How to Start Selling on Walmart: Onboarding Checklist

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Selling on Walmart Marketplace is one step away. You need to mark this one item off the Walmart Onboarding checklist, and Voila! Your store is live.

To understand how to sell your product on Walmart, you can start with how to start selling on Walmart. And then find out how to create a remarkable Walmart Product Listing and do so with Walmart Integration API.

This guide will walk you through the steps that you have to check on the onboarding checklist. Let us relegate the Walmart onboarding process on a map and find out where we are.

What is Walmart Onboarding Checklist?

The Walmart onboarding process has four sections.

You can start selling on Walmart once you complete this checklist which contains the following steps:

1^st Step: Complete your Registration

2^nd Step: Complete your Partner Profile

3^rd Step: Setup Items and Upload Inventory

4^th Step: Confirm you are Ready to Launch

Once all these steps are marked as done, the seller can launch their account and start selling.

It is worth noting that all these steps are mandatory. But once you finish these steps, your account becomes ready to go. You can start selling immediately after 48 hours of launch.

What are the steps to start selling on Walmart Marketplace?

Step 1: Complete your Registration

Completing Registration is the first stage of the Walmart Onboarding Process.

You need to get access to the Walmart Seller Center to start selling your excellent product. These involve all the steps you need to complete your Registration.

1. Account Creation
2. Walmart Retailer Agreement
3. Company Registration
4. Taxes (W-9)
5. Payment Info
6. Shipping Info

Considering you have completed the steps till registering your payment details and shipping information, let us move to the next level.

Once the shipping details ( a very detailed form divided into several stages) are all submitted, review all your details.

Make sure you recheck every detail, although it might sound like a time-taking task to do. All aspects should be as per the guidelines to avoid rejection at a later stage.

Yes, Walmart can deactivate your account later if they find something not falling in line with their guidelines. Submit your form and return to the seller center.

Step 2: Complete your Partner Profile

In the seller center itself, go to the settings section and find Partner Profile. Completing your partner profile lets you create a representation of your company on Walmart. It is pretty evident at this point as to what that Partner Profile contains?

Albeit, here is the list of pages you will have to update:

1. Company info
2. Customer Service
3. Manage Contacts
4. Shipping
5. Returns
6. Privacy Policy
7. Tax info

Let’s explore each of these steps.

1. Information about your company: Company info

a. Display Name

What name of your company do you want to display for your customers once you start selling on Walmart Marketplace?

b. Logo

Upload your company’s logo to represent your brand. Make sure the size of the file is 400×50 pixels in either JPG or PNG format.

c. Description

Write a short description of not more than 4000 characters (maximum limit of the field). Walmart also requests not to use any links in this field. Writing a description creates a story that creates a little emotional bond with the customers once you start selling on Walmart.

2. Your contact details for customers: Customer Services

a. Customer Service Email

An email address, preferably the one you use dedicatedly for customers only while selling on Walmart. Don’t worry your email address will be hidden with encryption, as will your buyers’ emails.

b. Customer Service Phone Number

Add a number dedicated to your customers only so that you can always prioritize their calls.

c. Hours of operation

Inform your customers about your hours of operation so that they know the timings of connecting with you in case any issue arises.

d. Customer Service Policy

Customer Service is one excellent way to start building a relationship with your customers. It also participates in your trust-building campaign. Describe your customer service policy, hours of service, phone, and email contact details, etc.

The policy can only be 4000 characters long. Carefully plan your policy to make sure all essential points are covered within the word limit. Make sure you do not place any links or URLs to any website.

3. Provide Contact Details: Manage Contacts

Under the Manage Contacts section, you have to furnish the people’s contact details from your organization who look after various business activities. There are five types of contact details that you need to provide here:

Technical: Here, you can provide contact details of people responsible for looking after integration or API-related issues.

Business Management: This section provides contact details of people responsible for business communications between your organization and Walmart.

Customer Service: Here, you can provide the contact details of people responsible for communicating with the customers. Keep in mind that the contact details entered here should be the same as those entered in the Customer Service Tab.

Item Content: In this section, you can add contact details of people responsible for looking after the attributes of items sold at Walmart.

Shipping: This field calls for the contact details of people responsible for shipping and fulfillment-related issues.

Partner Performance: Here, you can provide contact details of people responsible for your organization’s performance.

4. Set expectations for customers: Shipping Options

a. Shipping Rates

Make sure you consider all facts and research properly before setting the rates. Your customers find shipping time and cost as a very crucial entity before buying something. With price comes expectation.

They wouldn’t want to spend extra only to receive the delivery a week later. Update all the information related to methods, regions, time, price range, and the corresponding date.

b. Standard Processing Schedule

Specify the time for processing the order and if there are days when you do not process orders. It once again helps in setting expectations beforehand. The more informed your customers are, the more patience they retain while waiting for delivery.

c. Shipping Policy

Walmart, to protect both customers and sellers, makes sure that all policies are in place. Expectations should be clear before you start selling on Walmart Marketplace. Like all other policies, the Shipping policy can be of 4000 characters only.

5. Make your customers feel protected while shopping: Returns

a. General Return Settings

This section has two parts:

i. Refund Processing

While selling on Walmart, some customers may request a refund. When that happens, you will be required to start processing the refund process as soon as possible and manually refund the amount.

If you fail to do so in 48 hours, the amount will be refunded automatically. In case this happens too many times, your ratings will be affected.

ii. Label Printing

Walmart will auto-generate a shipping label for return from the seller’s account to the customer. It contains PO# and RMA# for tracking.

