Amazon USA is the largest e-commerce marketplace in the world. With hundreds of millions of active customers a fulfilment infrastructure that spans the entire continental United States and a wholesale product ecosystem that covers virtually every consumer category the opportunity for new sellers on Amazon.com is unmatched by any other marketplace on the planet. Whether you are based in the United States or selling into the US market from another country the FBA wholesale model on Amazon USA gives any seller access to the same Prime delivery network the same Buy Box algorithm and the same customer base — regardless of where they are physically located. The barrier to entry is accessible the earning potential is substantial and the learning curve is entirely manageable when approached methodically.

We are Brandhunterz Ltd — a UK registered wholesale sourcing company (Company No: 15342697) — and in this complete beginner’s guide we walk through everything you need to know to start selling on Amazon USA — from choosing your selling model and registering your Seller Central account through to finding your first products sourcing from US wholesale distributors understanding the key fees making your first FBA shipment to an Amazon US fulfilment centre and receiving your first payment.

Why Amazon USA Is the World’s Most Attractive FBA Marketplace

Amazon USA dominates global e-commerce in a way no other single marketplace does. The scale of the opportunity is genuinely different from every other Amazon marketplace and understanding why helps new sellers approach it with the right strategy:

Amazon USA Advantage	What It Means for Wholesale FBA Sellers
Largest customer base of any Amazon marketplace	Higher sales velocity per ASIN than any other marketplace — products that sell modestly in the UK can generate significantly higher volume in the US
Higher average selling prices in many categories	US consumers spend more per order across health beauty sports and grocery categories — higher revenue per unit sold
Enormous wholesale product ecosystem	Thousands of US wholesale distributors across every category — well-developed trade infrastructure with accessible trade accounts
Open to sellers worldwide	Any seller with a valid business entity and bank account that can receive USD payments can sell on Amazon.com — geography is not a barrier
Extensive FBA fulfilment network	Amazon’s US fulfilment network spans the entire country — fast Prime delivery to all 50 states from seller inventory

Step 1 — Choose Your Amazon USA Selling Model

There are four main approaches to selling on Amazon USA and choosing the right model from the start determines the speed sustainability and scalability of your business:

Selling Model	How It Works	Best For
Wholesale FBA	Buy existing branded products in bulk from US wholesalers — list on established Amazon product pages — FBA handles all fulfilment	Most scalable — recommended for building a serious long-term FBA business
Online Arbitrage	Buy discounted products from online US retailers and resell at a higher price on Amazon	Beginners learning the platform — low starting capital — time-intensive and hard to scale
Private Label	Source a manufactured product — brand it as your own — create your own Amazon listing and sell exclusively	Experienced sellers with higher capital — longer timeline — higher risk and complexity
Retail Arbitrage	Buy clearance or discounted products from US retail stores and resell on Amazon	Learning the basics — geographically limited — not scalable long term

Wholesale FBA is the recommended model for any seller building a serious Amazon USA business. It allows you to sell established branded products that already have proven demand on Amazon rather than creating demand from scratch — and FBA removes all fulfilment complexity so you can focus entirely on product research sourcing and restocking.

Step 2 — Register Your Amazon USA Seller Account

Your Amazon USA seller account is registered at sell.amazon.com. Here is what you need before you begin and how the registration process works:

What You Need Before Registering

Requirement	Detail
Business email address	A dedicated business email — not a personal address used for Amazon shopping
Government-issued photo ID	Valid passport or national ID card — must be current and not expired
Business or residential address	Your registered business address or residential address — must match your proof of address document
Phone number	A valid phone number for two-factor authentication — any country code accepted
Credit or debit card	For billing the monthly Professional subscription — an internationally accepted card is required
Bank account for disbursements	A bank account that can receive US dollar payments — US bank account or a service like Payoneer or Wise for international sellers
Tax identification information	US sellers — Social Security Number or EIN — International sellers — complete the W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E tax interview during registration

Individual vs Professional Account

Amazon USA offers Individual and Professional seller accounts. For any wholesale FBA seller the Professional account at $39.99 per month is the only viable choice — Individual accounts have no Buy Box eligibility which means customers cannot purchase through the standard Add to Cart button on any listing you sell on. Without Buy Box eligibility your FBA business simply cannot function as a wholesale seller. Always choose Professional from the start.

Feature	Individual	Professional
Monthly fee	None	$39.99 per month
Per-item fee	$0.99 per item sold	None
Buy Box eligible	No	Yes
FBA access	Limited	Full access
Recommended for wholesale FBA	❌ No	✅ Always

Step 3 — Understand Amazon USA FBA Fees

Before sourcing any product you must understand the fees Amazon charges on every sale — because your profit depends entirely on the margin that remains after all fees are applied to your selling price. The main fee categories for Amazon USA FBA sellers are:

Fee Type	What It Covers	Typical Range
Professional subscription	Monthly account fee	$39.99 per month
Referral fee	Amazon’s commission on every sale — percentage of selling price	8% to 17% depending on category — minimum $0.30
FBA fulfilment fee	Pick pack and ship cost per unit — based on size and weight tier	From $3.22 per unit for small standard — higher for larger products
FBA storage fee	Monthly fee for inventory stored in Amazon US fulfilment centres	$0.87 per cubic foot — January to September — $2.40 October to December
Aged inventory surcharge	Additional fee for units stored more than 181 days	Applies per unit per month — increases significantly after 365 days

