Amazon Global Selling is the fastest way for an Indian brand to reach overseas buyers without building a website, a payment stack or a marketing funnel from scratch. You list, Amazon brings the traffic. The hard part is everything around the listing: export documents, the right fulfilment model, and shipping economics that still leave you a margin. This guide walks through all of it for 2026.
Which Amazon marketplaces should you start with?
- Amazon.com (USA) — the largest opportunity and the most competitive. Best for handicrafts, apparel, jewellery, home decor, supplements and Ayurveda-adjacent products.
- Amazon.ae / Amazon.sa (UAE, Saudi) — short transit, strong Indian diaspora demand, lower ad costs.
- Amazon UK and EU — one account can cover multiple EU marketplaces, but you take on VAT and EPR compliance.
- Amazon.com.au (Australia) — less crowded; note GST and ABN rules for higher volumes.
Start with one marketplace, prove unit economics, then expand. Splitting attention across five marketplaces on day one is the most common way sellers stall.
Documents an Indian seller needs
- IEC (Import Export Code) from DGFT — mandatory for commercial exports.
- GST registration, plus a LUT if you want to export without paying IGST upfront.
- Company PAN and business address proof.
- Identity proof — Aadhaar, passport or driving licence for the signatory.
- An internationally enabled credit card to pay Amazon's subscription during registration.
- AD code registered with your bank and shipping port for export remittance.
- A bank account that can receive foreign currency — Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers or a provider like Payoneer/Skydo.
Setting up your account
- Register at Amazon Global Selling and pick the marketplace(s) you want.
- Choose the Professional plan (roughly USD 39.99/month for a standalone marketplace; linked global accounts are charged the lower of the equivalent or sum of regional fees).
- Complete business verification with your GST, PAN and address documents.
- Add your payout method and tax interview (W-8BEN-E equivalent for non-US sellers).
- Create listings with accurate HSN/HS codes, country of origin and compliance labels.
What it actually costs
| Charge | Typical 2026 rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Professional plan | ~USD 39.99/month | Per marketplace, unless accounts are linked |
| Referral fee | ~8-20% of sale price | Category dependent |
| FBA fulfilment fee | Size and weight based | Only if you use FBA |
| Currency conversion | ~1-2% | Depends on payout provider |
| Shipping to buyer/warehouse | Your biggest variable | This is where you win or lose margin |
Always confirm live rates on Amazon's fee schedule before pricing — categories and marketplaces change.
FBA vs self-ship (MFN) from India
FBA gives you Prime badge, faster delivery and better conversion, but you must send inventory abroad in bulk and carry the inventory risk. Self-ship (Merchant Fulfilled) lets you ship each order from India with zero inventory risk — ideal for testing demand, high-value or made-to-order products.
Most Indian sellers we work with start self-ship, validate 100-200 orders, then move top SKUs to FBA while continuing to self-ship the long tail.
Shipping self-ship orders with ShipReward
This is where ShipReward fits in. Connect your Amazon seller account and your orders flow straight into ShipReward's Order Inbox — no CSV juggling.
- Import Amazon orders in one click with buyer address and line items pre-filled
- Compare live rates across carriers for every order instead of one fixed rate card
- Auto-generated customs paperwork — commercial invoice, packing list and HS codes
- Saved product catalog so HSN code, weight and price auto-fill on every import
- Cashback rewards credited to your wallet on every shipment
- Unified tracking plus weight-discrepancy protection if a courier re-weighs your parcel
Mistakes that cost Indian sellers money
- Pricing on actual weight and getting billed on volumetric weight
- Wrong or missing HS codes, which trigger customs holds and buyer refunds
- Ignoring returns — set a clear international returns policy before your first sale
- Under-declaring invoice value; it is the fastest route to a seized shipment and a suspended account
FAQs
Do I need a US company to sell on Amazon USA from India?
No. An Indian registered business with IEC and GST can sell on Amazon.com as a non-US seller.
How long does delivery take from India?
Express services deliver in 3-7 business days to the US and UK; economy takes 8-15 days. Set handling time honestly to protect your seller metrics.
How do I get paid?
Through Amazon Currency Converter for Sellers into your Indian bank account, or via a cross-border payout provider.
Next step: check a live shipping rate for your product weight and destination, then create a free ShipReward account and connect your Amazon store.