once you're approved to sell on Walmart.com, you'll receive an email containing the link to register your business. Follow the six-step process outlined below.

Account creation.

Establish a username and password to manage your Walmart Marketplace seller account. Your username will auto-fill based on the information you provided in your application. You'll use these credentials to log in to Seller Center, Walmart Marketplace's portal for seller account management. It takes one minute to set up your account.

Walmart retailer agreement.

Next, you'll review the Walmart retailer agreement, a legal document all Marketplace sellers sign. This document contains terms and conditions that sellers must accept before proceeding.

Company registration.

As you approach official status, you will register your company by entering a display name and a corporate address. 

• Display name: This is your business name that appears to customers on Walmart.com. 

• Corporate address: This is the address that is used internally.

Tax forms.

This step involves completing a W-9 form for tax purposes. The required fields include your name, address, and TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number).

Payment info.

Walmart has partnered with Payoneer and Hyperwallet to process Marketplace US-based partner payments. Follow the links to register with these partners to receive your Walmart payments. Please note that only Payoneer is available for sellers with W-8ECI tax classification.

Shipping info.

The default shipping methods include Value, Standard, Expedited, and Next Day. After initial setup, you can set up your shipping strategy with customizable shipping templates.

3. List, test, and go live.

The final onboarding step for a Walmart Marketplace seller involves listing your catalog and testing orders before you officially go live. This process will ensure a smooth experience once customers add your items to their carts.

You should set up your top-selling items first, and remember that your items will go live once this testing is complete. For this reason, you should use actual items with complete product information and no indication that these are "test" items. If you have items belonging to multiple categories, provide a couple from each category for the initial round of item setup. 

All successfully added items will automatically move to "stage" status, meaning they won't appear on Walmart.com until you go live.

Image source: Fishbowl

Then, test a few orders by publishing two to three items and placing your test orders (no need to ship these). You'll simply need to test the following scenarios in the Seller Center: order acknowledgment, cancellation, shipping, and refund. 

Once everything is validated and working as expected, you are ready to go live on Walmart Marketplace. Walmart will complete a final review process and release your account. Once you are live, your items are published on Walmart.com and ready for consumers within a few hours. They are searchable in 24 to 48 hours.

Pro tip: Make sure you fill in all the attribute fields correctly. The system commonly rejects listings because they lack specific attributes.

Image source: Helium10

Listing optimization checklist.

An internal search engine powers Walmart.com and, by extension, its marketplace. Therefore, you should optimize your product listings like you would for a page one ranking on Google.

• Keywords: Use Walmart tools to find Walmart-specific keywords. Search for your competitor's products that are selling well. Businesses that invest in an SEO strategy tend to earn the highest revenue.

Image source:  Helium10

• Images: Your images should tell a story and add value. Walmart does not limit the number of pictures you upload as long as they are relevant. Optimized product images can increase rankings and sales.

• Product title: A basic Walmart title includes Brand + Item Name + Model Name (if applicable) + Style (if applicable) + Key Attribute + Pac Count (if applicable) + Size (if applicable).

• Product description: If you've been on the fence about using artificial intelligence, now's the time to put it to good use. Generate product descriptions that showcase key features and selling points by experimenting with apps like ChatGPT AI Product Descriptions or BigAI Copywriter. Walmart's guidelines require a 150-word minimum, but the description length depends on the category. They also want sellers to avoid fluff. So, if you use AI tools, ensure you prompt the tool to write clear, helpful, relevant, and easy-to-understand descriptions.

Pro tip. Pay attention to your Listing Quality Score (LSQ). Pricing, delivery speed, ratings and reviews, and content discoverability add weight to your overall score. You want to hit 80% or higher.

Choose an integration method

There are multiple ways to manage your business and list your entire catalog on Walmart.com. If your company can integrate its product catalog in-house, you'll add your items using their API, bulk upload, or a hybrid approach.

If you need extra help, there are solution providers you can work with. When evaluating vendors, ask the following questions to determine the best fit:

Do they offer:

• Item integration, including variation and swatch support? 

• Order integration, including order cancellation, refunds, and shipment services?

• Price integration, including price promotion and dynamic product repricing services? 

• Inventory integration?

• Data synchronization across multiple marketplace platforms?

• Transparent pricing? How much do they charge, including launch, setup, and monthly support fees?

• Support, like phone, email, or chat?

• Customer service? Do they have a quick response time and dedicated agents?

When evaluating top solutions for integrating with Walmart Marketplace, BigCommerce and Feedonomics stand out for their robust features and seamless integration capabilities.​ BigCommerce offers a native integration with Walmart Marketplace, enabling automated product synchronization between your BigCommerce store and Walmart. This centralized approach simplifies order, inventory, and fulfillment management, allowing you to oversee operations from a single dashboard. By connecting your online store with Walmart, you gain access to millions of shoppers, expanding your market reach significantly.

