In this video, I'll show you step-by-step exactly what you need to do to get accepted to Merch by Amazon super fast.
As quickly as 48 hours in many cases.
This information's based on feedback from hundreds of people who've been accepted, as well as my own personal experience.
Don't skip any of the steps because it can be the difference between waiting a couple of days or waiting three months.
First of all, click "request invite" so you can start the process of applying.
If you've got an Amazon account already, you'll be sent straight through to this page.
The services agreement page is new and isn't too long if you want to have a read.
Click "accept" at the bottom when you're done.
You'll be prompted for your business contact information, bank details, and tax information.
Click "begin application".
If you don't have a business, that's fine. You can enter your personal details instead.
If you do have a business, that's great because it shows Amazon that you're already an established entity.
That's assuming that your business is related to design.
If it's irrelevant to print on demand, like if you're a farmer or something,
then I'd recommend going with your own personal details instead.
The important thing is that you enter genuine information.
If you put fake credentials, you will get declined, so don't risk it.
Now enter your bank details here so Amazon can pay you.
If you're in the US or the UK, then you're fortunate because your bank details will be accepted.
if you're from another country that isn't compatible, there are ways around it by using a free service like Transferwise or Payoneer.
See the description for more details about this.
Now it's time for the tax interview, which sounds very formal.
You'll want to pay attention to that because if you don't fill the details in correctly, up to 30% of your earnings can be withheld by Amazon.
If you're lucky enough to be in the US, just fill in your details and it's all good.
God bless America.
If you're in the UK like me, you'll be pleased to learn that our government has a tax treaty with the US, so we don't get any of our earnings withheld either.
For the Tax Identification Number, you can just put your UTR - Unique Taxpayer Reference if you're self-employed,
or use your National Insurance number if you aren't.
As for the other countries, there's far too many variables to cover in this video without it going on forever,
so I'll leave a link in the description to an article that'll be able to help.
Now that's done, you can "exit" your interview and it's time for the most important part of the application,
which is the Request Invite Form.
Listen carefully because I don't want you to be waiting for months or getting rejected.
The time that you spend on this part will vastly reduce the amount of time that you'll spend waiting to be accepted by Amazon.
For industry type, most people will need to select "Novelty T-Shirt Business", but if another option displayed here is more relevant to your business, than choose that.
For organization name, you can put your own name unless you've got a business which is relevant to print on demand,
in which case, put the name of that business.
The additional information section is the most important box that you'll be filling in.
It's your opportunity to show Amazon why you're worth their time and should be approved.
They prioritize sellers who are likely to be profitable for them by making sales,
so they'll be quick to approve your account if you show that you can add value,
even more so if you can drive your own traffic to the Merch listings.
This means if you can demonstrate you're already getting sales elsewhere, or have an active audience, you'll be given priority over other applicants.
If you're already on print on demand sites like Redbubble or TeePublic, then you have an audience. Tell them about it and include a link to your portfolio.
It demonstrates that you already know how the process works and you'll be able to hit the ground running.
Be aware though, that if your portfolio has any copyrighted content or poor quality designs, it can work against you,
so just make sure that everything's above board.
If you're not sure as to whether one of your designs is fair use, or a copyright infringement risk,
play it safe and disable it for now.
Amazon do not mess around with copyrighted material and won't hesitate to penalize you for it.
If you want to create a portfolio specifically for Amazon to see, or prefer not to link to your POD sites for another reason,
You can quickly and easily make something professional looking using sites like Behance, or you can even use the album feature on IMGUR.
Both are free to register for and will result in a portfolio that's professional looking and easily accessible for the person reviewing your application.
Some people recommend registering a domain name to create your own custom website for this part, but I think it's overkill
and an unnecessary expense.
If you're going to be spending money on the application, I'd recommend investing in some good quality artwork
by outsourcing the design process instead of buying hosting.
I've already got several videos explaining exactly how to go about outsourcing if you're interested in that.
This way, you can use the same artwork to generate passive income on other POD sites while you wait for Merch to get back to you.
If you're already making sales on other sites, tell Amazon about it in this box.
If you're an artist yourself, explain what you've worked on before and why your style will be attractive to Amazon customers.
If you're an influencer of some sort and have access to a significant audience, that'll definitely go in your favor too.
If you're already successful on Amazon using FBA, then tell them about it.
Being an existing FBA seller is like applying for a job within a company that you already work at.
They already know you've got a proven track record and they're more likely to hire you over someone they aren't so sure about,
especially when the other candidate isn't putting in nearly as much effort as you.
Once you've considered those things, read the FAQ and other terms on Merch by Amazon so you're familiar with how they operate.
I'll link these in the description, and you'll find that they're quite good, as well as being brief.
I know you'll be tempted to skip this step because nobody reads the terms, but trust me,
spending 10 minutes now could save you months on a waiting list and could prevent your account being terminated later.
Let Amazon know that you understand what's expected of you.
I've said it before, but I'll say it again: They do not mess about when it comes to you breaking the rules.
Tell them you've got designs ready to upload in the format that they need so they know you're prepared and ready to go as soon as you let in.
Make sure that everything you type in here is checked and checked again for spelling and formatting.
Just like a job application, you're going to be perceived as careless or inattentive if there's typos or mistakes in your submission,
which can result in your application being delayed or rejected entirely.
When you're happy with the additional information,
copy it, and save it on your computer, just in case you do get rejected.
You won't be able to see that information again once it's submitted, so it's a good idea to keep a copy of it for reference so you know what you've said.
Then press submit and you're done.
On many occasions, people don't receive a confirmation email saying they've been accepted to Merch.
This happened to me too, so I only found out I was approved when I was able to upload designs one day,
so keep checking back on the website every so often to see if your application's been dealt with.
If you do get rejected, don't give up. Just apply again.
Keep trying because it's absolutely worth it.
Amazon's a massive marketplace with unlimited potential for earnings.
While you wait, you can start creating or adapting your existing designs so they're suitable for Merch by Amazon.
You'll wanna download the Merch by Amazon template design so you can make sure the formatting and sizing is correct and ready to upload once you're approved.
I'll put a link in the description as well.
Merch by Amazon works on a tier system, so you can only upload 10 designs until you've made 10 sales, at which point you'll be upgraded to the next tier.
You can do the keyword and niche research while you're waiting to be approved to make sure that you choose the top 10 designs to fill those slots,
and give yourself the best chance of success.
Again, I've got several videos about niche research that I'll link in the description, alongside design resources.
The people that will struggle most with applying to Merch will be those who aren't on print on demand sites yet.
It doesn't stop you applying, but it does make it a lot harder to get accepted.
If you aren't on any POD sites, register now - it takes no time at all, and if I had to recommend just one,
I'd go with Redbubble. I've already got a huge playlist about it so check out those videos if you aren't sure what to do.
It's best to get your ideas validated on a site like Redbubble before applying to Merch, because you're guaranteed to get accepted to Redbubble
and there's no limit to how many designs you can upload.
I recommend spending some time getting familiar with how it works and what sells if you want to give yourself the best opportunity to get accepted.
If you don't want to wait, or you're adamant on only selling your products on Amazon for some reason,
then focus on creating or outsourcing at least 10 good quality designs.
This will demonstrate to Amazon that you're going to be an asset to them.
I've already made videos about how to find what sells on print on demand sites, so I'll leave those in the description too, alongside design resources.
Hopefully you found that helpful,
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