How To Sell On Amazon USA From Canada

Most Canadian sellers & entrepreneurs might be trying to reach a larger market. You might be confronted with many obstacles when selling your products on the internet, or more specifically – selling on Amazon.com. 

You may already sell on Amazon.ca (Amazon Canada), there is an infinite potential for growth if you could extend your reach and grab the US customer base. 

This idea might prompt you to ask: how exactly could I sell my products on the USA Amazon market despite being in Canada?  

The answer may seem trickier than selling on Amazon.ca, but it is much easier than many would think!

With the rise of new programs to support the constantly changing marketplace, you will have a much easier time starting an online business across the border with a few innovative tools. 

Here, you’ll find in-depth solutions to any questions you may have on how to get started, along with information on how Tactical Arbitrage can help you grow your business even further.  

2 Ways To Sell On Amazon USA from Canada

Making money by selling on Amazon USA can be difficult sometimes, but adding in the fact that you have to move your products across international borders adds another level of complexity.

This might sound hard, but it actually isn’t that bad. There are two major ways people sell on Amazon US from Canada.

1. Source Products In Canada & Ship Them To Amazon USA Fulfillment Centers

This method involves you getting products from somewhere in Canada to sell on Amazon.com. You could find them locally or have a Canadian supplier that can ship to you or a prep center in Canada.

While this has some obstacles of dealing with customs and extra shipping costs, it is not too difficult to do. You can either handle this part yourself or hire a prep center.  

Shipping them from your own warehouse or location to the USA can be expensive if you don’t have many items to ship. It is best to do a large shipment as your cost to ship per item will be much less.

sell on amazon usa

2. Source Products In the USA In Your Pajamas & Send To USA Prep Centers

If you have been reading our other articles, then you might know that sourcing in your pajamas is a high point in the quest to become an online arbitrage seller. 

Hint: You need to read more of our articles and start with this one.

Seriously, this way to sell products on Amazon.com is much easier than dealing with a customs broker and hefty shipping costs.

It couldn’t be easier than this:

  1. Pull up your Laptop & fire up Tactical Arbitrage (or you can manually look on each USA retailer’s online store)
  2. Order a ton of profitable products from each online store
  3. Have it shipped to a USA Prep Center
  4. Sit back and wait for sales to roll in

Well, there are some additional steps in the process which we explore more below, but you get the idea.

Reasons to Sell on Amazon.com from Canada

There are various advantages to expanding your business on Amazon into the United States, rather than sticking to just the Canadian marketplace.

Even though you will be selling in a different country’s marketplace, the start-up process is not nearly as difficult as one may think (mainly thanks to Amazon FBA.) You get to expand your audience without too much hassle!

A win-win if you ask me. 

Some reasons you may want to hop over the US border include, but aren’t limited to: 

  • Significantly more reach for potential customers
  • Little start-up cost & modest subscription fee
  • No listing fees
  • Broader exposure to various types of buyers
  • Better prices and a more extensive selection of goods
  • Cheaper selling fees for Canadian businesses selling in the US market
  • North America Unified Account – Easily expand into Canada and Mexico & use a global sku with Remote fulfillment with FBA.  

The first and possibly most glaring opportunity is the potential to reach a much larger audience, which inevitably influences the market. Amazon US has a much larger customer base compared to its international counterparts.

This means that your growth is almost guaranteed with the right products and fulfilled by Amazon FBA. 

Like other Amazon marketplaces, there is little start-up cost and no listing fees for products you decide to post. Your only expenses are shipping and selling fees and/or a monthly subscription for Amazon FBA.

Another bonus for Canadian business owners is that selling fees on Amazon US are generally lower than selling inventory within the Canadian border. 

What Financial Accounts Do I Need to Sell on Amazon USA in Canada?

First of all, you will need a bank account, but thanks to Amazon’s ACCS currency converter, you are not required to have a US bank account or get paid in US dollars..

You can perform and manage transactions with your Canadian bank. 

However, due to transfer fees and an unfavorable exchange rate, some sellers may opt to use other currency exchange services that provide a better rate. 

Another option you have is to open up a US bank account, which your Canadian bank service can likely offer. This option will eliminate excessive fees and allow you to manage your US and Canadian finances with ease. 

This option would be an intelligent choice for those who intend to do online arbitrage for long-term periods.  

Step by Step Guide on Getting Setup On Amazon FBA (USA)

The first thing you will need to do to set up your Amazon FBA is to create a seller account on Amazon Seller Central. To do that, you will need to provide Amazon with: 

  • Your business email/Amazon account email
  • Credit Card Information
  • Form of ID Verification
  • Tax Information
  • Phone Number
  • Linkable Bank Account

It is essential to have a legitimate professional seller account, as you will need this not only for Amazon, but other programs such as Tactical Arbitrage. 

Once you have managed to set up your seller account, you will need to create product listings for your Amazon Fulfillment. This way, the fulfillment centers know which products are yours and how to manage them properly. 

After that, you will need to have your products prepared to be shipped to Amazon fulfillment centers. You need to make sure you follow Amazon’s packing and shipping guidelines. 

This part is an essential step that business owners shouldn’t take lightly, as incorrectly following these guidelines will result in your products being rejected and sent back to you at your own expense. 

Once that is all complete, create a shipping plan, label your items, and have your inventory shipped over to Amazon’s fulfillment center. 

If you purchase all your products from online retailers, you may need to have the products shipped to an FBA prep center to take care of the packaging and shipping for you. 

With these steps all completed, you’re ready to start selling! 

pre center tips

Shipping Tips – Why Prep Centers Are the Way To Go?

The process of sending inventory to fulfillment centers may be complicated at times, as some strict rules and guidelines must be followed. 

