How to Buy Wholesale Products to Sell on Amazon
Everyone tells you to “find a supplier.” Almost nobody tells you what happens after they reply to your email.
This is that part — the actual sequence of a first wholesale order, from first contact to inventory sitting in an Amazon warehouse.
Step 1: Get Your Paperwork Sorted First
A legitimate distributor will ask for a reseller certificate (sometimes called a resale certificate or seller’s permit) before they quote you wholesale pricing. This isn’t them being difficult — it’s how they stay compliant on sales tax.
If you don’t have one, you get it from your state’s tax authority. It’s usually free or close to it. Not having it is the single most common reason a first supplier conversation stalls.
Step 2: Ask for the Price List and the MOQ Together
Ask both in the same message. A supplier who gives you one but dodges the other is usually about to waste your time.
What a normal answer looks like: a price sheet with tiered pricing, and a minimum order quantity per SKU or per order. What a bad answer looks like: “send us what you’re interested in and we’ll quote you,” repeated three times.
Step 3: Run the Numbers Before You Commit
Take one product from the price sheet and check it against the live Amazon listing. Specifically:
- Current buy box price
- How many sellers are on the listing
- Whether Amazon is one of them
- Amazon’s referral and FBA fees for that size/weight
If your wholesale cost plus fees plus shipping doesn’t leave a margin you’d be happy with at the current buy box price — not the highest price it’s ever been — skip it and check the next product.
Step 4: Understand the Payment Terms
First orders are almost always prepaid. Terms (Net 30, Net 60) come later, once you’ve established a history. Don’t expect terms on order one, and be wary of anyone offering them immediately.
Pay by a method that gives you recourse — wire or business card. Not crypto, not personal payment apps.
Step 5: Decide Who Preps
Amazon requires products to arrive labeled with FNSKU codes and packaged to spec. Three options:
| Option | Cost | Best For |
| Distributor preps and ships direct to FBA | Usually a per-unit fee | Sellers who want hands-off |
| Third-party prep center | Per-unit fee | Sellers ordering from multiple suppliers |
| You prep it yourself | Your time | Small first orders, learning the process |
There’s no universally right answer. But decide before the order ships, because sorting it after the fact costs more.
Step 6: Place a Small First Order
Order the MOQ. Not more. Your first order is a test of the supplier — how fast they respond, whether the count is right, what condition it arrives in, whether they answer the phone if something’s off.
If all of that goes well, scale on order two.
Want a straight quote on MOQ and current stock? No membership fee, no catalog-only runaround.