Walmart Seller Account Approval 2026: Requirements, Fees and Timeline

Walmart seller account approval comes down to business verification. Signing up is free: you create an account in a few minutes, then Walmart checks your business tax ID, documents and ecommerce history against official records. Walmart says verification takes from a few minutes to a few business days. If asked, you have seven days to verify your identity, and you have 30 days to finish payment setup.

Walmart Seller Account Requirements

Walmart requires sellers to be established businesses with proven ecommerce experience. Its Before you start selling guide (updated September 2, 2026) lists the minimum requirements every seller must meet:

A copy of a personal ID
A business tax ID or business license number (Walmart says a Social Security number is not accepted)
Your business entity classification
Supporting documents that verify your business name and address
A history of marketplace or ecommerce success
Products with GTIN/UPC codes from a GS1 company prefix
A catalog that complies with Walmart's Prohibited Products Policy
A B2C U.S. warehouse with returns capability that can meet Walmart's Seller Performance Standards, or Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS)

Walmart asks for a history of marketplace or ecommerce sales. It does not publish a minimum length or sales figure, and it states that if you don't meet the minimum requirements, you won't be qualified to sell on Walmart Marketplace.

Products need GS1-registered GTIN/UPC codes. Private-label or handmade items without one can request a GTIN exemption, which matters if you plan on selling private label on Walmart. You can check a code with our UPC lookup for Walmart.

Who Can Sell on Walmart Marketplace?

Walmart Marketplace is open to registered businesses. Walmart states that the business types not allowed on the U.S. Marketplace include non-profit organizations, sole proprietorships (excluding India) and Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) businesses.

Accepted business entity types

During business verification you declare your entity type. Walmart's list for U.S. entities (W-9) is:

C-Corporation
S-Corporation
LLC taxed as a C-Corporation (LLC - C-Corp)
LLC taxed as an S-Corporation (LLC - S-Corp)
Partnership

Do you need an LLC, an EIN or an SSN?

You need a business tax ID or a business license number; Social Security numbers are not accepted. A U.S.-incorporated seller with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) has the W-9 tax classification. Walmart's list names LLCs that have elected C-Corp or S-Corp taxation, so if your LLC has made neither election, confirm the right entity type with Seller Support before you apply.

International sellers

Sellers incorporated outside the U.S. can apply. Walmart asks them for additional verification and location-specific documentation, such as a certificate of incorporation and a recent utility bill or bank statement. Both of Walmart's fulfillment methods require a verifiable return address.

What to Include in Your Application

Your application is the Business verification form in Seller Center. Walmart checks it against federal, state and international records, so everything must match your official business documents. The form asks for:

Your country or region of incorporation
Your state business registration number (U.S.) or business license number
Your business phone number and entity type
Your primary contact details and business role, for example Business owner/Authorized signatory
Your identity document information, entered exactly as it appears on your ID, especially your residential address
Your payment information

Documents to have ready. Walmart says you can reduce your application's approval time and improve your chances of being verified by uploading supporting documents. Each file must be less than 5MB, in PNG, JPG or PDF.

Photo ID (required): the front and back of your ID, clear and well lit, such as a state-issued driver's license
Business document: your IRS EIN letter (147C or CP 575) or your state business license, registration certificate, articles of incorporation or Certificate of Good Standing
Proof of address (when asked): for example a utility bill addressed to the business (sellers incorporated outside the U.S. may use a recent bank statement)

Tax classification. Walmart sorts sellers into four tax classifications:

W-9: U.S.-incorporated businesses with an EIN
W-8ECI: businesses with an EIN whose country of incorporation is not the U.S.
W-8BEN-E: businesses without an EIN incorporated outside the U.S., in supported countries
W-8BEN: sole proprietors from Mexico or India only

The Walmart Seller Approval Process (Step-by-Step)

Walmart account approval now happens inside Seller Center: account creation, then five onboarding steps (verify your business, choose your payout method, add market details, manage fulfillment, set up your catalog).