While it may be challenging, business owners must complete this step correctly because it can save you from future trouble with fees and unsatisfied customers. 

Additionally, if the products you send over are incorrectly packed or managed, then the fulfillment center may reject the packages, and you will have to pay more to have them shipped back to you!

Luckily, with the help of FBA prep centers, you can avoid this problem almost entirely. FBA prep centers are literally what the name suggests, being a preparation center for Amazon FBA parcels.

Whether through Amazon or a third party, you can hire them directly to manage the products that are planning to send to Amazon. Thus, you lower the risk of rejection or ruining your product in transit. 

Prep centers are perfect if you need to save time and effort, but you must make the right choice regarding which prep center to choose. 

There are several factors that you should keep in mind when making this decision: 

  • Price: You shouldn’t be overpaying for mediocre service or paying cheaper for a higher risk of error. While money is essential, ensuring the prep centers handle your products properly should be a higher priority. 
  • Location: Choosing a place close to where your shipped products arrive will make the process more efficient and help save time and effort. Choosing a prep center far away from where your products come from will only result in more time wasted while the items are in transit from the arrival site to the prep center.
  • Taxing: Playing into location, you must keep sales tax in mind when choosing a place for the prep center. After all, you can save a lot more money if you select a state with a two percent sales tax instead of seven.
  • Facility: Depending on the inventory of your products, the prep center must have enough room to house your inventory. They may also need a proper storage climate so that the products you are selling will not be altered or damaged. Even if the center ensures that they are handling the products properly, there are always risks of obtaining damage by the natural environment that the prep center stores them in.
  • Processing Time: It is crucial to keep in mind how quickly facilities can package and ship products for inspection, as it is vital to ensure that your products are ready for sale as soon as possible. 

What Is Online Arbitrage?

Online arbitrage is finding listed items for a lower price in one market before selling them at a higher price in another.

While similar to retail arbitrage, you now have full access to any item on the online market! 

Amazon FBA and online arbitrage play hand in hand, making it easier than ever for you to run a business without leaving your front doorstep. 

While there is no exact process, you can use an efficient method to integrate FBA and Arbitrage: 

  • Locate products you are interested in selling at their lowest price before comparing them to their Amazon counterpart
  • Purchase the products from the other marketplace before creating your listing on Amazon
  • Have the products either sent to a prep center or prepare them yourself for the fulfillment center. In the instance that you are taking care of everything, you will be processing and shipping at your discretion.

You can repeat this process and expect a profit with any product you’d like, as long as it is being sold online and is in demand by customers. 

Using Tactical Arbitrage To Help You Source Online Arbitrage

Tactical Arbitrage is the top-rated Amazon arbitrage software used by many top FBA sellers. With efficient product sourcing and data analysis, you’ll have a tactical advantage being able to source from over 900 different websites.

Tactical Arbitrage is a quick and precise sourcing tool that allows you to source information on products you are looking to sell.

Tactical Arbitrage offers a wide variety of plans, suitable for people of varying budgets and levels of experience. Tactical Arbitrage is run on cloud servers, meaning you can access it online without needing a separate download. 

The program has a simple yet efficient design, allowing users to quickly learn and become comfortable with the software—even if they are not too tech-savvy. 

Check out this video below for a good run through of Tactical Arbitrage from one of our experienced sellers in our community:

If you liked a quick explanation of how to source online arbitrage, we have the answer for you right here!

Grab your free trial to Tactical Arbitrage here.

Once you see everything you can get out of the program, you will make a return on your investment many times over. 

Using the product search option and the various filters integrated into the search bar, you can search for a specific product that you may be wanting to sell across a bulk number of online retailers.

Many additional features really help you make smart purchases, such as a comparison list stating which variation of a product sells the most. 

The number of features and tools provided to you may seem overwhelming at first, but in the end, they are all geared towards ensuring that your chances of success are as high as possible.

With this information, you will not only be able to determine which product to sell, but a reasonable price where you are still able to make a profit after Amazon takes shipping and FBA fees out of the income.

The learning curve for online arbitrage may seem steep. But with the help of Tactical Arbitrage, any seller gets on their feet almost immediately, no matter how inexperienced they may seem. 

If you put in a little bit of hard work upfront, you can be making money in no time.

Final Thoughts

Selling in the USA from Canada provides a great opportunity to grow your business and expand your profits. The steps to get started are not that complicated and the upsides outweigh the downsides. 

The best part is you can also continue to sell on amazon.ca.

If you decide to sell in the USA, you can do it yourself or you can use a prep center to speed up the process and take down some of the typical barriers. And if you want to make your life even easier, you might want to consider using online arbitrage and Tactical Arbitrage to help you find products to sell. While online arbitrage may seem complicated at first, enough time and practice can help you improve, especially with the help of Tactical Arbitrage. 

If you still have questions regarding Tactical Arbitrage, you can find your answers here. This FAQ takes the user’s most popular questions and provides detailed and thorough explanations for each one. 

If you would like even more information about Tactical Arbitrage, you can find tons of info here. This blog page is full of podcasts, tutorials, and articles mainly revolving around Amazon FBA, focusing on increasing your chances of success within that industry. 

Related Questions

Can I sell on Amazon USA from Canada? 

Yes, you can! By creating a seller account and joining Amazon FBA, you will start selling your products on the US Amazon market in no time. As a Canadian reseller or entrepreneur, you can easily learn how to sell on Amazon USA from Canada by following our tips above.

Can you sell on Amazon and ship yourself? 

Yes, you can do that through Amazon FMB. Like FBA, you can list your products on the Amazon Marketplace, but you manage the production and shipping of all products that you sell.