Seller Essentials Blog
Guides and updates for Amazon sellers
Practical guides, policy updates, and supply reviews for people selling on Amazon, written by sellers who have been doing it since 2015.
What Is a Registered Agent, and How Do You Choose One?
A registered agent is the person or company your LLC names to accept lawsuits and official state mail. This guide covers what the job involves, who can do it, whether you can be your own agent, how to choose a service, and what happens if you have none.
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USPS Ground Advantage Rate Increase 2026: Sub-1-lb Tiers Are Gone
On July 12, 2026, USPS collapsed four sub-1-lb Ground Advantage price tiers into one — the top rate. To rural ZIP codes, a 4 oz package now costs the same as a 15.99 oz one. Here's the real math, who actually gets hit, whether FBA moved, and how to protect your margin.
The Shipping Adjustment Fees Amazon, eBay & Walmart Charge You After Delivery — and How to Find Them
Carriers and platforms quietly back-charge seller accounts after delivery — FedEx One Rate audits, UPS return adjustments, Amazon’s own FBA re-measurements, and the new USPS $50 hazmat fee. Here’s exactly where these charges hide on Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, and how to audit, dispute, and prevent them.
USPS Hazmat Fee: The $50 Noncompliance Fee and $7.50 Handling Fee Explained
Since July 12, 2026, USPS has charged a $50 Hazmat Noncompliance Fee on commercial packages with hazmat that wasn't declared, labeled or marked correctly, and a $7.50 Hazmat Handling Fee on declared Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express hazmat. Here's what triggers each fee, what every mail class costs, and how to avoid the $50 charge.
Selling Hazmat on Amazon FBA: 2026 Dangerous Goods Guide
This guide explains how to sell hazmat on Amazon FBA in 2026, from the nine UN classes and prohibited products to SDS rules and lithium batteries. It also covers Amazon's new dangerous goods listing questions for refrigerators, shock absorbers, markers and pool chemicals, and what to gather before you edit a listing.
Amazon FBA Hazmat Just Got Easier to Ship: Partnered Carrier Now Open to All Dangerous Goods
Starting April 30, 2026, all FBA-eligible dangerous goods can ship via Amazon’s Partnered Carrier program — no more arranging your own hazmat carriers. Full classification guide, SDS requirements, and updated battery reference chart.
Amazon’s DD+7 Payout Overhaul: What Changed, Who It Hit, and What Your Money Is Really Financing
The official policy name is Delivery Date Based Reserve, or DDBR. Under this structure, the moment a customer’s order ships, Amazon collects the buyer’s payment and places it into a “deferred transactions” pool.
Amazon’s 3.5% FBA Surcharge Is Here — And Sellers Are Paying the Price
Amazon added a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge to FBA fulfillment fees on April 17, 2026, and it still has no end date. The charge averages about $0.17 per unit. A seller moving 2,000 units a month pays roughly $340 more each month, so review your margins and reprice where the math allows.
What Is an Amazon FBA Prep Center?
An Amazon FBA prep center receives your inventory from suppliers, prepares it to Amazon’s requirements, and ships it to Amazon fulfillment centers. This guide explains what prep centers do, which sellers use them, how the process works, and what to compare before you choose one.
How to Sell on Amazon: A Beginner’s Guide
This beginner's guide walks through six steps for selling on Amazon, from opening a seller account and choosing a plan to listing your first product and getting paid. It also explains what Amazon charges and links to a deeper guide for each step.
Prime vs Prime Shipping: What’s the Difference?
Prime Shipping gives you Prime's delivery and shopping benefits without Prime Video or other digital extras, at the same $14.99 monthly price and by invitation only. Compare both plans side by side, see Prime's price history and cheaper Prime options, and learn why neither plan can be used to buy for resale.
Why Arbitrage Is Harder on Amazon: IP Complaints and Restrictions
Arbitrage Guides · October 2026 Why Arbitrage Is Harder on Amazon: IP Complaints and Restrictions Why brand IP complaints [...]
10 Tips for Selling Liquidation
Liquidation is a category of merchandise that can be very profitable to the reseller. It can be very challenging for the inexperienced, so [...]