You start by creating a regular Amazon account (or Bol.com, which is the most well known market place in the Netherlands, see our other article). In the next step you can expand your account with sales tools. You enter information about your company in an online form: contact details, financial data, a description, the Chamber of Commerce and VAT number.

Amazon.nl requests information from the owner / representative of the company, but bol.com does not. The identity of the owner / representative is actually checked by uploading a copy of your ID. Your mobile number is also checked with a code via a text message. Bol.com, on the other hand, checks the address of the sellers: before you can start selling, you will be sent a letter by post with a code that you must enter in your account.

At Amazon, you need a credit card to sign up. A small amount will be debited from your credit card for identification. This can be a small barrier for the Dutch market, where the credit card is a less common method of payment. Your credit card is only used when you register and does not have to correspond to the payment account where you want to receive your proceeds.

You can choose from two accounts at Amazon: Individual or Professional. The private account (Individual) is intended for companies that sell less than 35 products per month. The sales margin that Amazon asks for is slightly higher than with Bol.com, but the private account itself is free. With the business account (Professional) the costs per order are lower, but you pay 39 euros per month for your seller account as standard. Fulfillment by Amazon, also known as FBA, is possible with both accounts.