How to Sell on Walmart Marketplace & Grow Your Ecommerce Business

If you’re looking to expand beyond Amazon or Shopify, Walmart Marketplace is a great alternative for retailers. 

While Amazon still dominates U.S. ecommerce with 40% of online sales, Walmart is gaining ground—quickly becoming the second-largest online retailer.

Here are other reasons why you may want to be on Walmart’s online marketplace:

• Less competition – While Amazon Marketplace has millions of sellers, Walmart Marketplace remains less crowded (around 150,000 Marketplace Sellers), giving you a better chance to stand out.
• Lower Walmart Marketplace Fees – Walmart doesn’t charge monthly seller fees, and its commission structure is often lower than Amazon’s.
• Built-in trust = higher conversions – Walmart’s reputation as a household brand means buyers already trust products sold on its marketplace.
• Competitive fulfillment options – Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) offers a Prime-like experience without the high storage fees of Amazon FBA.

What You’ll Learn in This Guide

If you’re ready to start selling on Walmart, this guide walks you through:

• How to create a Walmart seller account 
• Listing strategies to rank higher & win the Buy Box
• How to choose between Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) vs. self-fulfillment
• Walmart ads & SEO tips to increase your sales

By the end, you’ll have everything you need to successfully launch and scale your Walmart Marketplace business.

Step 1: How to Complete Your Walmart Marketplace Application & Get Approved

Can Anyone Sell on Walmart Marketplace?

Not quite. Unlike Amazon, Walmart doesn’t accept every seller. You’ll need to meet a few basic requirements:

• You must have a registered business in the U.S. – This means you need a business tax ID (EIN). You can’t apply with just your personal Social Security Number (SSN).
• You need experience selling online. Walmart prefers sellers who have already sold products on Amazon, eBay, Shopify, or another ecommerce platform.
• Your products must have barcodes. Every item you sell must have a UPC (Universal Product Code) or GTIN (Global Trade Item Number).
• You need a plan for shipping and returns. You can either ship orders yourself from a U.S. warehouse or use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) to store and ship products for you.
• Your products must follow Walmart’s rules. Certain items, like alcohol and hazardous materials, aren’t allowed on Walmart per Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy.

How to Apply for a Walmart Seller Account (Step-by-Step Guide)

Step 1: Go to the Walmart Seller Signup Page.
Step 2: Enter your business details:

• Your official business name and tax ID (EIN)
• Your business address and contact information

Step 3: Tell Walmart about your products:

• Where you currently sell (Amazon, eBay, Shopify, etc.)
• How you’ll store and ship orders
• Whether your products have official UPC barcodes

Step 4: Set up payments & shipping:

• Walmart pays sellers through Payoneer or Hyperwallet—you’ll choose one.
• You’ll also pick how you’ll ship and handle returns.

Step 5: Submit your application. Walmart usually reviews it within 2–4 weeks.

How to Get Approved Faster

• Fill out everything completely. Missing details slow down the approval process.
• Show that you’ve sold online before. Even a Shopify or eBay store with reviews helps.
• Make sure your products have UPC barcodes. If they don’t, Walmart may reject your application.
• Be ready to ship orders quickly. Walmart wants sellers who can offer fast, reliable shipping.

Once Walmart approves you, you can set up your store, list your products, and start selling.

But getting products onto Walmart Marketplace is only the first step. 

To maximize your success, you need to ensure your listings are set up correctly—both for discoverability and conversions.

First Steps in Walmart Seller Center

Once approved, you’ll get access to Walmart Seller Center, which is your hub for managing listings, payments, and more.

_{Source: https://marketplace.walmart.com/getting-started-in-seller-center/}

Before listing products, complete these key setup steps:

• Complete Your Seller Profile → Add your business name, logo, and store details so customers know who you are.
• Set Up Payments → Walmart pays sellers through Payoneer or Hyperwallet, so make sure your account is linked.
• Choose Your Shipping Settings → Decide how you’ll ship orders:
  • Use Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) for fast 2-day shipping.
  • Ship orders yourself and set delivery speeds and costs.

Creating Your First Walmart Product Listing

Walmart offers three ways to add products:

Option 1: Manually Add Products (Best for Small Catalogs)

1. Go to Seller Center → Select ‘Add Items’
2. Enter product details (title, description, price, images, and shipping options).
3. Publish your listing. Walmart may take a few hours to process new products.

Option 2: Bulk Upload via Spreadsheet (Best for Large Catalogs)

1. Download Walmart’s spreadsheet template from Seller Center.
2. Fill in all product information (SKU, price, category, shipping, etc.) to ensure your product catalog is accurate.
3. Upload the file back to the Seller Center and review for errors.

