Walmart Marketplace charges no setup, monthly or hidden fees, according to its seller page. You pay a referral fee of 6% to 15% (depending on category and price) on each completed sale. The harder part is getting in: Walmart asks for a business tax ID, documents, marketplace experience and US fulfillment with returns.
This guide uses Walmart’s own seller pages, checked in October 2026. Fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the official pages linked at the end before you price anything.
What do you need to become a seller?
According to Walmart, you need:
- A business tax ID or a business license number (Social Security numbers are not accepted).
- Documents that verify your business name and address.
- A history of marketplace or ecommerce success.
- Products with GTIN/UPC numbers from a GS1 company prefix.
- A catalog that follows Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy.
- Fulfillment through Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or another US warehouse that handles consumer orders and returns.
- An account with a compatible payment processor.
You apply at seller.walmart.com/signup. The page does not describe the review steps or say how long approval takes, so plan for uncertainty instead of a launch date.
How much are the referral fees?
A referral fee is Walmart’s cut of each sale, taken after the sale completes. “Total sales price” includes the item price plus shipping, handling, gift wrap and other charges. Walmart’s pricing page lists rates by category. Some examples as of October 2026:
| Category | Referral fee |
|---|---|
| Consumer Electronics | 8% |
| Personal Computers | 6% |
| Home, Kitchen, Decor and Garden | 15% |
| Pet Supplies | 15% |
| Toys and Games | 15% |
| Apparel and Accessories | 5% up to $15, 10% from $15 to $20, 15% above $20 |
| Beauty, Health and Personal Care | 8% up to $10, 15% above $10 |
| Jewelry and Precious Metals | 20% up to $250, 5% above $250 |
| Everything Else | 15% |
The page does not list minimum referral fees. The category is chosen when you set up each item, so check the right row before you price.
What does that mean on a real sale?
Take our example: a pet product sold for $40 with $6 shipping charged to the buyer. The total sales price is $46, and Pet Supplies is 15%, so the referral fee is $6.90. You keep $39.10 before product cost, shipping cost, returns and taxes. If the same $46 sale were in Consumer Electronics at 8%, the fee would be $3.68.
The tiers matter on cheap items. An apparel item at a total of $14 pays 5% ($0.70), while the same item at $22 pays 15% ($3.30), which is more than four times the dollars on a price about 57% higher. Check where your price falls before you set it.
What other costs should you plan for?
The referral fee is only one line. Walmart says it does not charge setup or monthly fees, but you still carry your product cost, shipping, returns and taxes, plus any fulfillment charges, which are outside this guide. Walmart also advertises a new-seller savings offer of up to $75K with conditions, ending January 31, 2027. Read the terms on Walmart’s page before counting on it.
Is it worth it for you?
In our view, Walmart Marketplace fits sellers who already have a registered business, a catalog with real barcodes and some marketplace experience, and who want a second channel beyond one they already use. If you are comparing, see how fees work elsewhere in eBay Selling Fees: What You Pay Per Sale, With Examples.
Who should skip it for now?
First-time sellers with no business tax ID, anyone selling products without barcodes, and anyone who cannot handle US fulfillment and returns. Walmart’s requirements are stricter than at some open marketplaces, and the review timeline is not published.
How does this compare with other costs of selling online?
Referral fees are only comparable when you add the other lines. A store platform such as Shopify charges plans and card fees instead, which we break down in How Much Does Shopify Cost?. A fair test is to run the same $46 sale through each option and compare what you keep after product cost and shipping, rather than comparing headline percentages. Whichever channel you choose, write the fee next to the date you checked it, since marketplace rates change.
What are the common mistakes?
- Pricing from the headline fee instead of the category and price tier.
- Forgetting that shipping charged to the buyer counts in the total sales price.
- Applying without GTIN/UPC numbers from a real GS1 prefix.
- Counting on the new-seller offer without reading its conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Does Walmart Marketplace charge a monthly fee?
Walmart’s seller page says there are no setup, monthly or hidden fees. You pay referral fees on completed sales.
Can I sell with a Social Security number?
No. Walmart says SSNs are not accepted. You need a business tax ID or a business license number.
How long does approval take?
Walmart does not publish a timeline on the pages we used.
Do I need Walmart Fulfillment Services?
Walmart lists WFS or another US B2C warehouse that can handle returns. Either route meets the requirement as stated.
