Supplier approval is only one part of selling online. Before listing a product, make sure the supplier, the brand, and the marketplace all allow the way you plan to sell it.
A supplier may approve you as a retailer while still limiting where certain products can be sold. Individual brands can also have their own restrictions, while marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, and Walmart have separate seller and fulfillment rules. All applicable rules need to work together before you list.
Does your supplier allow you to resell its products through the channel you want to use?
Does the individual manufacturer or brand have additional marketplace, pricing, or authorization requirements?
Does the marketplace permit your sourcing and fulfillment arrangement?
Check whether the supplier allows sales through your own website, eBay, Walmart, Amazon, TikTok Shop, or another platform.
If the supplier says “approved marketplaces only,” confirm your particular channel before listing.
A supplier may distribute hundreds of brands, but individual manufacturers can have their own rules.
A brand may require separate authorization or restrict certain marketplaces.
Check the marketplace's official seller rules rather than relying on old videos, forum posts, or assumptions.
Find out whether the supplier includes its own name, invoice, pricing, or promotional materials.
This is especially important when a marketplace requires you to be clearly identified as the seller.
The supplier may help with the physical return, but your customer purchased from you.
Make sure your return process works with both the supplier's policy and the marketplace's requirements.
These are starting points, not substitutes for reading the marketplace's current official policy.
eBay currently allows dropshipping when orders are fulfilled directly by a wholesale supplier under an appropriate supplier relationship.
Amazon allows third-party fulfillment only when the customer clearly sees you as the seller of record.
Walmart has its own seller, catalog, shipping, return, and performance requirements.
Before using any supplier for Amazon fulfillment, make sure the supplier can support Amazon's current seller-of-record rules.
Do not assume all six suppliers follow the same marketplace rules. Check the individual supplier guide before listing products.
Designed for ecommerce sellers and supports multiple integrations, but you should still verify your specific marketplace and product before listing.
Supports multiple ecommerce channels, but the marketplace, product, and brand must still permit your selling method.
Best used through supported fashion ecommerce channels. Confirm current channel support before listing.
A direct wholesale supplier. Confirm your intended sales channel and understand what appears on customer shipments.
Distributor approval does not automatically mean every pet brand can be sold on every marketplace.
Marketplace permissions can vary, so review Costway's current dropship program rules before listing on third-party channels.
Some suppliers or brands establish rules about the lowest price at which an authorized retailer may advertise a product. If a supplier provides a MAP policy, review and follow the current requirements before adjusting your advertised price.
Good records can be important if a marketplace asks you to verify where your products come from.
Save messages confirming your reseller or dropship approval.
Keep copies of agreements or supplier terms you accept.
Keep legitimate supplier invoices and purchase records organized.
Save reseller certificates or authorization letters you receive.
Keep any separate marketplace or brand approvals.
Keep your supplier representative's contact information available.
Marketplace rules can depend on the product, brand, seller account, fulfillment arrangement, and customer experience. Supplier policies can also change. Review current official policies before listing instead of relying on an old approval, screenshot, video, or training guide.
Choose your supplier, confirm your sales channel, research your products, and keep documentation showing your supplier relationship.
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