Create your account. Go to marketplace.walmart.com and select Join Marketplace. Create your account with your business email and a password; Walmart says this takes just a few minutes.
Express setup (optional). Walmart's Express setup can import your business details and listings from another marketplace you already sell on.
Verify your business. Submit your business details, personal ID and payment information. Verification takes from a few minutes to a few business days, and Walmart may request additional supporting documentation.
Identity check (when requested). Walmart may ask the primary account holder to scan their photo ID and face with a device camera through a third-party service. Complete it within seven days, or the account is closed.
Choose your payout method. After your business details are in, you have 30 days to finish payment setup, or the account is declined and you need to re-apply.
Add market details. Your business display name, customer service email address and customer service phone number.
Manage fulfillment. Ship with WFS or ship yourself, and set your returns method. Both methods require a verifiable return address.
Set up your catalog. Create or upload listings. Walmart says account setup may take up to four hours to finalize after you add inventory.

Checking your status.Walmart emails you the verification result, and you can check it any time in Seller Center under Business verification. Walmart may also request more details, which is the "conditional" outcome: an email asking you for additional information or documents.

How Much Does a Walmart Seller Account Cost?

A Walmart seller account costs nothing to open. Signing up is free; Walmart charges a referral fee on each item you sell. Its pricing page lists "zero setup, monthly, or hidden fees," and says referral fees are deducted only once you complete a sale. The rate depends on the category:

Personal Computers: 6%
Consumer Electronics: 8%
Home, Kitchen, Decor & Garden: 15%
Apparel & Accessories: 5% to 15%, depending on the item's total sales price

See every tier in our guide to Walmart Marketplace fees by category. Other costs are optional: WFS fees if Walmart fulfills your orders (estimate them with our WFS fee calculator; the figures are estimates) and advertising.

New-Seller Savings.Walmart's current offer for first-time sellers who start selling after February 1, 2026 is worth up to $75K: up to $72K off base referral fees, up to $2K in WFS discounts, up to $1K in search engine marketing credits and up to $500 in Walmart Connect ad credits. Walmart says conditions apply, discounts run until January 31, 2027 or until the maximum is reached, and it may alter or end the offer at any time.

Getting Paid: Payout Setup and the New Seller Payment Hold

Walmart does not pay sellers by ACH direct deposit to a bank account. You receive net sales through the Walmart Marketplace Wallet or an approved third-party payout provider, and the provider options vary by country of incorporation. Payout setup is part of onboarding, not something you do after approval, and the 30-day deadline above applies to it.

New sellers also go through a New Seller Payment Hold after they begin selling. Walmart says the hold allows time to build sales history and credibility, and its length varies by country of incorporation. WFS sellers also add a billing method, which Walmart verifies in two to three business days.

Why Applications Get Rejected

Walmart does not publish a ranked list of rejection causes. These are the problems its own guides tie to delayed or failed verification and to denied applications.

Reason 1: Incomplete or Inaccurate Information

Details that don't match your documents are a common reason verification is delayed or fails. Walmart says any discrepancies may cause delays, and that a "Failed" status typically occurs when it is unable to verify the information you provided.

Prevention:

Match application info exactly to your business registration
Use your full legal business name (not a shortened or nickname version)
Use your actual business address, not a PO box
Double-check all phone and email info (Walmart gives the same advice for an EIN validation error)

Reason 2: Insufficient Ecommerce Experience

Walmart lists a history of marketplace or ecommerce success as a minimum requirement, without a published minimum length. New sellers without marketplace experience often get rejected. That experience gap is also why some sellers look at buying a pre-approved Walmart seller account that is already approved and selling.

Prevention:

If you have Amazon, eBay or Shopify experience, make sure your application shows it; Express setup can import your existing listings
If you're brand new to ecommerce, build a sales history elsewhere first; a denial can be appealed only once, so make your first application complete

Reason 3: Categories That Need Pre-Approval

Some categories need Walmart's pre-approval before you can list in them, including dietary supplements and other ingestibles, topicals, fragrances, personal care and beauty, select baby and pet products, OTC drugs, medical devices, books, software, jewelry and luxury brands. Children's products need safety certificates.