Complementing this, Feedonomics provides a comprehensive data feed management and automation solution tailored for Walmart Marketplace. It ensures optimized product listings, real-time data synchronization, and efficient order management. By leveraging Feedonomics, you can enhance your product visibility and streamline operations across multiple channels, including Walmart.

For more support, Walmart offers pre-approved solution providers and agencies that provide setup services, inventory management, order fulfillment, pricing information, and more.

Tips for successful Walmart Marketplace listings

Once your products are live and available for purchase, you can continue optimizing your catalog and performance to grow traffic and sales. Walmart Marketplace has released various tools and programs designed for seller success.

1. Check the health of your listings in the unpublished items dashboard.

Like an actual store, you must ensure your shelves are stocked and everything looks good. That's where the Unpublished Items Dashboard comes in. Think of it as your store manager, constantly checking to see if anything's gone wrong with your product displays. If your listings are broken, incomplete, or inaccurate, it's like locking the doors to your store. No one can see what you're selling, and no one can buy it. Don't think of checking your listing health as a tedious chore. Think of it as a direct investment in your sales, visibility, and overall success on the Walmart Marketplace.

2. Use the listing quality dashboard to optimize your listings.

Your product listing report card is Walmart's Listing Quality Score (LQS). It ranks your performance from 0 to 99% across four critical areas: Content and Discoverability (how easily customers can find and understand your products), Offer (how competitive your pricing and shipping are), Ratings and reviews (what customers think), and Post-Purchase Quality (how well you handle after-sale service). The higher your score, the better your visibility and sales potential on the platform.

To maximize your LQS, optimize product listings with relevant keywords and detailed descriptions, keep prices competitive with accurate inventory, actively encourage and respond to customer reviews, and provide exceptional post-purchase support. Check your Listing Quality Dashboard in the Seller Center as a regular habit — it's the most valuable metric for improving your Walmart Marketplace performance.

3. Win more customers with expedited shipping.

Competitive shipping rates and fast delivery are at the heart of ecommerce success. Walmart Marketplace's shipping methods make it easy for sellers to manage costs without sacrificing customer satisfaction.

• Two-day "free" shipping: People love to see free shipping on their shopping carts. Your business will benefit from the eye-catching "free two-day delivery" tags on Walmart.com in customer loyalty and sales. In fact, 82% of shoppers are more likely to complete a purchase if delivery is free, according to CapitalOne. Walmart's data shows that items enrolled in the TwoDay program experience an average 50% lift in conversion rates, translating to higher sales volume for sellers.

• Three-day shipping: This requires no prior approval and still meets your customers' desire for fast delivery. According to Walmart data, even if TwoDay isn't feasible for all your items, you still benefit from faster shipping, a boost in buy boxes, and an average 30% organic lift in conversion.

• Shipping templates: You can offer faster shipping options when you meet performance metrics, such as on-time shipping. Templates let you define shipping rules based on region, SKUs, and delivery times. This customization helps you control costs while offering expedited shipping based on location and product variables that impact delivery speed and shipping costs. The more accurately Walmart can identify products that qualify for two-day or three-day shipping, the more visibility you'll enjoy.

• Fulfillment solutions: Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) allows sellers to leverage Walmart's advanced supply chain capabilities and leaves the picking, packing, and shipping to Walmart.

Approved sellers send their inventory to a WFS fulfillment center, where products are securely stored and prepared for shipping when orders are placed. Using the WFS service allows sellers to add the "Fulfilled by Walmart" and "TwoDay shipping" tags to their products, taking advantage of strong branding and speedy transit times.

Deliverr is another fulfillment option that integrates directly with the TwoDay program to guarantee fast shipping and boost item visibility. With Deliverr, your items are stored near your buyers to enable fast, affordable shipping, all at a fixed fulfillment rate. If you want to use Deliverr's services to fulfill Marketplace orders, you can learn how to set up the service step-by-step in BigCommerce. You can preview the cost for each item in your catalog. Once your participation is confirmed, you'll be approved automatically for the Walmart TwoDay delivery program.

4. Take the stress out of returns with enhanced returns.

Walmart's generally customer-friendly return policies set a baseline expectation for shoppers. Customers already trust Walmart's brand, and a reasonable return policy associates your products with that trust, leveraging Walmart's credibility.

Sellers can offer in-store and online return options through the Enhanced Returns program, increasing customer satisfaction and reducing costs. Walmart's Returns Shipping Service (RSS) provides access to discounted rates and lowers customer service and return processing fees.

How to handle returns smoothly.

Don't view returns as a loss. View them as an opportunity to build trust, improve your products, and create loyal customers who will keep returning. A smooth return process can be a powerful differentiator in the competitive world of online selling.

• Clearly define your return policy: While you operate within Walmart's framework, make sure your specific return policy is crystal clear on your seller profile and product pages. Highlight key details like the return window, any restocking fees (if applicable), and who pays for return shipping.

• Respond promptly to return requests: Speed is key. Acknowledge return requests quickly and provide clear instructions. Your responsiveness tells the customer you value their business.