Option 3: Import Products from Another Marketplace (Enhanced by Linnworks)

This is the fastest option for brands already established on platforms like Amazon, eBay, or Shopify to expand their reach to Walmart. You can import your existing listings, but the process can still involve complexities.

How Linnworks Streamlines the Process: Linnworks simplifies and optimizes this import process with our Walmart Configurator functionality. Linnworks handles the initial import of basic product data (titles, descriptions) and provides tools to manage and enrich that data, ensuring it meets Walmart’s specific requirements.

Linnworks Configurator helps by:

• Storing common listing details (e.g., categories, attributes) for efficient template creation.
• Allowing the use of multiple product prices, titles, and descriptions already defined in Linnworks.
• Providing tools to ensure your product data meets Walmart’s SKU requirements, such as product name length, short description details, image specifications, product ID types, and other category-specific needs.  
• Managing variation listings, including setting up variation attributes and swatch images.

Steps:

• Start the Import Process in Seller Center.
• Use Linnworks and its Walmart Configurator to optimize your product data for import, ensuring it aligns with Walmart’s requirements.
• Review and publish your listings in Seller Center (adding any remaining details).

How to Import Your Catalog to Walmart Marketplace

Step 1: Start the Import Process

• Go to Seller Center → Catalog → Add Items → Import Items
• Click ‘Get Started’ to connect your existing marketplace account.

Step 2: Import Your Listings

• Walmart’s approved partner, Versori, will handle the import process.
• Important: Versori only imports your product titles and descriptions—images must be added separately.

Step 3: Review & Publish Your Listings

• Once the import is complete, go to ‘View My Drafts’ in Seller Center.
• Add images, prices, and fulfillment details before publishing.
• Walmart takes up to 4 hours to process your updates.

Now that your products are live, the next challenge is making sure customers can find them. 

Just because your listings exist doesn’t mean they’ll appear in search results or win the Buy Box. Walmart’s search engine ranks products based on several key factors—including price, fulfillment speed, and listing quality.

Let’s go deeper into how to rank higher on Walmart Marketplace.

How to Rank Higher on Walmart Marketplace (SEO + Listing Optimization)

Getting your products listed is just the beginning. Implementing strong Walmart SEO ensures customers can find your Walmart Product Listing. To drive traffic and increase sales, your listings must be optimized for Walmart’s search algorithm. 

Walmart ranks products based on several key factors, including pricing, fulfillment speed, listing quality, and customer experience.

Here’s what you need to know to rank higher, win the Buy Box, and drive more sales.

Competitive Pricing: The Key to Winning the Walmart Buy Box

Walmart’s algorithm favors lower prices—if your price is significantly higher than competitors, your listing may rank lower or even be removed from the Buy Box.

• Use Walmart’s Repricer Tool to automatically adjust pricing based on competitors.
• Regularly monitor competitor pricing and adjust your strategy to remain competitive.
• Bundle products or offer multi-packs to increase value without lowering margins.

Pro Tip: The lowest price doesn’t always win—the best price with fast shipping and good seller performance has the highest chance of ranking well.

Fast & Reliable Fulfillment: Why Shipping Speed Matters

• Products that qualify for Walmart’s Two-Day Shipping badge rank higher.
• Sellers using Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) tend to see better search rankings due to faster, more reliable shipping.
• Customer service & on-time delivery are crucial—frequent delays or cancellations negatively impact rankings.

Pro Tip: If you’re self-fulfilling, consider using a third-party logistics (3PL) provider to maintain fast shipping speeds.

Optimizing Your Product Listings for Maximum Visibility

Walmart’s search algorithm scans your product titles, descriptions, images, and category mapping to determine relevance. If your listing isn’t properly structured, it may fail to show up in the right search results.

• Craft a Keyword-Rich Product Title
  • Your title should be concise yet informative—avoid keyword stuffing.
  • Example:
    ✅ Nike Men’s Running Shoes – Lightweight, Breathable, Size 10
    ❌ Men’s Shoes – Blue
• Write a Benefits-Focused Product Description
  • Don’t just list specifications—explain why the product matters to the customer.
  • Example:
    ❌ This blender has a 1000W motor.
    ✅ Blend smoothies and soups effortlessly with a powerful 1000W motor that crushes ice in seconds.
• Use High-Quality Images
  • Walmart requires at least four images per product.
  • Use a white background for the main image and include lifestyle images showing the product in use.
• Ensure Proper Category Mapping
  • If your product isn’t in the correct category, it may fail to appear in relevant search results. Make sure you select the most accurate product category.

