Amazon Merch on Demand is straightforward to set up. You don’t need to be an artist, or graphic designer, or have a significant social media presence to start an account. The process is quite simple: create an account, get approved, upload your artwork, and select the products you want to offer. After Amazon approves your design, they will list it for you. When your product sells, Amazon takes care of printing, shipping, and customer service while you earn royalties. The platform’s ease of use and effectiveness have made it a popular choice, even among major brands.

One of the most significant benefits of Merch on Demand compared to other selling methods on Amazon is its low barrier to entry. You can start with little to no initial investment and list products for sale quickly. Here are additional advantages of Merch on Demand:

• Royalties from Sales: Like Amazon KDP, you earn royalties on every sale. Once a transaction is made, Amazon shares a portion of the sale price with you. We’ll detail the royalty rates further below.
• No Upfront Inventory Costs: This print-on-demand model eliminates the need to purchase inventory in advance or worry about unsold stock. Amazon handles printing and shipping as orders come in.
• Prime Shipping: All orders are processed by Amazon, making them eligible for Prime Shipping. This means your customers can receive their orders quickly.
• Access to Amazon’s Large Customer Base: By listing your merchandise on Amazon, you can reach a vast audience, potentially millions of customers.

Selling on Amazon Merch on Demand comes with several benefits:

1. No Upfront Costs: Amazon handles production, shipping, and customer service, so sellers don’t need to invest in inventory or manufacturing.
2. Large Customer Base: Access to Amazon’s global audience, increasing visibility and the potential for higher sales.
3. Passive Income: Once designs are uploaded and approved, sellers can earn royalties without ongoing management, as Amazon manages the operations.
4. Scalability: Sellers can upload unlimited designs and expand product offerings (T-shirts, hoodies, etc.) with minimal effort.
5. Simplified Logistics: Amazon handles printing, packaging, and shipping, allowing sellers to focus on creating new designs and marketing.

Overall, it’s a low-risk, convenient way for creators to monetize their designs.

Amazon Merch limits the number of designs you can create and sell at any given time. Initially, you can submit only ten designs. As you achieve more sales and demonstrate the quality of your designs and products, Amazon will raise your submission limit, known as your ‘tier.’ To advance to the second tier, you need to make ten sales.

The tier levels for increasing your design limits are as follows:

• 10 designs
• 25 designs
• 100 designs
• 500 designs

To start with Merch on Demand, you can use your existing Amazon account or create a new one if you’re new to Amazon.

Here’s how to sign up for a Merch on Demand account:

1. Sign Up: Log into your Amazon account or register for a new one.
2. Complete Information: Fill out all the necessary details to complete the account setup process.
3. Select Business Type: If you don’t have a registered business (like a corporation), select “Individual” for the Business Type.
4. Approval Process: After completing the sign-up, Amazon will review and approve your account before you can start uploading and selling products. Amazon will provide an estimated timeframe for the approval decision, so please avoid contacting them for updates.
5. Start Selling: Once your account is approved, you can create and sell products.

1. Click the ‘Create’ Button on Your Dashboard 

Select the ‘Create’ button on your Amazon Merch on Demand dashboard. You can choose from various products to feature your designs, such as shirts, sweatshirts, pop sockets, phone cases, pillows, and tote bags.

2. Upload Your Artwork 

If you need more confidence in your design skills, Amazon Merch on Demand provides downloadable templates to assist with the process. Ensure your artwork complies with Amazon’s guidelines, prohibiting objectionable content and copyright violations. For optimal results, your artwork should meet these specifications:

• Color Profile: sRGB (the standard color space for digital graphics)
• File Type: Transparent PNG files
• File Size: No larger than 25MB

Design Tips:

• Use high-resolution images or vector files to avoid pixelation.
• Adjust your design placement for different products. For instance, the best positioning for a v-neck shirt differs from a crewneck.
• Be aware that colors often appear more vibrant on screens. Avoid subtle color variations between your design and the product to ensure they look good when printed.
• Refer to Amazon’s best practices for additional guidance.

Amazon offers design templates for Adobe Illustrator to help with art placement and sizing on your chosen product.

3. Select Product Details 

Once your design is finalized, you can choose the colors, set pricing for various marketplaces, and provide product details such as a title, bullet points, and description.

Amazon will automatically list your products in all available marketplaces. You can opt to have Amazon translate your listings or provide your translations for each language.

4. Publish Your Listing

Your listing will go through several stages as Amazon reviews your submission:

• Draft: Your design remains in draft mode while you work on it.
• Under Review: Once submitted, Amazon reviews the design for adherence to its content policy.
• Rejected: If the design fails to meet Amazon’s standards, its status will be marked as ‘Rejected.’
• Started Process: Amazon begins adding your design to their library if approved.
• Processing: The product moves to ‘Processing’ as Amazon creates your listing.
• Pending Your Approval: You can review a sample of your design. Once you approve it, the status changes to ‘Live.’
• Live: When the listing is active, your status changes to ‘Live,’ you can start making sales.
• Removed: Designs that don’t sell within 180 days or violate Amazon’s content policy will be removed.

Note that updates to your listing’s price, title, brand, or description will cause it to go through the review process again, although the previous version will remain live on Amazon.

Here are some best practices to help you succeed with Amazon Merch on Demand:

1. Find a Niche: Your designs should target specific groups. For instance, to cater to dedicated audiences, create pop sockets for beauty influencers or t-shirts for fishing enthusiasts.
2. Outsource Artwork: Consider hiring freelance graphic designers from Fiverr or 99Designs for high-quality artwork. Alternatively, public domain images can be used, accessible from licensing issues, and still appealing to customers.
3. Follow Trends: Monitor social media trends to find popular images, memes, and concepts people are interested in. Incorporating these trends into your designs can boost their appeal.
4. Leverage Social Media: Build a strong social media presence to engage with potential customers. Use these platforms to announce new designs and promotions, expanding your reach and driving traffic to your listings.
5. Advertise: Utilize Amazon’s promotional tools and PPC (pay-per-click) advertising to increase visibility for your designs. Targeted ads can help drive more traffic and sales to your listings.
6. Consolidate: Review and remove designs that aren’t performing well regularly. This will help you focus on and make room for new and potentially more successful ideas. 

Earnings from Amazon Merch on Demand depend on the product type, sale price, and Amazon’s base costs for production and fulfillment. Sellers typically earn 20-30% of the sale price in royalties. For example, a t-shirt priced at $19.99 might yield a royalty of around $5 to $7. The amount sellers make varies based on product selection, pricing, and sales volume, with high-volume sellers having the potential for significant income.

The main difference between Amazon Merch on Demand and Amazon Seller is in product management and sales approach. Amazon Merch on Demand focuses on print-on-demand products like t-shirts, where sellers upload designs. Amazon handles production, shipping, and customer service, paying sellers royalties with no inventory costs. In contrast, Amazon Seller sells a wide range of products, where sellers manage inventory, shipping, and customer service, earning profits from sales but with more hands-on involvement and costs like inventory and fulfillment. Merch on Demand is more passive, while Amazon Seller offers greater control but requires more effort.

On Amazon Merch on Demand, sellers can create and sell custom-designed print-on-demand products, including t-shirts (standard, premium, long sleeve, and V-neck), hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, PopSockets, raglan shirts, tote bags, phone cases, and throw pillows. Sellers upload their designs, and Amazon handles the printing, fulfillment, and shipping, making it a simple way to sell personalized merchandise without managing inventory or logistics.

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