Amazon Global Selling from Australia: Accounts, Payments, Fulfilment and Tax Basics

Amazon Global Selling lets an Australian business with an Amazon seller account open selling accounts in other Amazon stores, such as the US, UK, Europe and Japan, and manage them from Seller Central. Amazon's Australian seller guide describes global registration as creating accounts in multiple Amazon stores worldwide, with the ability to switch between stores in Seller Central. You still create offers per marketplace, pay local fees, and handle each country's tax and customs rules. Amazon recommends consulting tax and regulatory advisers before selling in a new country. This guide sets out how it works and where the traps are.

How does Amazon Global Selling work for an Australian seller?

You start with a normal seller account. Amazon's guidance is to open the Global Selling or Sell Globally section of Seller Central, then create a seller account in the region you want. The registration steps are similar for each store.

Two things matter early. First, how accounts are grouped differs by region. The North America account covers the US, Canada and Mexico. The UK sits within the European account, which lets you list on Amazon.co.uk and add other European stores from one account. Second, Amazon's Australian pages say merged accounts cover North America, European stores, Japan and Australia, and that offers must be created per marketplace. Amazon's US-site guide, though, says that for Asia-Pacific you also need additional country-specific accounts for Japan and Australia. Because the two Amazon pages describe this differently, check inside Seller Central which stores your account can add before you plan.

Which stores can you sell in?

For an Australian business, the main ones are:

Other stores exist, including Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Turkey. This series covers the US, UK and Japan because they are the markets most Australian brands ask about first.

What does it cost?

Amazon lists a merged global Professional account at the equivalent of US$39.99 a month, split across each country with an active listing and charged in local currency. On the North America unified account, Professional sellers pay the subscription for the marketplace where they first registered. Amazon also says listing in several stores can earn a discounted monthly fee.

For comparison, the Australian Professional plan is A$49.95 a month excluding GST. Per-store referral and fulfilment fees are set by each marketplace, so read each store's pricing page rather than assuming your Australian rates carry over. Our Australian fees overview is a baseline for comparison only.

How do you get paid in Australian dollars?

Amazon's Currency Converter for Sellers (ACCS) supports 19 currencies including AUD, NZD, USD, GBP, EUR and CAD. Amazon says you can be paid directly to a local bank account in local currency, but you may only receive payment to a bank account in a country and currency that ACCS supports.

For the US specifically, Amazon says you do not need a US bank account, and that the bank account must be in your name or your business's name. Exchange rates and conversion fees are not stated on Amazon's public registration pages, so check them in Seller Central before you price. Settlement timing differs by store and is shown in Seller Central.

How does fulfilment work across borders?

There are two options in principle: Fulfilment by Amazon in the destination country, or fulfilment from Australia yourself.

For FBA abroad, you or your provider must act as exporter of record and importer of record, and Amazon is not responsible for customs duties and taxes associated with FBA inventory. Inventory that arrives with unpaid duty charges is returned to the sender. That is a cost and cash-flow decision: you pay duty and VAT or import tax up front, and you may or may not be able to recover it.

For merchant fulfilment from Australia, you act as exporter of record. Delivery times from Australia to the US, UK or Japan can be slow compared with local FBA, which can affect your chance of winning the Buy Box. Pan-European FBA exists for Europe, letting you fulfil all European marketplaces from one inventory pool once you create an active FBA offer in each.

What about tax and compliance?

Each country has its own rules, and Amazon points sellers to its per-country tax and regulatory pages. Sellers may face import taxes, customs duties and destination-country fees. Your Australian obligations, including GST on sales and how foreign income is reported, remain separate. For the Australian side, see GST for Amazon sellers and importer of record in Australia, which covers the same concept in reverse.

In what order should you expand?

A sensible sequence for most Australian brands:

1. Get Australia profitable and account health stable. See Amazon Australia account health.
2. Check that you own your trade marks in the target country and enrol your brand there. Brand Registry needs a trade mark issued by a country with a corresponding Amazon store.
3. Pick one market. Test with a small number of ASINs through merchant fulfilment before you commit to FBA inventory.
4. Confirm product compliance and labelling for that country.
5. Add a second market only when the first has stable margins.

How do you choose which country first?

Start with evidence from your own business, not with the biggest market. Four questions help.

Is there demand for your product there? Search the destination store for your product type and look at the best sellers and the number of competing offers. Amazon's own guide suggests exploring Best Sellers on Amazon.co.jp if you plan to sell in Japan. Do the same for the US and UK.

Can you meet the product rules? Safety standards, labelling, electrical approvals and restricted categories differ by country. A product that carries the RCM mark in Australia still needs the destination country's equivalent. Amazon links to category and product compliance pages for each store.

Can you keep your margin after duty and freight? Add freight, duty or import tax, the destination store's referral fee and fulfilment fee, and the exchange-rate cost. Many Australian sellers find small, light, high-priced items work best, because freight is a small share of the price.

Do you own your brand there? Without a trade mark, other sellers can list against your product. Our guide to IP Australia trade marks for Amazon covers the home side, and an overseas trade mark is a separate filing in each country.

FAQ

Can I sell on Amazon US from an Australian account? Yes, but you register for the North American account with tax information and a credit card. You do not need a US bank account. See the US guide.

Do I pay one monthly fee for all stores? Not exactly. A merged Professional account is listed at the equivalent of US$39.99 a month, split across countries with active listings and charged in local currency. Fees can vary by account type, so confirm in Seller Central.

Can I get paid in Australian dollars? Amazon's Currency Converter supports AUD. You can receive proceeds to a bank account in a supported country and currency. Conversion rates and charges are shown in Seller Central.

Does Amazon pay the duty on FBA stock I send overseas? No. Amazon says it is not responsible for customs duties and taxes associated with FBA inventory. You or your provider act as exporter and importer of record.

Can an Australian business sell on Amazon.in? Amazon states Amazon.in is only open to sellers with a locally owned business in that country. That rules it out for most Australian brands.

Is my Australian ABN enough? An ABN identifies your business in Australia. Other stores ask for their own tax information, and some need a local tax registration. This varies by country. Check each store's registration page.

Where to go next

Start with the Australia hub for the domestic foundation. If you want your Amazon.com.au account and ads managed while you explore overseas stores, Blooprint, an Amazon SPN verified partner working remotely from Bengaluru, offers Amazon account management in Australia. This guide covers the basics without it.