Unlike Amazon, Walmart Marketplace reviews every seller application, and a lot of first attempts get rejected for reasons that were easy to avoid. This guide covers what Walmart looks for in 2026, how to prepare your application, and what to do in your first weeks once you're accepted.
Why Walmart screens sellers
Walmart guards its marketplace closely. It would rather have fewer, reliable sellers than millions of anonymous storefronts, and that's a big part of why it's attractive to sell there: there's less competition per listing than on Amazon, and shoppers trust the Walmart name.
The price is an application review at the door. Size doesn't matter much. Walmart wants to see a real, legitimate business that will ship on time and won't generate customer complaints.
What you need before you apply
Get all of this together before you open the application. Most rejections and delays come from information that's missing or doesn't match.
- A business tax ID: an EIN for US businesses. International sellers from eligible countries submit their local business registration and a W-8 form instead of a W-9.
- Business verification documents, such as formation documents or a business license, with a legal name and address that match your tax ID exactly.
- A physical business address. PO boxes aren't accepted.
- E-commerce history. Walmart asks about your existing marketplace or website sales, and experience on Amazon, eBay or your own store helps a lot.
- A catalog plan: the categories you'll sell in, roughly how many SKUs, and where the products come from.
- A fulfillment plan: whether you'll ship yourself (FBM) or use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS). If you're not sure, compare them in our WFS vs FBM breakdown.
The application, step by step
- Create your account on the Walmart Marketplace seller site with a business email. An address on your own domain looks better than a free Gmail.
- Enter your business details (legal name, tax ID, address), copied character for character from your official documents.
- Describe your business: categories, catalog size, sales channels and annual revenue. Be honest, because Walmart can check much of it.
- Submit and wait. Review usually takes anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Watch your inbox for document requests.
- Finish onboarding. Once you're approved, you set up payment (Payoneer or a US bank account), shipping templates, return settings and tax information in Seller Center before you can publish listings.
Common reasons applications get rejected
| Reason | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Name/address mismatch between documents | Use the exact legal name from your EIN letter everywhere |
| No verifiable e-commerce history | Link existing storefronts; build a small track record elsewhere first if needed |
| Vague product sourcing | Name your sourcing model clearly (wholesale, arbitrage, private label) |
| Restricted or high-risk categories | Start with mainstream, unrestricted categories |
| Brand-new business with nothing online | Add a simple website and a professional email on your domain |
If you're rejected, you can usually reapply once you've fixed the problem. Read the rejection email carefully, since it often tells you exactly what went wrong.
After approval: the first 30 days
Approval is only the first hurdle. Walmart tracks your seller performance metrics from your very first order: on-time shipping, valid tracking, cancellation rate and response rate. Fall short early and your account can be restricted before you've built any momentum. Look up the current thresholds in Seller Center and treat them as hard limits.
The other trap is sourcing. New sellers often buy inventory on price spread alone and then find out the product barely sells. Walmart doesn't publish a Best Sellers Rank, so you can't see demand unless you estimate Walmart sales properly. For your first buys, look for products that:
- already sell steadily, with demand you can see over time rather than a one-off spike
- are winnable, with few enough competing sellers that you can realistically win the Buy Box
- stay profitable after real fees, meaning referral fees (usually around 15%) plus fulfillment. See our Walmart seller fees guide.
WallScout shows estimated monthly sales, seller competition and real-fee profit (FBM or WFS) on the Walmart product page, so your first purchases as a new seller are based on data. Try WallScout free for 7 days →
Frequently asked questions
How long does Walmart Marketplace approval take? Most applications are reviewed within a few days to about two weeks. Delays usually come from mismatched documents or extra verification requests, so sending consistent, complete information is the quickest way through.
Can I sell on Walmart without prior e-commerce experience? Yes, but it's harder. Walmart prefers sellers with a track record it can verify on other marketplaces or a website. If you have none, building a small history on another channel and setting up a professional website first will improve your chances.
Can international sellers sell on Walmart Marketplace? Yes, sellers from a number of eligible countries can apply. They provide their local business registration and a W-8 tax form instead of a US EIN and W-9, and they still have to meet Walmart's shipping and customer-service standards for US buyers.
Is there a fee to apply to Walmart Marketplace? No. There's no application fee and no monthly subscription. Walmart charges a referral fee on each sale, plus WFS fees if you use its fulfillment service.
Getting approved is the first step. Good sourcing is what keeps your account healthy. Try WallScout free for 7 days.