Customer Experience & Reviews: How to Build Trust & Improve Rankings

Walmart monitors return rates, cancellations, and reviews—poor performance in these areas can push your listings lower in search results.

• Encourage positive reviews by providing excellent customer service.
• Ensure accurate product descriptions to reduce return rates.
• Respond quickly to customer inquiries and issues to improve trust.

Pro Tip: Consider using Walmart’s in-store return program, which allows customers to return marketplace purchases to physical Walmart locations—this improves customer experience and seller reputation.

What Happens After You List a Product?

• Your product goes live. It may take a few hours to appear in search results.
• Monitor your sales in Seller Center. Track performance and make adjustments as needed. 
• Prepare for orders. Ensure that shipping settings are correct so you can deliver on time and maintain a strong seller rating.

Even with perfect SEO, some products need an extra push to gain visibility. If you’re selling in a competitive category or launching new products, relying on organic ranking alone may not be enough.

That’s where Walmart Sponsored Ads come in.

Using Walmart Sponsored Ads to Drive Sales

Integrating Walmart Sponsored Ads into your marketing strategy can boost sales. Walmart Sponsored Ads function similarly to Amazon Ads but are less saturated, meaning sellers can get better visibility at a lower cost.

1. Sponsored Products: Boost Visibility in Search Results

• Ads appear at the top of Walmart’s search results and product pages.
• Works on a pay-per-click (PPC) model—you only pay when someone clicks.
• Best for new products, seasonal items, or competitive categories where organic ranking is difficult.

2. Sponsored Brands: Promote Your Entire Product Line

• Available to brand owners and manufacturers.
• Displays a brand logo and multiple products at the top of search results.
• Helps drive brand recognition and cross-sells within your catalog.

3. Display Ads: Retarget Interested Shoppers

• Shown across Walmart.com and external sites to bring shoppers back.
• Best for high-value products where customers may take time to decide.

How to Run a Walmart Sponsored Ad Campaign

1. Log in to Walmart Seller Center → Go to Walmart Connect (Advertising Dashboard).
2. Choose Your Ad Type: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, or Display Ads.
3. Select Your Target Keywords (for search-based ads).
4. Set Your Budget & Bidding Strategy: Walmart suggests bids based on competition.
5. Monitor & Adjust Your Campaigns Weekly: Optimize bids, pause underperforming keywords, and analyze click-through rates.

Why This Matters for Sellers

• Optimizing for Walmart’s search algorithm ensures that customers actually find your products.
• Sponsored Ads give you an advantage in competitive categories and can boost sales faster than organic rankings alone.
• Walmart’s ad platform is less crowded than Amazon’s, meaning cost-per-click is often lower, and sellers can achieve higher returns on ad spend.

By combining SEO best practices with Walmart’s advertising tools, sellers can significantly increase their sales potential and marketplace visibility.

Driving traffic to your Walmart listings through organic search optimization and paid ads is essential—but what happens when customers start buying? Your fulfillment strategy plays a critical role in maintaining high rankings, keeping costs low, and delivering a great customer experience.

Walmart rewards fast, reliable shipping, and your fulfillment method can directly impact both your search visibility and conversion rates. Now, let’s break down the two main fulfillment options and how to choose the right one for your business.

What Are Your Walmart Fulfillment Options?

You have two main ways to fulfill orders on Walmart Marketplace:

Ship Orders Yourself (Seller-Fulfilled) 

• You store, pack, and ship products directly to customers.
• Best for sellers who already have a warehouse or 3PL partner.
• You control shipping costs and methods but must meet Walmart’s delivery standards.

Key Requirements for Seller Fulfillment:

• Fast & Reliable Shipping – Orders must be delivered on time (2-day and standard shipping options available).
• Competitive Pricing – You handle shipping costs, so price your items competitively.
• Easy Returns – You must provide a clear return process, including in-store Walmart returns (optional but recommended).

Best For: Retailers with an existing fulfillment operation, or those selling low-margin or bulky products where 3rd-party fulfillment isn’t cost-effective.

Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) 

• Walmart stores, picks, packs, and ships orders for you—similar to Amazon FBA.
• Items fulfilled by WFS get a ‘2-Day Shipping’ badge, boosting visibility and conversions.
• Walmart handles customer service & returns, reducing your workload.

