When it comes to selling on the Amazon platform, we often focus on strategies for the U.S. marketplace. However, we shouldn't overlook the potential for our Canadian counterparts. Although Amazon Canada may not be as vast as the U.S. marketplace, it's on the rise, and there are significant opportunities for Canadian sellers to thrive. Amazon Canada is showing impressive growth, with approximately 160 million unique visitors each month, which means there's a substantial customer base to tap into.
How to start selling on Amazon Canada
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to start selling on Amazon with detailed information under each heading:
Step 1: Choose a Selling Plan
Amazon offers two selling plans: the Individual plan and the Professional plan.
- Individual Plan: Under this plan, you pay CDN $1.49 every time you sell an item.
- Professional Plan: This plan costs CDN $29.99 per month, regardless of how many items you sell.
Step 2: Consider Your Selling Strategy
There are two primary selling strategies on Amazon:
- Resellers: Resellers find popular products that already exist and offer them in Amazon's stores.
- Brand Owners: Brand owners manufacture their products or source goods to sell under a private label, providing unique selection to shoppers.
Step 3: Create an Amazon Seller Account
Before you start, make sure you have the following:
- Business email address or Amazon customer account
- Chargeable credit card
- Government ID for identity verification
- Tax information
- Phone number
- A bank account where Amazon can send your sales proceeds
Step 4: Add Your Products
Determine what you can sell on Amazon, depending on the product, category, and brand. Some categories have restrictions, and you may need approval to sell certain products.
Product categories can include:
Product categories can include:
- Amazon Device Accessories
- Automotive Parts & Accessories
- Books
- Camera & Photo
- Clothing & Accessories
- Electronics Accessories
- Home & Garden
- Industrial & Scientific
- Music
- Musical Instruments
- Office Products
- Personal Computers
- Pet Supplies
- Software
- Sports & Outdoors
- Sports Collectibles
- Tools & Building Supplies
- Video & DVD
Step 5: Attract Customers
Once your products are live on Amazon, attracting customers is essential. Here are a few ways:
- Provide fast shipping to be eligible for Amazon Prime.
- Advertise your offers to boost visibility.
- Set competitive prices to attract price-conscious customers.
Step 6: Grow Your Business
After your first sale, you can use Amazon tools to grow your business. Consider utilizing the "Amazon Flywheel" principles, such as providing excellent customer experience, using various shipping options, advertising your offers, and setting competitive prices.
How to stop selling on Amazon Canada
To remove your products from unwanted marketplaces or o how stop selling in canada amazon how follow these instructions:
1. Go to Amazon's Seller Central.
2. If needed, log in with your Amazon Seller account.
3. In the Seller Central dashboard, navigate to the "Set up international listing" option.
4. Choose the specific marketplace from which you want to remove your product.
5. Inside the "Connection settings" section, you should see a link labeled "Remove connection." Click on it.
6. Follow the instructions provided on the site to complete the removal process.
7. Confirm the removal by clicking on "Remove link."
1. Go to Amazon's Seller Central.
2. If needed, log in with your Amazon Seller account.
3. In the Seller Central dashboard, navigate to the "Set up international listing" option.
4. Choose the specific marketplace from which you want to remove your product.
5. Inside the "Connection settings" section, you should see a link labeled "Remove connection." Click on it.
6. Follow the instructions provided on the site to complete the removal process.
7. Confirm the removal by clicking on "Remove link."
Do you pay tax selling on Amazon in Canada?
Tax collection on items sold by Amazon.ca is subject to various factors, such as the destination of the shipment and the type of item purchased. The tax rates applied are determined by the province or territory to which the goods are shipped. For digital purchases, taxation is based on the province or territory of the billing or business address, or the country of residence associated with the device.
Here are the tax rates for different provinces and territories in Canada:
It's important to note that the calculation of taxes can be affected by various factors that may change between the time an order is placed and when it is shipped. These factors can include item-level shipping and handling charges, item-level discounts, gift-wrap charges, and allocations of order-level shipping and handling charges and order-level discounts.
Items sent to addresses outside Canada are not subject to Canadian GST/HST, PST/RST/QST, but they may be subject to local taxes and customs charges based on the destination country's regulations.
Here are the tax rates for different provinces and territories in Canada:
- Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut: 5% Goods and Service Tax ("GST").
- Ontario: 13% Harmonized Sales Tax ("HST").
- New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island: 15% HST.
- British Columbia: 7% Provincial Sales Tax ("PST") and 5% GST.
- Saskatchewan: 6% PST and 5% GST.
- Manitoba: 7% Retail Sales Tax ("RST") and 5% GST.
- Quebec: 9.975% Quebec Sales Tax ("QST") and 5% GST.
It's important to note that the calculation of taxes can be affected by various factors that may change between the time an order is placed and when it is shipped. These factors can include item-level shipping and handling charges, item-level discounts, gift-wrap charges, and allocations of order-level shipping and handling charges and order-level discounts.
Items sent to addresses outside Canada are not subject to Canadian GST/HST, PST/RST/QST, but they may be subject to local taxes and customs charges based on the destination country's regulations.
Amazon monthly selling fee for both Canada and US
Both the USA and Canada offer individual and professional selling plans on Amazon, each with its own pricing structure.
In the USA:
In Canada:
These plans provide options for both small-scale and high-volume sellers, with different pricing structures to suit their needs in both the USA and Canada.
In the USA:
- Individual Plan: $0.99 per unit sold. There is no monthly subscription fee.
- Professional Plan: $39.99 a month. With this plan, you don't pay a per-unit fee, making it suitable for high-volume sellers.
In Canada:
- Individual Plan: C$1.49 (approximately $1.18 USD) per unit sold. There is no monthly subscription fee.
- Professional Plan: C$29.99 (approximately $23.66 USD) a month. Similar to the US professional plan, you don't pay a per-unit fee with this subscription.
These plans provide options for both small-scale and high-volume sellers, with different pricing structures to suit their needs in both the USA and Canada.
Most selling items on Amazon Canada
- Computer peripherals
- Light-blocking eyewear
- Clothing and fashion items
- LED light strips
- Literature and reading material
- Reusable water containers
- Interactive gaming software
- Yoga exercise mats
- Stationery and desk supplies
- Cosmetic and skincare products
- Pet items
- Organizing containers
- Stand-up paddleboard
- Herbal supplements based on Ayurvedic principles
- Cushions and bedding
- Hot and cold beverage options
