Amazon has been the online selling platform of choice for a huge number of entrepreneurs in recent years. Using either the FBA (fulfilled by Amazon) or FBM (fulfilled by merchant) methods, people have been able to use the platform to their advantage and find thousands of customers they may never have had access to otherwise.

This is all well and good, but for a long time, Amazon hasn’t really had any competition. If you want to expand your sales by using new platforms, or if you don’t have the option to sell on Amazon and want an alternative, there haven’t been that many places to turn.

Fortunately, Walmart’s online marketplace is growing and has a lot of potential whether you’re already selling on Amazon or not. In this guide, we explore how to apply to sell on Walmart, and what it takes to get approved.

How to Apply to Walmart as a Seller

The following steps allow anyone in the US. to sell on Walmart. The whole process takes just a few minutes but only if you have the right documentation ready.

There is a relatively simple form to fill in as part of the application process. You can access this on the “Request to sell” button on their marketplace.

You will be asked to provide:

• Your US Business Tax ID. Make sure you have this to hand before you begin. Naturally, this means that you will need to be a registered business in the U.S.A.
• A W9 or W8 and an EIN Verification Letter, issued by the Treasury. This verifies your physical location as a business seller.
• Your US business address.

You will then be asked to fill in some information on your business, and the products you wish to sell. This includes the number of SKUs, how much monthly revenue your company turns over, whether you will be selling items new, used, or refurbished, and more.

There’s also the chance to list marketplaces where you currently sell and to share your own products. This can actually be very beneficial for Amazon sellers. If you already have a strong track record of selling and keeping your customers happy then there is every reason for Walmart’s team to accept your application.

Finally, you are asked to explain why your business is a good fit with Walmart. Basically, they want to know why they should accept you. You need to prove that you understand Walmart’s values as a company, but also that you can offer something truly unique as a business.

This application process must be complete. There’s no option to skip anything, so if you don’t have all the tax information there’s no point in proceeding and spending all that time writing about your business. Make sure you take care of the admin to give you the chance to get approved.

After submitting, it’s time for a bit of patience. The process to verify and accept usually only takes a few weeks. You can check on the status of your application in the meantime to see if somebody has reviewed it.

If you’re lucky enough to get approval then you’ll be notified via email.

What if I Don’t Get Approval?

Those who aren’t approved, or find themselves waiting for a long time for approval, usually made some sort of error on their form, or didn’t provide the right information.

So, what if you didn’t get approved to sell on Walmart? Is there anything you can do?

If you don’t hear back after a month or so, it is possible to either reapply or to contact the seller help at Walmart. You’re given the option to click “support” then click “Password or Other Access Issue” and when you then choose “other access issue” you can explain the issues you’re having.

Don’t do this if you don’t hear in a few days. It can take a while to get approval.

Who is the Walmart Marketplace Open For?

Although approval is not guaranteed, the Walmart marketplace is open to pretty much any business in the US.

At this time, sellers from abroad are not invited, which is different from Amazon’s selling platform, in which you can sell from abroad. If you are involved in a multinational company and you are therefore registered and allowed to sell in the US, you can apply to the Walmart marketplace.

The Walmart marketplace has some guidelines, which outline what they are looking for from their sellers:

According to the guidelines outlined on Wamart.com Seller Center, Walmart.com looks for reputable sellers and brands that provide the following:

• First-class customer service. Walmart wants sellers that consistently get good reviews, which is why your application will be a lot stronger if you can offer proof on other marketplaces that you have great reviews. Amazon and eBay are two ways to strengthen your selling.
• Unique products. You don’t get in just by selling the same stuff you can already buy on Walmart. Think about what makes your brand different.
• Competitive pricing. Walmart wants to compete, or even beat Amazon, when it comes to price.
• Reliable, quick fulfillment. Walmart allows you to give fast shipping to customers when you are fulfilling on your own, but there are also partner companies to fulfill your orders speedily and keep those reviews high.

Summary – Is Selling on Walmart Worth It?

Getting started with selling on Walmart definitely involves jumping through a few more hoops than you have to in order to sell on other platforms like eBay or even Amazon. There are some restrictions.

So, is it worth it? Although Amazon has a huge market share, and 73% of shoppers bought from the platform in Q1 of 2021, Walmart also saw 40% of shoppers buy something on their platform, which is not to be sniffed at.

Whether you’re starting your eCommerce empire or already successfully selling elsewhere, it makes perfect sense to include Walmart in your distribution channels as a way to boost profits and even increase the awareness of your products.