• Offer multiple return options (if possible): If you have the capability, consider offering options beyond standard mail returns, such as allowing returns to your physical location (if you have one) or partnering with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.

• Process refunds quickly: Once you receive the returned item (or if you're waiving the return), issue the refund promptly. A delayed refund can erode customer trust and lead to negative reviews.

• Analyze return reasons: Pay attention to why customers return items. Are there recurring issues with product quality, sizing, or descriptions? Use this feedback to improve your listings and prevent future returns.

• Be professional and courteous: Even if a customer is frustrated, maintain a professional and polite tone throughout the return process. A positive attitude can often defuse tense situations and turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Return process for two heavyweights: Walmart vs. Amazon.

While both marketplaces prioritize customer satisfaction, there are nuances:

• Amazon: Often, it has a more flexible and lenient return policy, sometimes erring on the customer's side. Amazon-fulfilled items usually have significantly streamlined return processes.

• Walmart: While customer-focused, it might have slightly stricter guidelines in specific categories or for Marketplace sellers. The in-store return option gives them a potential edge in convenience for some customers.

Both platforms allow sellers some degree of control over their return policies, but the overall expectation is that they will align with the marketplace's customer-centric approach.

5. Stand out from the competition with the Pro Seller badge.

Another recent Walmart Marketplace development is the introduction of the Pro Seller badge. 

While all Walmart Marketplace accounts go through a vetting process and meet high standards to sell on Walmart.com, the Pro Seller badge helps drive attention to the best products on the site.  

For a seller to earn the badge, products must offer quality customer service, consistent on-time delivery, and free online and in-store returns. This mark of excellence is next to the "Sold & Shipped by [Seller Name]" on Walmart.com. Customers can hover over the badge to see a short pop-up description about the criteria.

Criteria are refreshed twice monthly, and listing quality is tied to eligibility — scores must be at least 50% to 60% of sellers' trending items.

Some sellers have reported significant sales increases after earning the Pro Seller badge. For example, one seller experienced a 200% month-over-month increase in overall sales after receiving this merchant award.

6. Benefit from sponsored product ads.

Walmart Marketplace offers its own CPC (cost-per-click) advertising platform that sellers can use to manage their campaigns and budgets. If you're familiar with Google Ads, you'll understand the concept — you only pay when someone clicks on your ad and visits your product page.

The main difference is that people searching on Walmart.com already have a shopping mindset. They're actively looking to buy something right now, and their intent is highly commercial and transactional. People on Google could search for anything; their purpose is much broader and less directly tied to purchasing.

Walmart Ads typically appear as sponsored product listings within search results pages, category pages and product detail pages, blending seamlessly with organic results. The focus is on showcasing your products directly within the Walmart shopping experience.

There are two types of campaigns:

• Automatic campaigns: Walmart automatically targets relevant keywords based on your product listings. 

• Manual campaigns: You choose the keywords and set the bids. This type offers more control and allows for granular optimization.

Both methods are effective ways to drive impressions and sales. 

To determine the optimal campaign type, you want to measure key metrics like

• Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of people who click on your ad after seeing it.

• Conversion rate: The percentage of people who purchase your product after clicking on your ad.

• Advertising cost of sales (ACoS): The percentage of ad spend attributed to sales (Total Ad Spend / Total Sales).

• Return on ad spend (ROAS): The revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising (Total Sales / Total Ad Spend).

Check Walmart's advertising reports to gain insights into your campaign performance and identify areas for improvement.

You can also optimize for conversions.

• Win the Buy Box: Strive to win the Buy Box by offering competitive pricing, fast shipping, and excellent customer service. A merchant can earn the Buy Box banner only through automatic campaigns, depending on relevance and a competitive bid. 

• Optimize the product detail page: Ensure your product detail page is fully optimized with compelling content, high-quality images, and positive customer reviews.

• Run promotions and discounts: Offer promotions and discounts to incentivize purchases.

Walmart Ads optimization is an ongoing process. Monitor your performance, analyze your data, and adjust your campaigns to maximize ROI. 

The final word

Walmart Marketplace presents a powerful opportunity for ambitious sellers. This exclusive platform reaches over 152 million monthly visitors, while maintaining selective entry standards that reduce competition. Success demands attention to detail — optimize your listings with compelling descriptions, high-quality images, and strategic keywords. The Pro Seller badge can dramatically boost visibility, while shipping programs like TwoDay delivery increase conversion rates by up to 50%.

Your Walmart journey requires continuous improvement. Monitor your Listing Quality Score, leverage advertising tools to increase product visibility, and implement efficient return processes to build customer trust. The platform's straightforward fee structure (typically 15% per sale) keeps overhead costs manageable compared to competitors.

Whether you fulfill orders yourself or utilize Walmart Fulfillment Services, selling on this rapidly growing marketplace allows you to leverage Walmart's trusted brand reputation while expanding your business into one of retail's most promising digital frontiers.

FAQs about selling on Walmart Marketplace