Starting Amazon FBA: 10 Steps to Your First Sale

Amazon FBA sounds tempting: you send your goods to Amazon, and Amazon takes care of storage, shipping, returns and customer service. But how do you get started? This guide takes you from zero to your first sale in 10 concrete steps — with realistic figures for 2026.

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. This means: you have to prepare your goods yourself or via a 3PL provider.

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.