Amazon Merch on Demand | Build Your Own Design Business
Amazon Merch makes it easy for you to turn your designs into T-shirts, hoodies, and phone cases available to millions of customers worldwide.
Interested in turning your creativity into a cash source? Maybe you doodle and friends love your drawings. Or perhaps you’ve created a series of fun designs in a specific niche, like black cat owners or crochet ladies.
Whether you’re an artist, designer, or you aspire to be, you can upload your designs on Amazon Merch on Demand and sell them on T-shirts, hoodies, phone cases and more, without the hassle of managing inventory or shipping.
So, you’re looking at Amazon Merch as a possible place for your designs but, what do you need to know? What are the pros and cons of Amazon Merch on Demand? Here, we put together all the facts and basics so you can quickly see the advantages and challenges of the platform.
What is Amazon Merch on Demand?
Amazon Merch on Demand is a print-on-demand service. You upload your designs, and Amazon handles the printing, shipping, and even customer service.
Once your design is approved and live, it becomes available to millions of shoppers for purchase. You earn royalties from each sale, making it a great way to earn passive income.
Whether you’re an experienced designer or a total beginner, this platform is open to everyone.
Amazon Merch on Demand Review | Is It Really Worth It?
The value depends on your goals. For some, it’s an easy, low-risk way to earn money. For others, the competition and limited control may become challenges. You’ll need creativity, marketing, and a good understanding of the platform’s dynamics to succeed.
Related content: How to Sell 3D Printed Items
Benefits of Merch by Amazon
If you want to earn passive income while designing your own products, Amazon Merch on Demand offers a risk-free way to do that. Here are some of the reasons why it’s worth considering:
Low Startup Costs
Starting a traditional ecommerce business often needs upfront investment for inventory and shipping logistics. With Merch by Amazon, there’s no need for any of that. Just upload your design, and Amazon handles the printing and shipping once a customer makes a purchase.
Passive Income Potential
Once your product design is live, you start earning with each sale. You create the design, and Amazon handles everything else—printing, shipping, and even customer inquiries. This means you can earn royalties without managing day-to-day operations.
Access to Amazon’s Customer Base
Amazon is one of the largest ecommerce platforms globally, attracting millions of shoppers daily. This means your designs will be visible to a large audience. Plus, with Amazon’s built-in traffic, you don’t have to think about marketing or setting up a physical store.
Brand Building Opportunities
Consistently selling your designs on Amazon helps you build a brand. If your designs are unique and consistently high-quality, you’ll create a loyal customer base. This can help you expand your product line beyond Merch by Amazon.
Challenges in Merch by Amazon
While there are a lot of pros, it’s important to know some of the challenges as well. Here are some of the cons of Amazon Merch on Demand:
Competition
Since it’s so easy to get started, this is saturated with competition. Thousands of designers are aiming for customer attention, but this is not a bad thing. With smart design choices, niche targeting, and good marketing techniques, you can still stand out.
Limited Design Control
You’re in control of your own design, but Amazon controls the product presentation. This means you won’t have a say in the packaging or how your product is marketed beyond the design and description.
While this means less workload for you, it limits your ability to fine-tune the product experience for the customers.
Royalties
Amazon takes a portion of each sale, so it’s important to price your products carefully. However, even after Amazon’s cut, many sellers do enjoy solid profits—especially if their designs resonate with your customers.
Royalty rates can range from 12% to 37%. How much royalties would you get? This is calculated on the product’s price and after deducting any relevant taxes and Amazon’s fees.
Account Suspension
Amazon has strict guidelines about designs and copyright. Violating these terms can result in account suspension, so be sure to do your research to stay compliant with Amazon’s rules.
How does Amazon Merch on Demand Work?
The process of getting started on Amazon Merch on Demand is easy to follow in several steps, though each stage might take time depending on your own speed in finalizing your designs.
Account Creation and Approval
After signing up, there’s a wait for account approval due to high demand. Use this waiting period to brainstorm and design your product.
Product Research and Design
Once your account gets approved, you can start creating so you can upload designs. Make sure you’ve done product research to ensure that your designs are all original and following Amazon’s guidelines. This means avoiding copyrighted content and understanding what your audience is searching for.
Like product research for Amazon FBA, where you research profitable niches, Amazon Merch on Demand includes studying different trends, themes, and keywords so you can create and market your designs accordingly.
Upload
Once you’re done with your designs, you’re ready to upload. Amazon provides clear design specifications such as file size, formats, and resolutions, so follow those guidelines to ensure your designs look their best for various products.
Listing Creation and Product Launch
Choose the type of product you want your design on—t-shirts, hoodies, and more—and create a product listing. Make sure that you include your designs, descriptions, and pricing.
Customer Orders and Fulfillment
Once a customer buys your product, Amazon prints, ships, and manages any customer service issues on your behalf. This means that you can focus on creating new designs rather than managing logistics.
Royalties and Earnings
For each sale of your product, you’ll earn a royalty based on the price you set. While Amazon takes a percentage, consistent sales can become a steady stream of passive income over time.
How Much Does Amazon Merch on Demand Costs?
The best part about Amazon Merch on Demand? There’s no upfront cost. You only pay Amazon when a customer buys your product, and they take their cut from the selling price.
This makes it a risk-free opportunity to turn your designs into income without worrying about paying for stocks and other expenses like packaging and logistics.
How is Amazon Merch different from Amazon FBA?
Amazon FBA is a great option if you have a larger investment and you plan to expand your business and reach a larger market. On the other hand, Amazon Merch on Demand can help you get right to selling without the cost of inventory.
If you’re interested in exploring a different approach to selling your product on Amazon, you may also consider Amazon FBA. Here are some of their differences:
Product Focus
Merch by Amazon focuses on print-on-demand products such as t-shirts, hoodies, and mugs, while Amazon FBA supports a wider range of physical products such as electronics, books, and household items.
Inventory Management
Merch by Amazon means no inventory—Amazon prints products only when a customer orders. With Amazon FBA, sellers do need to manage stock and ship items to fulfillment centers.
Business Model
Merch by Amazon is ideal for passive income from designs, while in Amazon FBA, you buy wholesale or manufacturer products and sellers need to manage stock and ship items to fulfillment centers.
Startup Costs
There’s a little to no upfront cost on Merch by Amazon because you don’t need to purchase any inventory. Amazon FBA usually needs an upfront investment for inventory, storage fees, and marketing.
Control and Creative Input
You have complete control over your product designs with Merch by Amazon, but limited control over the final product. With Amazon FBA, you have more control over product sourcing, quality, and branding.
Is Amazon Merch on Demand Worth It?
If you’re a designer or creative with a lot of unique ideas, this might be a good place for you. Amazon Merch on Demand offers anyone the opportunity to build their own brand from their designs, and access and sell to Amazon’s large customer base without much effort.
It’s an easy and affordable way to start earning from your creations. Once you finish designing and uploading, and with good marketing, you can start seeing your designs turn into passive income.
Author
Selling on Amazon since 2010, Andres Fernandez has built and sold a successful FBA brand, managed PPC campaigns for large companies, and operates a fund that acquired two Amazon businesses. Currently, he is building AI Agents that automate common Amazon workflows.
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