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Marketplace fit checklist for US store owners

Marketplace fit checklist for US store owners

Last updated November 14, 2026. Written by the Seller Channel team.

Short answer

Use this checklist to judge whether your store is ready for a marketplace seller program. If you can tick everything in the first two groups, business basics and inventory and shipping, you are in a good position to ask or apply; the later groups show what to strengthen first. Ticking every box does not guarantee approval, because each marketplace decides for itself.

How to use this checklist

Tick the boxes on screen or print the page. Nothing you tick is saved or sent anywhere. Be strict with yourself: a "partly" is a no for now.

1. Business basics

My business is registered in the US (company or sole proprietorship).
I have a valid US business address.
I have a tax ID and a bank account in the business or owner's name.
My business name and address are written the same way on all records.
I am not already registered on the marketplace I am considering (including through a related business).
The owner can complete the marketplace's identity check personally (directly on the marketplace's own site).

2. Inventory and shipping

My inventory is physically in the United States.
I can ship orders to US shoppers within my stated handling time, even in a busy week.
I have room for more orders than I ship today.
I know my stock counts and can keep them in sync across channels.

3. Catalog

I sell physical products, with an active catalog.
My products are everyday goods rather than restricted items (for example, not weapons, medicines or regulated products).
I have clear photos and accurate titles, sizes and materials for each product.
I know which products have UPC or other identifiers.

Categories that tend to fit the programs we know best: pet accessories; crafts, hobby and party supplies; casual apparel and accessories; office, school and home organization; home decor and storage; simple sports and outdoor accessories; children's toys and games.

4. Operations

I can answer customer messages within a day.
I have a written return policy and a process for handling returns.
I can spend a few hours a week on a new channel for the first month.

5. Margin

I have checked the marketplace's current fees for my category.
After fees, product cost and shipping, my best products still make a margin.
I have decided how much, if anything, I will spend on ads inside the marketplace.

The costs guide has a margin worksheet and cited fee figures.

Reading your result

All of groups 1 and 2 ticked: you are in a good position to ask us or to apply. The other groups show what to tighten.
Gaps in group 1: sort out registration, address and banking first; marketplaces verify these.
Gaps in group 2: fix shipping capacity or stock sync before adding a channel. See selling on several marketplaces.
Gaps in groups 3 to 5: fixable, but worth doing before you list.

Sources and last check

Last reviewed November 14, 2026. This guide is general advice and contains no third-party figures.

Want to know if your store fits a marketplace seller program?

Tell us what you sell and where your inventory is. We reply by email, free, with whether it looks like a fit and the next step. We never ask for IDs, bank details or logins. Seller Channel may be paid a referral fee when a store registers through a route we provide. It costs the store nothing.

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