Amazon Australia Seller Checklist: Everything from ABN and Registration to Your First Ad Campaign

To sell on Amazon.com.au you need your business and tax details sorted, an Amazon seller account with verified identity, products with GTINs, a fulfilment plan, accurate listings and, for ads, a Professional plan. Registration can often be done in a few hours and verification usually takes four business days or less. This checklist runs in order from ABN to your first ad campaign. Each step links to the guide that covers it, so use it as a working list and tick items off.

Step 1: Business and tax set-up

• [ ] Decide your structure. Sole trader, company or trust. Your accountant or the ATO can confirm what suits you. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice.
• [ ] Get an ABN if you are running a business. ABN Lookup on the Australian Business Register shows whether an ABN is active or cancelled and a business's GST position. See do you need an ABN to sell on Amazon Australia and the ABN glossary entry.
• [ ] Check whether you need to register for GST. Confirm with the ATO or a registered tax agent. See GST for Amazon sellers in Australia and hobby or business.
• [ ] Open a business bank account. Amazon pays by electronic funds transfer to a valid bank account, not to a credit card or an online payment system such as PayPal.
• [ ] Plan for BAS and income tax. See BAS for Amazon sellers.

Step 2: Choose a plan and register

• [ ] Pick Individual or Professional. Individual costs A$0.99 per unit sold plus selling fees. Professional costs A$49.95 a month plus selling fees, both excluding GST. Amazon suggests Individual under 50 items a month and Professional above. See Individual vs Professional.
• [ ] Gather your documents. Registration asks for business information, government ID for the primary contact, a payment card, store and product information and identity verification.
• [ ] Have the right card. AMEX, Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Prepaid cards and PayPal are not.
• [ ] Enter your ABN or ACN. An ABN (11 digits) or ACN goes in the company registration field. Individuals and unincorporated businesses can choose "None, I am an individual".
• [ ] Complete identity verification. Choose Instant Identity Verification or Video Screening Verification. Individuals need photo ID and proof of address dated within 180 days. Businesses also need a business verification document and proof of authorisation.

Keep a folder with scans of your photo ID, proof of address, ABN or ACN extract, bank details and the card you will use, so the form takes one sitting. Registration is easier when nothing is missing and the names match across every document.

Detail for this step is in Amazon Australia seller registration, seller requirements and identity verification.

Step 3: Check your products are allowed

• [ ] Check the category. Some categories are open to all sellers, some need Professional, some need approval and some are prohibited for third-party sellers. See restricted products and category approval.
• [ ] Check product safety and labelling. Electrical items, batteries and children's products have Australian standards. See product safety on Amazon Australia and RCM for electrical products.
• [ ] Confirm brand rights. Branded products need ownership or reseller authorisation, and used or refurbished items must go through Amazon Renewed.
• [ ] Sort your GTINs. Most products need a GTIN (UPC, EAN, JAN or ISBN) from GS1 Australia, or an exemption requested in Seller Central. See GTIN exemption and the GTIN glossary entry.

Step 4: Work out the numbers

• [ ] List all fees per product. Referral fee, fulfilment fee, storage, ad cost, GST treatment. Amazon quotes plan and FBA fees excluding GST. Use Amazon Australia seller fees and the referral fees by category table.
• [ ] Run a profit check. Use the Amazon Australia profit calculator before you buy stock.
• [ ] Understand the payout timing. Amazon says a payment can take up to five business days to reach your bank after it is initiated. See when Amazon pays sellers.

Step 5: Choose a fulfilment method

• [ ] FBA, FBM or both. FBA has no subscription fee, carrier contract or minimum inventory requirement. See FBA vs FBM and the Amazon FBA Australia guide.
• [ ] If FBA, prepare stock. Follow prep and labelling rules and ship through the inbound workflow. See prep and labelling and sending stock to Amazon.
• [ ] If importing, plan customs and GST. See shipping from China to Amazon FBA and import duty and GST.
• [ ] If FBM, set shipping templates and a handling time you can meet. See FBM with Australia Post.

Step 6: Create strong listings

• [ ] Titles, bullets and images. Titles can be up to 200 characters. Images should be at least 500 x 500 pixels, with 1,000 x 1,000 recommended, and the product should fill 80% of the image. See listing optimisation, image requirements and keyword research.
• [ ] Set up variations where products come in sizes or colours. See parent and child variations.
• [ ] Check the listing is live and buyable. Fix anything suppressed.

Step 7: Protect and build the brand

• [ ] Apply for a trade mark if you own the brand. Brand Registry is free but needs a trade mark, and the applicant must be the trade mark owner. See IP Australia trade marks and Amazon.
• [ ] Enrol in Brand Registry. A pending application can meet the requirement. See Amazon Brand Registry in Australia.
• [ ] Add A+ Content and a Brand Store once enrolled. See A+ Content and Brand Stores.

Step 8: Launch your first ad campaign

• [ ] Confirm eligibility. Ads need an active Professional account. Sponsored Brands and Stores also need Brand Registry. Sponsored Products need Featured Offer eligibility.
• [ ] Set a daily budget. The minimum daily budget for Australia is listed as 15 in local currency. See how much to spend on ads as a new seller.
• [ ] Start with Sponsored Products. Amazon's advice is to start there, then add other ad types once products get engagement. See Sponsored Products in Australia and Amazon Ads in Australia.
• [ ] Set a profit target using ACoS and TACoS before spending.

Step 9: Keep the account healthy

• [ ] Track the three headline targets. Order defect rate under 1%, pre-fulfilment cancel rate under 2.5% and late shipment rate under 4%. See seller performance metrics and the account health rating.
• [ ] Set a routine. Daily, weekly and monthly tasks are listed in what Amazon account management includes. Decide who owns each one, you or a provider. See Amazon account manager options.
• [ ] Know the Australian consumer law basics for returns. See Australian Consumer Law and Amazon returns.

FAQ

How long does it take to start selling on Amazon Australia? Registration can often be done in a few hours, and verification usually takes four business days or less. Getting GTINs, stock, listings and approvals ready usually takes longer than registration, so start those in parallel.

Do I need an ABN to sell on Amazon Australia? Not strictly. Individuals and unincorporated businesses can choose "None, I am an individual" in the company registration field. If you are running a business you will usually want an ABN and should confirm with the ATO or a registered tax agent. See the ABN guide.

How much does it cost to start? Amazon charges A$49.95 a month for Professional or A$0.99 per unit for Individual, plus selling fees, excluding GST. Stock, GTINs, photography, shipping and ad spend are extra, and Amazon publishes no figure for those.

Can I run ads on an Individual plan? No. Amazon requires an active Professional seller account for advertising. Switch to Professional before you plan a campaign, because ads cannot start without it.

Should I hire help for onboarding? It is optional. You can complete every step yourself. If you hire, verify any provider's listing and keep ownership of your accounts. See how to choose an Amazon agency.

What do I need for Brand Registry? A brand name and logo permanently on products or packaging, and a trade mark where the applicant is the owner. A pending application can meet the requirement.

Next step

Work through the steps in order and keep each tick next to a date. If you would rather have a specialist team run the account after set-up, Blooprint is an Amazon SPN verified partner and Amazon Ads Advanced Partner that manages Amazon accounts and ads across Amazon marketplaces, including Amazon.com.au, working remotely from Bengaluru. See Amazon Australia account management or the Amazon Australia hub.