Pre-approval happens per category after your account is set up, before you list those items. For children's products, Walmart requires a Children's Product Certificate and a third-party test report from a CPSC-accepted lab for each item.

Prevention:

If you sell beauty products or supplements, have your compliance documents ready (for example third-party test results and labeling that meets FDA rules); there is no FDA approval for these products to show
Start with general categories (apparel, home & garden, tools), which are not on Walmart's pre-approval list
Once you're selling in those categories, request pre-approval for restricted ones

Reason 4: Prohibited Products

Some products are prohibited outright, including firearms and ammunition, counterfeit goods, recalled products and sexually explicit items. Hazardous materials are prohibited unless they meet DOT shipping rules and Walmart's hazardous items policy. If your catalog includes even one prohibited item, Walmart says the application will be denied. Read Walmart's Prohibited Products Policy before you build your catalog.

Prevention:

Only list products that are legal to sell in the U.S. and comply with Walmart's Prohibited Products Policy
Avoid gray-area categories until your account is set up

Reason 5: Identity Red Flags

ID doesn't match business registration, an address mismatch between ID and business, or a business phone number that doesn't match your documents. Walmart says you must enter your information exactly as it appears on your personal identity document, especially your residential address, or your application may be delayed.

Prevention: use your actual legal name, not a nickname; match personal ID info to business documents exactly; use a consistent business address across all registrations.

Reason 6: Multiple Accounts

Walmart's Multiple seller accounts policy states: "Walmart prohibits Marketplace sellers from owning multiple accounts." Apply with one business. Accounts that break Walmart's policies can face enforcement later; see our guide to Walmart account suspensions.

If You Get Rejected: The Appeal Process

A denial can be appealed once, through a Seller Support case; Walmart treats the appeal decision as final. Walmart also says that submitting an appeal does not guarantee it will approve your application.

Appeal Steps:

Check what failed. Look at the Business verification section in Seller Center and Walmart's email.
Fix the cause. Review the details you entered against your documents. Incomplete info? Correct it. Identity issue? Prepare clearer documents. Wrong entity type? Confirm it against your IRS records.
Open a case with Seller Support. Use the Help button in the Seller Center menu bar.
Make it complete. Attach every supporting document that resolves the issue. There is no second appeal.

For business verification that failed because of a data-entry mistake, Walmart says that depending on your country of incorporation, you may have the ability to resubmit. The one case where Walmart describes re-applying is a missed payment deadline: if payout setup isn't done within 30 days, the account is declined and you'll need to re-apply.

If you'd rather have help with the application itself, see our Walmart application service.

Timeline Acceleration Tips

What Walmart's guides do say is that complete, matching information keeps verification moving:

Upload supporting documents with the form: Walmart says they can reduce your application's approval time
Respond to identity requests right away: have your ID and a device camera ready
Provide complete documents: don't submit partial documents and expect Walmart to follow up
Match all info exactly: no inconsistencies between the form and your supporting documents

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Using a business name different from your legal registration

The application says "MyBrand Store" but the business is registered as "MyBrand LLC." Mismatches like this delay verification or make it fail.

Mistake 2: Omitting relevant marketplace experience

Ecommerce history is a minimum requirement. If you already sell elsewhere, make it visible, for example by importing your listings with Express setup.

Mistake 3: Tax details that don't match IRS records

Walmart says your tax registration must precisely match your IRS records or government-issued documents. Use your EIN, never an SSN, and pick the entity type your business actually files as.

Mistake 4: Not responding to Walmart's follow-up requests

Miss the seven-day identity deadline and the account is closed; miss the 30-day payment deadline and it is declined.

Walmart Seller Account Approval Timeline (Checklist)

Stage	What happens	Walmart's stated time	Your deadline
Create your account	Join Marketplace with your business email and a password	A few minutes	-
Business verification	Walmart checks your details and documents against federal, state and international records	A few minutes to a few business days	-
Identity check (if requested)	Scan your photo ID and face with a device camera through a third-party service	Not published	Seven days from the notification
Payout setup	Connect the Marketplace Wallet or an approved third-party payout provider	Not published	30 days after your business details are in
WFS billing method (WFS sellers only)	Walmart verifies the billing method	Two to three business days	-
Catalog and inventory	Add items and inventory; account setup finalizes	Up to four hours after you add inventory	-
Category pre-approval (some categories)	Request approval before listing in a restricted category	Not published	-

Walmart does not publish an overall approval time; the FAQ below covers what to expect.

