14 Ways to Make Money on Amazon

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Amazon boxes on door step FI

It’s hard to believe Amazon started as a small website selling used books. The world’s largest retailer is now worth over $1.8 Trillion. Now, you too can make money on Amazon.

Amazon isn’t just your go-to place for online shopping. The company also produces TV shows and movies through Amazon Studios.

Amazon also owns Whole Foods, Zappos, IMBD, Audible, Goodreads, and Twitch.tv, to name a few.

As the company grows, so does its marketplace for sellers. Because Amazon offers so many different services and products, there are even more ways to earn money with Amazon.

Top Ways to Earn Money With Amazon

If you’re ready to explore ways to make money with Amazon, these are some of your best options.

1. Sell a product using Amazon’s FBA

Amazon FBA homepage

FBA means fulfilled by Amazon, and as a seller, all you would need to do is ship your inventory of products to Amazon’s warehouse and they take care of shipping it for you.

Some merchants choose to ship out products themselves to avoid the hefty fees Amazon charges.

There are pros and cons of doing this, but if your product sells in high volume, it makes the most sense to ship via FBA.

Out of all the options listed in this article, becoming a seller offers the greatest opportunity to earn extra income, but it also requires the most research and uncertainty.

Before you start, you first need to have an understanding of what it entails. You run the risk of losing money if you don’t do your due diligence first.

2. Private Label Your Product

In order to avoid some of the competition on Amazon, many sellers have opted to private label their items. This means they are registering it on Amazon as their own.

The process for private labeling is more complicated than simply buying an item from Alibaba and selling it.

The upside to selling your own branded product on Amazon is that you always have full control for your listing.

Let’s say your customers complained about a particular feature of your product, you could then make modifications to it.

For example, let’s say you sold pencils, but noticed a lot of the negative reviews mentioned that they wished the eraser worked better, and that the pencil itself was wider, for better grip.

You can then take those recommendations from reviewers, craft your own pencil, and get it trademarked.

Check out this guide on how to sell on Amazon from a 7 figure seller!

3. Retail Arbitrage

This is the opposite of private labeling. Retail arbitrage simply means buying low and selling high. Some sellers make their entire living on just retail arbitrage and have carved out a lucrative niche for themselves.

A lot of sellers who do retail arbitrage try to avoid the cost of shipping (i.e. shipping from China is very expensive and eats into your profits), so they simply drive directly to the location and load up on cheap items they think will sell.

Therefore, many sellers spend a lot of time cruising through their local Walmarts to find the best and cheapest deals on just about anything.

They buy up as many items on clearance and then sell them on Amazon.

I heard a podcast on Side Hustle Nation where a couple made their full-time living on retail arbitrage on Amazon and made over a million dollars in sales every year.

Their strategy was pretty simple. They went to their local Walmart and used an app to scan items to see how much they are selling for on Amazon (Check out this useful comparison of two of the best scanning apps from The Selling Family).

Then, they use their knowledge of what’s been successful to decide whether they think it’ll be a product worth selling.

Related: How To Buy Amazon Returns

4. Work As a Warehouse Associate

If you’re in the proper location, you can apply to be a delivery warehouse associate for the following locations:

  • Fulfillment centers
  • Sortation centers
  • Delivery stations
  • Prime Now locations
  • Campus Pickup Points
  • Customer service centers

You can filter your search by full or part-time positions and by location.

5. Amazon Flex

amazon flex homepage

Sometimes, when I order from Amazon, I notice plain-clothed delivery associates delivering my packages.

Amazon’s same-day delivery option for customers has sparked a need for more delivery help in various metropolitan areas. If you have a reliable car and a smartphone, consider delivering goods through Amazon Prime.

Amazon Flex currently pays anywhere from $18-25 per hour. All you need to do to get started is download the app and answer a few simple questions.

They emphasize flexibility and availability of shifts, but the downside is that opportunities may not always be available in your area.