Read more:

• What is Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) and how to know if it’s right for your business
• How Linnworks Streamlines Your Logistics with Walmart Fulfillment Services
• Walmart WFS: Why You Need an Inventory Management System

Key Benefits of WFS:

• Higher Sales Potential – Items with the ‘Fulfilled by Walmart’ tag sell more.
• Lower Shipping Costs – Walmart’s fulfillment rates are up to 15% lower than competitors (Walmart first-party data, 2023).
• Easier Returns – Walmart handles returns through stores or mail, making it easier for customers.

Best For: Sellers who want Prime-like fulfillment with higher visibility, lower costs, and hassle-free logistics should consider Walmart Fulfillment Service (also referred to as WFS).

Seller Fulfilled vs. Walmart Fulfillment Services: Which One Should You Choose?

Choosing between Seller Fulfilled and Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) impacts your costs, control, and customer experience. This comparison table breaks down the key differences to inform your decision.

Feature	Seller-Fulfilled	Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)
Who handles shipping?	You (or a 3PL)	Walmart
Storage needed?	Yes	No, Walmart stores inventory
2-Day Shipping Badge?	❌ No (unless eligible)	✅ Yes
Shipping Cost Savings?	❌ You pay all shipping fees	✅ Walmart’s rates are up to 15% lower
Customer Service & Returns	You handle it	Walmart handles it
Best for	Sellers with existing warehouses or oversized items	Sellers wanting higher sales, faster shipping, & fewer logistics headaches

Before finalizing your Walmart Marketplace Application, review the official Walmart Retailer Agreement carefully, and if you have any questions, consult Seller Help or Walmart Seller Support.

How to Choose the Best Walmart Shipping Strategy for Your Business

• Want to maximize sales & rank higher in search? → WFS is the best choice.
• Selling oversized or heavy products? → Self-fulfill to avoid high storage costs.
• Have an existing warehouse or 3PL? → Compare costs before choosing.

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure, start with a mix—use WFS for best-sellers and self-fulfill for larger or slower-moving items.

Selecting the right fulfillment strategy is essential for ranking well, controlling costs, and delivering a great customer experience. 

But even with the right fulfillment method, sellers can still run into common pitfalls that hurt visibility and sales.

To stay ahead, let’s look at the most frequent mistakes Walmart sellers make—and how you can avoid them.

Common Seller Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Even experienced sellers can make mistakes that reduce visibility, hurt conversions, or even lead to account issues. 

Avoiding these pitfalls will help you protect your rankings, maximize sales, and maintain a strong relationship with Walmart.

• Mistake #1: Pricing Too High & Losing the Buy Box
  • Walmart is a low-price-driven marketplace—if your prices are too high, your product may rank lower or lose the Buy Box.
  • Solution: Use Walmart’s Repricer Tool to automatically adjust pricing based on competitor activity.

• Mistake #2: Slow Fulfillment That Hurts Rankings
  • Walmart prioritizes sellers who deliver fast and on time. Late shipments and slow delivery options push your listings down in search results.
  • Solution: If self-fulfilling, ensure you can meet Walmart’s on-time shipping expectations. If not, consider using Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) for faster, more reliable delivery.

• Mistake #3: Not Leveraging Walmart Ads for Visibility
  • Many sellers assume organic ranking is enough, but ads play a huge role in getting products seen—especially in competitive categories.
  • Solution: Use Walmart Sponsored Products to boost new or seasonal products and increase your chances of winning the Buy Box.

• Mistake #4: Listing Errors & Compliance Issues
  • Walmart has strict category mapping, image, and listing requirements. If your product isn’t correctly categorized or lacks essential details, it may not show up in search results.
  • Solution: Ensure all listings follow Walmart’s guidelines for titles, descriptions, and images. Double-check your category selection to make sure your products appear in the right searches.

---

Scale Your Walmart Business with the Right Tools

Expanding your business on Walmart Marketplace is a smart move for third-party sellers—but success isn’t just about listing products. 

To stay competitive in online marketplaces, rank higher, and maximize sales, sellers need to:

• Optimize their listings with strong SEO and competitive pricing
• Leverage Walmart advertising to boost visibility and conversions
• Choose the right fulfillment strategy to improve rankings and customer satisfaction

Each of these factors plays a role in your success, but managing them efficiently at scale can be challenging. 

That’s where Linnworks comes in. Linnworks helps Walmart sellers streamline inventory management, automate order fulfillment, and sync listings across multiple sales channels—so you can focus on growth, not manual operations.

Want to see how Linnworks can help you scale on Walmart? Request a personalized demo today.