After Approval: Next Steps

Once business verification and account setup are complete, you can:

Manage your account and catalog in Seller Center
Publish items on Walmart.com (only after account setup is complete)
Start fulfilling items with WFS
Request pre-approval for restricted categories

Your first tasks:

Complete your seller profile and market details
Create your first listings
Arrange inventory (WFS or your own warehouse)
Plan cash flow around the New Seller Payment Hold

Summary: Walmart Seller Requirements and Fees

The Walmart seller requirements and fees in one place: a registered business with a business tax ID (not an SSN), documents that match it, a history of ecommerce sales, GS1 product codes, a compliant catalog and a U.S. returns-capable warehouse or WFS. Signing up is free; Walmart charges a referral fee on each item you sell.

Sellers who meet every requirement and whose details match their documents give themselves the best chance.

Related blog posts:

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Walmart account approval take?

Walmart does not publish an overall approval time. Creating the account takes a few minutes, and Walmart says business verification takes from a few minutes to a few business days. Applications that need more documents, or come from brand-new businesses, can take weeks.

How much does a Walmart seller account cost?

Signing up is free. Walmart's pricing page lists zero setup, monthly or hidden fees; Walmart charges a referral fee on each item sold, set by category, for example 6% for personal computers, 8% for consumer electronics and 15% for home, kitchen, decor and garden. Walmart Fulfillment Services fees apply only if you use WFS.

Can I get approved with no ecommerce experience?

Walmart lists a history of marketplace or ecommerce sales as a minimum requirement, so an applicant with none is unlikely to qualify. Build a sales history elsewhere first, or get help with the application.

Do I need an LLC or an EIN, and can I use my SSN?

Walmart asks for a business tax ID or business license number and says a Social Security number is not accepted. Its U.S. entity list includes LLCs that have elected C-Corp or S-Corp taxation; sole proprietorships and non-profits are not allowed on the U.S. Marketplace.

Do I need inventory ready before applying?

You don't need stock on hand to pass business verification, but you need a product catalog that meets Walmart's requirements, and your account setup only completes once you add items and inventory.

How long before I can start listing products after approval?

Once business verification, payout setup, market details and fulfillment are done, you can add items. Account setup can take up to four hours to finalize after you add inventory, and items publish only after setup is complete.

Can I apply with multiple business entities?

Walmart's Multiple seller accounts policy prohibits a seller from owning more than one Marketplace account. Apply with one business. In Walmart's words: "Walmart prohibits Marketplace sellers from owning multiple accounts."

What if my business was suspended on another platform?

Walmart's requirement and verification guides do not list suspensions on other marketplaces as a criterion. Answer anything Walmart asks accurately, and if you appeal a decision, explain what happened and how you resolved it.

Can international sellers apply?

Yes. Sellers incorporated outside the U.S. use the W-8ECI tax classification if they have an EIN, or W-8BEN-E if they don't. Walmart supports W-8BEN-E for sellers from countries including China, Hong Kong, the U.K., Japan, Canada, Mexico, India and Germany, and asks for location-specific documents.

Do all my products need a UPC?

Walmart asks for GS1-registered GTIN/UPC codes, but items with no product ID, such as private label or handmade jewelry, can request a UPC or GTIN exemption.

How do I check my Walmart application status?

In Seller Center, open the onboarding page and check the Business verification section. Walmart also sends an email confirming your status. A "Failed" status typically means Walmart was unable to verify the information you provided.

Ready to Scale Your E-Commerce Business?

Join 7,175+ sellers who have signed up for Ecom Circles since 2020 to run sourcing, repricing and inventory management from one platform.

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Credit card required. Up to 10,000 items scanned during the trial.