I have a friend who does this to earn extra income, and he says he often finishes his shift a few hours early but still gets paid for the entire five hours or pre-set hours.

Learn More: Amazon Flex Review

6. Work from Home for Amazon

Amazon customer service associates page

If you want a job where you can be home-based, consider a spot on Amazon’s virtual customer service team, also known as Amazon’s Work-from-Home Customer Service Associate.

Virtual opportunities aren’t available everywhere, but If you live in a certain area, you may be able to apply for Amazon’s “work-from-home” positions, given that you’re qualified and a right fit for the position.

The base pay on average is $20 an hour and full and part-time positions are only available in certain areas, however, you can filter your search by the work-from-home category and by location.

This is more of a seasonal position but has the potential to become a permanent one.

There were all kinds of positions listed, such as customer service rep positions for those who speak a second language other than English.

There are also non-customer service positions that those with a qualified tech background could potentially apply for.

7. Become an Amazon Affiliate

Amazon associates page

Affiliate marketing is a brilliant way to make some passive income if you have a blog or website that generates a decent volume of traffic.

Become an Amazon affiliate and earn a commission by putting special affiliate links to various Amazon products on your site.

The idea is to promote products that align with your blog or website’s mission. So, if you have a website about how to travel efficiently, you may promote items such as packing cubes, sturdy suitcases or wrinkle-free clothing.

Each time someone who comes through your website clicks on the affiliate link, you’ll earn some money. You can earn anywhere from 4% to 8.5% of a sale.

Keep in mind that commissions are generally really low, which is why you need a significant amount of traffic to your site.

The more page views you have, the more chances are that the links will get clicks. No traffic means no chance that anyone will see those links to be clicked on.

Amazon offers a progressive earnings structure on the majority of merchandise and the more clicks and purchases you get from your site, the more you can make.

8. Publish an eBook on Amazon

Kindle direct publishing page

You can self-publish an ebook on Amazon, and each time you sell, Amazon takes a cut, ranging from 35-70 percent of the listing.

I know what you’re thinking: me? Write a book? That’s crazy, I don’t have time for that or even know where to begin!

Writing and publishing an eBook sounds unachievable, and I haven’t done this personally, but I know a lot about it because I’m an avid reader of eBooks from Amazon.

I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited. Membership is $9.99 a month. It’s given me an opportunity to not only read the eBooks and learn from them, but I’m also able to see what kind of content resonates with others on the site, through reading reviews.

Over the years, I’ve learned that you don’t need to create a potential Pulitzer Prize book in order to get published on Amazon.

Because it’s a self-publishing platform, anyone can do it, and many self-made authors have used Amazon to help strengthen their expertise in their particular subject matter.

You can write about and publish something you feel very passionately about. Many of the ebooks I’ve read aren’t very long either – a lot are under 100 pages and very consumable.

You can use Kindle Direct Publishing (owned by Amazon) to get started.

9. Join Mechanical Turk

Amazon mechanical turk homepage

Amazon Mechanical Turk, or MTurk, is a way to earn small amounts of money, by completing easy, mindless tasks.

MTurk is a crowdsourcing marketplace that was created to bridge the gap between what a computer can’t do and what a human can. Amazon calls it a “Human Intelligence Task.”

A Gizmodo review on MTurk said, “If you have a functional cerebral cortex, an internet connection and a few minutes to spare, you can pick up a handful of odd jobs and make a few bucks, pennies and nickels at a time.”

It includes data entry, transcription, categorizing, and image recognition, to name a few.

You most likely won’t make a lot of money, but it’s easy to do and pretty much anyone who can do this.  

10. Apply to Amazon Handmade

Amazon handmade homepage

In addition to dominating the selling marketplace, if you make and sell handmade items, like bags or jewelry, you can try selling your wares on Amazon Handmade.

The marketplace directly competes with Etsy and eBay.

There are pros and cons to using Handmade. For one, the general reach is large, and their commission fee reflects that.

