To get approved on Walmart Marketplace in 2026, you need a registered business with a tax ID, documents that verify your business name and address, a record of selling online, products with valid GTINs, and a US fulfillment and returns setup. Walmart reviews every application by hand, and most rejections come from mismatched paperwork, thin sales history or a catalog that does not fit. Prepare those pieces before you apply and your odds go up a lot.
Below is what Walmart currently asks for, how the application works step by step, and what to fix if you have already been turned down.
What does Walmart require from new sellers?
Walmart’s seller page lists these requirements for new applicants. Walmart can update them at any time, so check marketplace.walmart.com before you apply.
- Business tax ID or business license number. For US companies this is your EIN. Walmart’s onboarding also collects tax classification details (a W-9 for US entities).
- Documents that verify your business name and address. Formation documents, a business license or a bank statement in the business name are typical.
- Marketplace or ecommerce history. Walmart wants to see that you already sell online and serve customers well.
- Products with GTINs. Items need UPCs or other GTINs tied to a GS1 company prefix.
- A compliant catalog. Products must follow Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy.
- US fulfillment with returns. Either Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) or another US-based warehouse that can process returns.
- A compatible payment processor account so Walmart can pay you out.
Walmart also says there is currently no formal minimum catalog size, but it recommends starting with at least 50 items with steady replenishment. That is a recommendation, not a rule, yet a tiny catalog can make an application look like a test rather than a business.
Do you need an LLC or corporation?
In practice, yes. Walmart asks for a business tax ID and business verification documents, and many sellers and agencies report that applications from sole proprietors without an EIN are rarely approved. Forming an LLC, getting an EIN and opening a business bank account in that exact legal name is the cleanest path.
How much selling history do you need?
Walmart does not publish a minimum number of months or a revenue figure. What it asks for is “marketplace or ecommerce history,” and reviewers look for real sales and solid customer service. Third-party guides commonly suggest a year or more of history on Amazon, eBay or your own Shopify store, with strong feedback and no recent suspensions.
If you have no history yet, the realistic route is to sell somewhere with open registration first. Many brands launch on Amazon, build a few months of sales and reviews, then apply to Walmart. Our Walmart vs Amazon comparison explains why that order usually makes sense.
How do you apply, step by step?
- Get your business documents in order. LLC or corporation formation papers, EIN confirmation, business bank account and a business address that matches everywhere.
- Prepare your catalog. List the products you plan to sell, their categories, prices and GTINs. Confirm every UPC is registered to your GS1 prefix or to the brand owner.
- Decide on fulfillment. Choose WFS, your own US warehouse or a 3PL that handles returns. Have shipping speed and return address details ready.
- Gather proof of selling history. Your marketplace storefront links, website URL and approximate annual online revenue.
- Submit the application on marketplace.walmart.com. Answer every field fully and consistently.
- Wait for review. Timelines vary from days to several weeks. Watch your email for verification requests and respond quickly.
- If approved, accept the Retailer Agreement and complete onboarding: tax and payment setup, shipping templates, and your first item uploads.
If you want your Walmart application, catalog and WFS setup prepared by a team that does this every week, let’s talk it through.
Book a Free Strategy Call →Why do Walmart applications get rejected?
Walmart rarely gives a detailed reason, but the same problems come up again and again.
| Rejection reason | How to fix it |
|---|---|
| Business details don’t match across documents | Align legal name, address and contact info on every document and on the form |
| Little or no marketplace history | Build sales on Amazon, eBay or your own site, then reapply with links |
| Missing or invalid GTINs | Buy GTINs directly from GS1 US; avoid resold barcodes |
| Restricted or prohibited products | Remove items that conflict with Walmart’s Prohibited Products Policy |
| Catalog overlaps with what Walmart already sells | Lead with branded or private label items Walmart does not carry |
| No US fulfillment or returns process | Use WFS or a US 3PL with a domestic return address |
| Past suspensions on other marketplaces | Resolve open issues first and show current good standing |
What should you do after a rejection?
A no is usually not permanent. Start by reading the rejection email closely; it sometimes points to a missing document or a mismatch. Then fix the underlying problem rather than resubmitting the same form.
- Correct document mismatches and gather clearer proof of address.
- Add more months of sales history on another channel.
- Tighten your catalog to branded products with clean GTINs.
- Set up WFS eligibility or a US 3PL if fulfillment was the gap.
Walmart sets its own rules on when you can reapply, so check the message you received. Reapplying with real changes works far better than reapplying quickly.
What should your first Walmart catalog look like?
The products you list on the application tell Walmart what kind of seller you are. A focused, well-documented catalog reads as a real business. A random mix of products reads as someone testing the waters, and reviewers notice the difference.
- Lead with your own brand. Private label or branded items that Walmart does not sell first party show you can add something new to the site.
- Stay in one or two categories. A kitchen brand with 30 related items is easier to approve than 30 items spread across ten categories.
- Use GTINs registered to your company. Every UPC should trace back to your GS1 prefix or to the brand owner who authorized you.
- Price competitively. Walmart compares prices with other sites, so list at or near your price on other channels.
- Skip gated and sensitive items at first. Supplements, topicals, electronics with batteries and other restricted categories need extra approval; add them after you are in.
- Plan for depth. Walmart recommends at least 50 items with steady replenishment, so show how your catalog will grow even if you start smaller.
If you already sell on Amazon, choose the products with the best sales history and cleanest account health to lead with. Those are the ones you can point to as proof that you serve customers well.
What happens after approval?
Approval is the start, not the finish. New Walmart sellers need to upload listings that match Walmart’s content guidelines, set competitive pricing (Walmart checks pricing against other marketplaces), keep on-time shipping and cancellation rates within standards, and decide when to send inventory into WFS. Sellers who miss performance standards in the first few months can be restricted, so treat the early period like a probation.
If your Amazon store is already running, much of this work carries over: product images, copy, compliance documents and supplier relationships. Our Walmart automation service handles the application, listing setup and WFS onboarding, and our guide to selling on multiple marketplaces covers how to keep inventory in sync once you are live.
The bottom line
Walmart is selective because it wants sellers who look and act like retailers. Show up with a registered business, matching documents, real sales history, clean GTINs and a US fulfillment plan, and you remove the most common reasons for rejection. If you are missing the history piece, build it on another marketplace first, then apply with something to show.