Step 4 — Research Your First Products

Product research is the most important skill in wholesale FBA selling. The goal is to find branded products on Amazon USA that have consistent proven demand — sell at a price that supports a profitable margin after all fees — and have multiple sellers rotating through the Buy Box rather than a single dominant seller or Amazon itself holding it exclusively. Here is how to research products correctly:

Use Keepa to Research Sales History

Keepa tracks and displays the complete price and sales rank history for every Amazon USA product going back years. For wholesale FBA research on Amazon.com the most important data points are the sales rank history — which shows how consistently a product has been selling — the Buy Box price history — which shows what price the listing has been selling at over time — and the Buy Box seller history — which shows how many sellers are rotating through the Buy Box. A product with a stable sales rank between 500 and 5000 in a major category a stable Buy Box price over 12 months and two to five sellers rotating through the Buy Box is an ideal wholesale FBA target on Amazon USA.

Use Helium 10 for Deeper Product and Keyword Research

Helium 10 provides the deepest product research data set for Amazon USA of any tool available — including keyword search volume competitive analysis and estimated monthly sales figures. The Black Box product finder and the X-Ray Chrome extension are the most useful Helium 10 features for wholesale FBA research on Amazon.com — allowing you to search the entire Amazon USA catalogue by revenue sales rank and competitive metrics and to analyse any product page for estimated sales data directly in your browser.

What Makes a Good Wholesale Product for Amazon USA

Criterion	Target on Amazon USA
Sales rank history — 12 months on Keepa	Consistent rank within a band — not a single spike — ideally rank under 5000 in main category for Health and Beauty Grocery Sports and Pet
Buy Box seller count	Two to five sellers rotating — Amazon not selling as first party — no single seller holding 90%+ of Buy Box time
Net profit margin — after all fees	Minimum 25% ROI on wholesale cost — calculated using AMZScout before ordering
Size tier	Small standard or standard size — avoid oversize products where FBA fees significantly compress margins
Brand gating status	Confirm in Seller Central the ASIN does not require brand approval before you can add an offer — check before sourcing

Step 5 — Find a US Wholesale Supplier

Once you have identified a product with confirmed demand and a viable margin the next step is finding an authorised US wholesale supplier who can supply the product at a price that supports your target margin. The most effective methods for finding US wholesale suppliers for Amazon FBA are:

Sourcing Method	How It Works
Direct brand contact	Contact the brand owner through their official website — look for a Trade or Wholesale section — apply for a wholesale account directly
US trade shows	ASD Market Week Las Vegas — Cosmoprof North America — Natural Products Expo West — meet brand representatives face to face and apply for trade accounts
US wholesale directories	Wholesale Central — TopTenWholesale — Faire USA — search by product category to find authorised US distributors for your target brands
Reverse sourcing	Identify the brand from the Amazon USA listing — search for the brand’s US wholesale or trade contact — apply for a trade account and request wholesale pricing
SmartScout brand discovery	SmartScout identifies the brands generating the most revenue on Amazon USA by category — use it to discover which brands have active wholesale distribution and are actively being sold by multiple third-party sellers

Step 6 — Prep Your Products and Send to Amazon USA FBA

Once your wholesale order is received you need to prepare your products for FBA and create a shipment plan in Seller Central to send stock to an Amazon US fulfilment centre. The prep process for Amazon USA is essentially the same as for Amazon UK — FNSKU labelling box packing and H-tape sealing — with a few US-specific requirements to be aware of:

Your Amazon USA Seller Launch Checklist

Amazon USA Seller Launch Step	Done
Selling model confirmed — wholesale FBA selected	☐
Professional seller account registered at sell.amazon.com	☐
Identity verification and tax interview completed	☐
Bank account added — USD payments confirmed as receivable	☐
First product researched using Keepa — demand confirmed — Buy Box accessible	☐
Profit margin calculated using AMZScout — minimum 25% ROI confirmed	☐
US wholesale supplier identified — authorised distributor confirmed — trade account approved	☐
First wholesale order placed — stock received and inspected	☐
Products FNSKU labelled and packed into FBA shipping boxes	☐
FBA shipment plan created — boxes dispatched to Amazon USA fulfilment centre	☐
FBA inventory received — listing active — ready to sell on Amazon USA	✅ Live

Conclusion — The World’s Largest Marketplace Is Open to Every Seller

Amazon USA is the single most powerful e-commerce opportunity available to wholesale FBA sellers anywhere in the world — and it is genuinely open to sellers based in any country who have a valid business entity a bank account that can receive USD payments and the discipline to research products correctly source from authorised suppliers and manage their account health consistently. The steps in this guide give you a complete framework for getting started — from choosing the wholesale FBA model and registering your account through to your first FBA shipment arriving at an Amazon US fulfilment centre and your first sale completing. Do the research first confirm every margin before every purchase and build your supplier network carefully from the start — and Amazon USA will reward that discipline with consistent and growing revenue.

Find your next wholesale brand through our Brands Directory. Research every product with Keepa. Confirm every margin with AMZScout.