Handmade’s fees are much higher than Etsy’s, as they charge 15% commissions and a $1 minimum referral fee, while Etsy charges a 3.5% commission and a 20-cent item listing fee.

Obviously, you’re paying a higher price for Amazon’s massive worldwide audience, but your profit margins will be lower.

If you make and sell handmade items, you can apply to join Handmade if your products fall under certain categories.

Items must be made “entirely by hand, hand-altered or hand assembled (not from a kit) and handmade by you or one of your employees.”

Their rules are strict, so check out the requirements to be approved.

11. Sell Your Designs With Amazon Merch

Amazon merch on demand

I heard about this last year when my sister was exploring the Amazon dashboard and somehow stumbled upon it.

Basically, you can submit a t-shirt design for other merchants to purchase. It’s a great way to connect designers and people who need them to be made into shirts.

As with many selling caveats, it can be really competitive.

It probably won’t make you rich, and it’s possible you may not even sell any of your designs, but it also doesn’t cost anything for you to try, so if you’re creative and know how to make cool designs, it might be worth a shot.

Opportunities to sell a design may be closely tied to things that are timely or seasonal — remember those political shirts around the elections?

If you have an eye for riding the trends and understanding what might resonate with people on a shirt, give it a shot.

As with many Amazon selling opportunities, you have to get approval from Amazon before you can upload your designs.

12. Amazon Trade-In

amazon tradein homepage

This option won’t earn you any cash, but Amazon Trade-In is willing to pay you with an Amazon gift card if you turn in your used books, games and gadgets.

Selling your used items individually takes some work since you’ll need to take photos, measurements (if it’s clothing, accessories, etc.) and write a description.

This might be an easier option if you have a lot of old gadgets lying around but don’t want to deal with the hassle of taking photos and creating an ad to sell them online or having a garage sale.

Basically, all you have to do is gather your items, and Amazon will estimate how much you will earn for it. It’s a convenient perk if you’re a regular Amazon customer.

Even though you won’t earn any cash, you can use the Amazon gift card to purchase everyday items, like toilet paper and groceries.

13. Amazon Vine

AmazonVine homepage

If you regularly use Amazon and read reviews, you’ve probably read one or two that say the person received a free product in exchange for a review.

Just like Amazon Trade-In, you won’t get cash if you’re a part of Amazon Vine, but you’ll get merchandise for free in exchange for a review.

Basically, it’s a program that’s only offered to people who leave consistent reviews for products, so not anyone can join.

If you enjoy writing about your experience with various products and tend to get a lot of helpful votes from the Amazon community, you might be a good fit for Vine Voices.

14. Amazon Services

Amazon Services homepage

Are you a whiz at fixing a leaky faucet, landscaping, cleaning and organizing? Amazon has created another way to expand the business, through Amazon Services.

Similar to TaskRabbit or Angie’s List, Amazon Services connects you with local professionals in your area to help you with various household needs.

The list of services includes plumbing, handyman, house cleaning, and more.

If you are successfully matched with a customer who uses your services, Amazon will take a 15 – 20% cut of the transaction.

Summary

Whether it’s selling a product, offering a service, or writing reviews, people are using Amazon for more than just buying products. It’s a great resource to earn extra money or turn your side hustle into your main hustle.

Whatever you choose to do to earn more income, be sure to research and learn as much as you can.

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59 Comments

  1. Great information. To me the my amazon sales have really increased. I’ve got massive sales and profits from simple tips and easy to use. I’m really happy and ready to share with anyone who wants to increase their sales easily.

  2. Thank you, you’ve shared wonderful information really I’m glad to read this article

  3. Amazing information. What I was looking for. Thanks for your help. I don’t know what my gonna do. How to buy shares or stock of amazon? Do I have buy point for that?

  4. Ashley Tkl says:

    Thank you for sharing with us. I have returned to my hometown and have been unemployed for almost 4months now. I have 4 kids still studying and was looking for solutions to earn rather than just wait for a regular job offer.
    Some options that you shared above works for me; as I have thought of doing business designing and as an avid reader, i write alot and have been blogging almost a decade now.
    Once again, thank you. I appreciate this very much.

