Starting Amazon FBA: 10 Steps to Your First Sale

1 Choose your business model

Before you get started, you have to decide how you want to sell on Amazon. There are three main models:

• Private Label — You have a product manufactured under your own brand. Highest margins, but more starting capital and risk. The most popular model.
• Wholesale — You buy existing branded products wholesale and resell them on Amazon. Lower risk, but more competition.
• Retail/Online Arbitrage — You buy discounted products in retail and sell them on Amazon at a markup. Lowest starting capital, but hard to scale.

2 Register your business

In Germany you need a registered business to sell on Amazon. Here's how:

1. Business registration at the responsible trade office (around 20–60€). Enter "online retail" as your activity, for example.
2. Tax number — apply for it at the tax office. You'll receive a questionnaire for tax registration.
3. VAT ID (VAT identification number) — apply for it at the Federal Central Tax Office — you need it for EU-wide trade.
4. Business bank account — open one. Separate personal and business finances from the start.
5. EORI number — apply for it at customs — you need it for imports from China.

3 Create an Amazon Seller Account

Go to sellercentral.amazon.de and register for a Professional Seller Account (39€/month). For this you need:

• Valid ID card or passport
• Business bank account (IBAN)
• Credit card (for Amazon fees)
• Tax number and VAT ID
• Phone number for verification

Amazon verifies your identity — this can take a few days. Sometimes a video call is requested for verification.

4 Find a product

Product research is the most important step. A good product has:

• High demand — at least 300 sales/month in the niche
• Low competition — few listings with over 500 reviews
• Room for improvement — read the competitors' negative reviews
• Selling price 15–50€ — enough margin, but not too expensive for impulse buys
• Small and light — saves on shipping and FBA fees
• Not seasonal — in demand year-round
• Not a regulated product — no food, medical products or dangerous goods at the start

Tools like a product-research tool, a dedicated keyword tool or the free Amazon Best Sellers Rank help with your research.

5 Find a manufacturer and order samples

Most private label sellers source from China via Alibaba.com. Here's how you go about it:

1. Search for your product on Alibaba
2. Contact 5–10 manufacturers with a Trade Assurance and Gold Supplier badge
3. Ask about MOQ (minimum order quantity), unit price and customisation options
4. Order samples from the best 3 manufacturers (20–50€ per sample)
5. Check quality, packaging and compare
6. Negotiate the price — on your first order you have little room to negotiate, but ask anyway

6 Create your listing

Your listing is your salesperson on Amazon — it has to convince. The most important elements:

Title

Main keyword at the front, brand, most important feature, size/quantity. Maximum 200 characters.

Bullet Points

5 bullet points with the most important benefits. Each bullet starts with a CAPITALISED keyword.

Product images

At least 7 images: main image (white background), lifestyle images, infographics with features, size comparison, packaging. Invest in professional product photos — this is not the place to cut corners.

A+ Content

If you have a brand in the Brand Registry, use A+ Content for enhanced product descriptions with images and comparison tables.

7 Send your goods to Amazon

Since January 2026, Amazon no longer offers FBA Prep Services in the US store. In Europe the service continues for a fee per unit (labelling from €0.38 under the EU rate card valid from 1 February 2026). Many sellers still prepare their goods themselves or via a 3PL provider; our guide to the Amazon FBA prep center compares the options.

1. FNSKU labels — print them and stick one on each product
2. Packaging guidelines — comply with them (polybagging, bubble wrap depending on the product)
3. Shipping plan — create one in Seller Central
4. Boxes — label them correctly (box labels from Amazon)
5. Shipping — via Amazon Partnered Carrier (cheaper) or your own carrier

8 Prepare your launch

Your product has arrived at Amazon — now it needs to become visible:

• Start PPC campaigns — Begin with an auto campaign (Amazon finds keywords for you) and a manual campaign with your top keywords. Budget: 15–30€/day at the start.
• Build up reviews — Use the Amazon Vine programme (up to 30 reviews) or the review request function in Seller Central.
• Set your price strategically — If necessary, start with a lower introductory price to win the Buy Box and generate your first sales.

9 Optimise

After the first few weeks, the real work begins — data-driven optimisation:

• Analyse PPC — Keep ACoS under 30%, pause unprofitable keywords, increase well-performing keywords
• Check your conversion rate — Under 10%? Improve your listing images and copy
• Read reviews — Take criticism seriously and adjust the product/listing
• Optimise pricing — A/B tests with different price points
• Plan your inventory — Place reorders in good time (4–6 weeks lead time for China imports)

10 Scale

Your first product is running? Time to grow:

• More products — launch them in the same niche
• More marketplaces — Amazon UK, FR, IT, ES via the European Fulfillment Network
• Brand Registry — enrol for A+ Content and brand protection
• Use tools — automate repricing, PPC automation and profit tracking

What does Amazon FBA cost? A realistic calculation

The 5 most common beginner mistakes

1. Ordering too many units — Start with 200–500 pieces, not 2.000.
2. No product research — "I think the product is cool" is not a market analysis.
3. Poor images — The first 2 seconds are decisive. Invest in professional photos.
4. Not budgeting for advertising — Without PPC you won't be found.
5. Forgetting a tax advisor — Amazon, customs, VAT — it gets complicated. Get help.

Conclusion: Is Amazon FBA still worth it?

Yes — but no longer as a quick side income. Amazon FBA is a real business that requires capital, time and a willingness to learn. The hurdles are higher than in 2020, but the opportunities are still there: the German e-commerce market keeps growing, and Amazon dominates with a 60% market share.

The key to success: start small, learn fast, optimise in a data-driven way. And don't forget — you're not building "an Amazon product", but a brand.