With over 310 million users worldwide, and 80% of them based in the United States, Amazon is a hotspot for car enthusiasts and a goldmine for parts resellers. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps to get started as a reseller of automotive aftermarket parts, including account setup and approval, creating and managing product pages, and more.
How to Get Started
Step 1: Set Up a Seller Central Account
While anyone can create an Amazon seller account, the “Automotive and Powersports” category is “Gated,” meaning you must first meet minimum requirements and get final approval. The answer to “how to become a reseller on Amazon” starts with setting up a Seller Central account. Seller Central is the online portal for sellers to manage and view their sales transactions within the Amazon marketplace.
You’ll also gain access to customer insights and trends, like popular products and search terms.
Note that when deciding between the “Individual” or “Professional” seller plans, you must opt for the latter. This upgraded plan carries a $39.99/mo. fee and is required for selling in the Automotive and Powersports category.
You’ll also get bulk listing capabilities, access to advertising options, detailed business reports, eligibility for top placement on product detail pages, and more.
As for the information you’ll need for signup, the list is pretty short:
- Business email or an Amazon customer account
- Government ID
- Phone number
- Tax Details
- Internationally chargeable credit card
- Bank account for sales proceeds
Step 2: Meet Minimum Requirements for “Automotive and Powersports”
As mentioned earlier, Automotive and Powersports is a gated category where sellers must meet specific requirements.
Other than being on the Professional seller plan, here’s what else you’ll need:
- Product Images: Your product images must be compliant, with white backgrounds free from watermarks or unauthorized content. High-quality visuals enhance product appeal and boost buyer confidence.
- Universal Product Codes (UPCs): Every major brand you list must have a UPC. These unique codes help identify and track products in the retail setting, ensuring authenticity and proper inventory management.
- Certified Refurbished Products: A warranty is mandatory for refurbished items in this category. This coverage can come from the original manufacturer or the entity that refurbished the product.
- Part Finder and Fitment Data: For model-specific parts like custom-fit car covers or vehicle-specific roof racks, your products must align with Amazon’s Part Finder and Fitment Data page for accurate customer matching.
Find complete details about the requirements for selling in the Automotive and Powersports category on Amazon’s official page.
Step 3: Submit for Approval
With the minimums met, the last step is getting the green light from Amazon. To submit your account for approval, navigate to the “Inventory” tab in Seller Central and select “Add a Product.” Here, apply to sell in the Automotive and Powersports category.
Amazon typically responds within three business days, granting approval or requesting more details.
Creating Product Listings
Getting approved to sell car parts on Amazon might seem a little tedious, but the real challenge is standing out in such a competitive category.
Resellers aren’t allowed to manage unique listings like brands or suppliers, meaning they must rely heavily on the quality and accuracy of the existing product information.
Choosing products with detailed and accurate information, high-quality photos, and SEO-optimized descriptions is key, as a well-curated product page can drive sales and build trust. Pricing, shipping, and return policies should also be clear and competitive.
PDM Automotive streamlines this process for you. Our platform lets you easily tap into premium brand content and integrate it across all your online selling platforms, including Amazon. This ensures you maintain consistency and gain a competitive advantage, even as a reseller.
Managing Inventory
Success on Amazon requires more than just snappy product pages; you must also manage your inventory. To retain a stellar seller reputation, you must consistently monitor stock levels and product availability, and ensure timely restocks.
PDM simplifies this by consolidating all essential tools and metrics in one platform. Tailored for automotive multi-channel sales, PDM helps you tap into a wide range of e-commerce platforms, from Amazon to Walmart.
Beyond streamlining inventory, PDM accelerates your product launches so you remain steps ahead of the competition. By offering value-packed automotive content and real-time APIs, you enhance the customer purchasing experience and maintain a consistent, updated data source for all trading partners.
PDM Automotive: Driving Your Sales to New Heights
As the automotive e-commerce landscape evolves, having a reliable partner like PDM Automotive can make all the difference.
A testament to this is the success story of STO N SHO. When they decided to sell on Amazon, they turned to PDM to streamline their product content updates. The result was an immediate surge in sales, with daily transactions nearly doubling in a short time.
Mashell Tripp, Assistant General Manager of STO N SHO, praised PDM’s user-friendly interface, stating, “The fact that PDM is so user-friendly for me makes it easy to get done what I need so that I can do other things around the shop.”
Thanks for checking out our guide on how to resell automotive aftermarket parts on Amazon. Contact our team today if you’re curious to learn what PDM can do for you to run a successful reseller business on Amazon.