  5. How can I know which products is selling more on amazon so I can FBA . I am interested to sell watches and fashion jewelry.

    And is there any option for make to order jewelry to sell for example like alphabet name pendant.

  6. Lesley Dourbet says:

    You are definitely a patient gal. I’m Impressed with the way you were so kind in answering some of the questions that obviously should have been asked of Amazon. It is inspiring to feel the kindness you emulated and I just wanted to say thank you for that, so THANK YOU FOR THAT!!! 🙂

  7. I think that Amazon is very helpful for making money. I want to try this as well. This gives me a lot of ideas about selling on Amazon. Thanks for sharing this article.

  8. Making money is hard. I think that selling in Amazon will definitely help me to earn money. Thanks for sharing this very helpful and informative site.

  9. I have a question. I want to sell baby clothes on amazon but the clothes I have I don’t have the sticker like ca # and information like english or french. The clothes only has the information in english and no ca#. Will it be a problem to sell on amazon if I don’t have that information.

  10. Brenda Hodgdon says:

    I seen someone have a facebook page for amazon, she post all kinds of things with codes and we get a lot of money off…is she making money somehow?

    1. I wouldn’t know for sure. If she’s working with a company or she’s advertising or selling something, then there is a chance she is!

  11. David Alexander says:

    This is some good information, you are greatly appreciated.

  12. Not as easy as I thought it would be to make money selling on Amazon. It all seems so complicated and too tricky to get started do anything without there being some loophole to get through. I’m disappointed.

    1. Sorry to hear you had a poor experience. I hope you find something that works for you. There are lots of great ways to make money out there!

  13. Patricia Crabtree says:

    I have purchased a lot of different items on Amazon, and Amazon requested my Feedback on that item, which would help other buyers in their purchase of the same product — but not one time did they offer me a gift card or anything else. But you have stated in your remarks that this is what they do. NOT! And from this point on, they can get their help from somebody else. No more feedback from my purchases, if, any.

    1. They usually don’t offer any compensation for feedback. It’s usually for the benefit of the sellers and future customers. However, there are other great ways to make money through Amazon!

  14. What do you recommend to make a good product research and selection for Amazon FBA?

    1. You can sell whatever you want if you have a product you think you could make money off of! It’s best to do a lot of research. Check out the article and the links within the article for more info on Amazon FBA!

  15. Judy McFadden says:

    All your pointers are much needed info for many of us. Thanks for taking your time to compile them and giving people great tips and advice about the Amazon advantages aka side hustles!

    1. Thank you for the comment! I’m happy this article could help!

  16. I would like to make money with amazon.

    1. Check out some of the great tips and links in this article on how to get started!

  17. I’m from Tanzania. I’d like to work from home or for Amazon within my locality. Is it possible?

    1. For Amazon, you should check their website. Look for a site map or check their policies, terms and conditions, or FAQ’s sections. If that doesn’t tell you, you might have to ask them directly using their contact information found on the site.
      As far as working from home, there are lots of different things you can do. Check out the many post we have about ways you can work from home to see if something fits your situation and skill set. 🙂

  18. Greg Morrison says:

    This is a great article, but I have a question about Amazon shipping. Can I eliminate shipping fees by dropping off items at an Amazon distribution center, thereby bypassing shipping and pick-up fees from my place? I have an Amazon distribution center close to me.
    Thanks!
    Greg

    1. Greg, one of the best ways to find the answer to your question is to check with Amazon. Check out the policies, terms and conditions, and FAQ’s sections on their website. If that doesn’t tell you, you might have to look up the contact information on their site so you can ask them directly.

  19. I’m in Kenya. Can you help me with a genuine app that I can sign up and work for?

    1. The best way to find out if any of them work in Kenya is to go to the sites you are interested in by following the links. Once there, look for a site map or check out their policies, terms and conditions, or FAQ’s. If that doesn’t tell you, look for their contact information so you can ask them directly by email or letter.

  20. Viswas kumar says:

    I want to write a book and publish it on Amazon. Can you give me full details for selling books on Amazon?

    1. In addition to using information on our site, you can also use the information on Amazon’s site to help you get this done. I hope you are successful.

  21. Muhammad Khalil says:

    Hi. I am a web developer. Is there any work which is related to my work on Amazon?

    1. I have no idea. You could send your question to Amazon to find out, though. Good luck!

  22. Connie Holderman says:

    I have a large Amish client base. I was wondering if there is any way to make money getting them to buy from Amazon. They do not have internet.

    1. You could start out by asking a few of them if they’d like to be able to order from Amazon. Then you’d have to somehow get them internet access, possibly with a hotspot. Of course, you’d also have to get an Amazon store set up. If you present it as a way to help them get products they need quickly, they might appreciate it.

  23. Hello, I’m new to Amazon. How do I make money here?

    1. Follow the information and links in this post to help you get started.

  24. Jonathan Rich says:

    I just started selling on Amazon 2 months ago and I’ve already sold one huge ticket item and 20 mid-range items. So, there is plenty potential if you find the right niche. Thanks for the information and inspiration to everyone.

    1. You’re welcome! I’m glad you’re finding success selling on Amazon.

    2. I follow someone who posts in a fb group deals from amazon with special deals. I know she has to be making money doing this. I have a great group and would love to earn extra money recommending items from amazon. Do you have any info on this?

  25. Business Working Capital says:

    I want to make extra money or income. I will try to sell a product using Amazon’s FBA. I think that this is very helpful. Thanks for sharing this article.

    1. That’s great! I hope you do well with it!

  26. Sholabomi says:

    I desire to work with Amazon, especially in the area of services. Cleaning, cooking and organizing a home are my skills.

    1. Then check out number fifteen in the post to help you get started. Good luck to you!

  27. FactorLoads says:

    I am a single mom. I still want to earn money even when I am home. I think that selling a product using Amazon’s FBA will definitely help me earn money. Thanks for sharing this article!

  28. Darling Delight says:

    I am a Nigerian, living in Nigeria and studying here too. I want a legitimate online job. Please, can I do any of those you listed?
    I was interested in their Customer Care Service but Nigerian citizens are not acceptable.

    1. You would just have to check into each of the links or methods listed to see if it says whether or not it will work in Nigeria. You may even have to ask Amazon directly by contacting them through their contact information. Keep in mind, Amazon is not the only way to make money online. We have lots of other posts about ways to make money online too. Check them out!

  29. Gail Roberson says:

    This is great information. Thank you for sharing.

  30. Thank you for the complete information about Amazon.

  31. Rene Rabie says:

    Can any of the above be done from South Africa?

    1. Maybe. The best way to find out is to start by looking for a site map or checking their policies, terms, and conditions on each site. If that doesn’t tell you, try asking directly through their contact information on each site that interests you. I wish you luck!

  32. Sandal Shukla says:

    How can an MTurk account get activated by Amazon? What are the ways one can get this account activated?

    1. Follow the links in this post. That should help you get started. Good luck.

  33. Jan Thompson says:

    Hi! My comment is regarding Amazon Vine. I used to be a Vine Voice. Yes, getting some great products was really cool. What isn’t so cool now is that you have to pay income tax on the “estimated retail value” of every product you choose. (There are a few exceptions.) Amazon didn’t start out doing this. I was in it several years before they started making their Vine Voices self employed contractors. It took some of the fun out of it, having to decide if you could pay taxes on the goodies you wanted.

    1. Good to know that this is something to watch out for. Thanks for mentioning it!

  34. I’ve done pretty well over the past year with Merch by Amazon. I’ve made almost a thousand dollars last year, and I am well on the way to making even more than that this year!