For this label, you need to declare the shipping service you want to use for returning purposes. You can choose between the Return Shipping Service and Carrier Account.

b. Return Centers

Before you can start selling on Walmart, you have to decide on at least one return center. The return center closest to the customer will be automatically selected during the return process if you have configured more than one return center. However, if you want a particular return center to be used for specific items, you can override the automatic selection via Bulk Return Rules Updates.

c. Return Rules

Before making these rules, go through Marketplace Return Policy. Your rules cannot go against the rules laid down by Walmart’s policies. This section can be used to define rules regarding Return Window, Restocking Fee, Return Shipping Fees, etc., before you start selling.

d. Return Window

The return window is the period within which the Walmart Marketplace sellers are required to return the item. This window starts seven days after the date of shipping. The date on which they receive the item is of no consequence here.

e. “Keep it” Rules

Sometimes letting your customers keep the item instead of going through the shipping process and incurring costs is cost-effective. This rule applies that without creating a label and shipping the item back to the seller, they will process the refund without creating a return label.

This kind of policy greatly influences the trust between seller and customer. Customers feel safe, and they convert faster.

f. Return Policy Display Settings

Your Return Policy is visible to your Walmart customers on your product page. You can add additional information that you want to add up to your return policy so that customers can read and understand quickly.

6. Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy helps your customers in trusting you better. Since this is shown to your customers while shopping, they get a chance to read and understand the risks, you can describe how you aim to keep the privacy and information of your customers safe. The limit to this is 4000 characters as well.

7. Taxes

a. Nexus

Nexus is where you fill in details about whether or not you are eligible for Sales Tax. It is the seller’s responsibility to file nexus, and Walmart relies on this information. Every seller has a different sales tax obligation.

b. Shipping Tax Codes

This information helps Walmart in deciding what Walmart should charge the customers for shipping.

c. Sales Tax Policy

Describe your tax policies in not more than 4000 characters so that customers understand why they are paying certain taxes and what are they meant for?

The Tax forms can sometimes be intimidating and confusing, but once all fields are understood, it becomes an easy enough process.

This step marks the end of your Partner Profile set up and marks it off the Walmart Onboarding Checklist.

Step 3: Setup Items and Upload Inventory

1. Choose a method for Item Setup

As once mentioned above, to create Walmart Product Listing, there is more than one way. Depending upon whether sellers do it themselves or seek help, here are the four methods, and you can choose the one as per your convenience:

Single Item method: You can directly enter your catalog details into the Seller Center with this method. So if you have a limited catalog and less technical capabilities, you can go with the method.

Bulk Upload method: If you have to publish a small catalog, and have less technical expertise, go with this method. In this method, you need to enter your catalog details into Excel spreadsheets.

API integration method: If you have to publish an extensive catalog, go with this method. But, you also need to have the technical expertise to use this method as this method incorporates some programming.

Solution Provider: Now, if you don’t want yourself indulged in the catalog upload process on Walmart, you can choose a Solution Provider, like CedCommerce, who will take care of all the work on your part.

Walmart Integration API Method: Solution Provider (The Recommended Method)

Walmart Integration API method is the most common and advisable method of uploading items for Walmart Product Listing. If you have an extensive catalog of things, this method is indeed recommended.

How does this work out?

The answer is Solution Providers. Solution Providers help out the sellers by managing their humongous data across platforms and tracking it for them.

These services vary from Item and Order Management to Fulfillment, along with handling prices for them.

Providers can help you out with all or specific needs of your shop depending upon what you want. Walmart categorizes the Solution Providers as Full-Service Solution Providers, Speciality Solution Providers, and Speciality Partners.

Solution Providers are the third-party servers who are registered Partners with the Marketplaces, for which they provide a solution. Here are some keys that you should consider while deciding which Solution Provider to choose. Whether they offer:

• Item Integration with complete details such as Variants and Swatches
• Order Integration along with Cancellation, Refunds, and Shipment Services
• Pricing Management, including Price Promotion, Product Repricing, etc.
• Data Management and Synchronization across different platforms to create Multi-Channel Store.
• What type of support can you expect from them? Over which platforms such as phone, Live chat, or Email, how fast do they respond, and if they offer dedicated agents or not?

Working with CedCommerce is the best decision we have made in our business.
-Rachel & Don, owner & CEO of USAloot

To get all the services mentioned above, you can get in touch with the respective team and figure out the best fit for all your needs! If you need more information, find out how to get API keys from Walmart Marketplace.

Once you finalize the integration method, you can move on to Item Setup.

2. Item Setup

Before you can go live, you need to update a product listing. While creating your Product Listing, keep in mind that you are communicating with your customer base, and this will be your chance to make the first impression.

And as mentioned above, this product listing would have to follow those criteria. Here are specific tips for setting up your Walmart Product Listing:

a. Category and Attribute Mapping:

Choose the right category and subcategory for your item. Categorization defines the referral fees you pay to Walmart. But that is not it. How much you sell depends upon how Walmart displays your product. Hence, the display at the end depends upon your selection of categories and subcategories.

Note: When you create product profiles and connect them to Shipping Templates, you can create different Shipping Profiles (depending on the type, size, weight, and distance of the shipped product) for an overall easier shipping process.

b. Product Images:

Review the item requirements and upload images as per Walmart guidelines.

The image plays a significant role in selling products on Walmart. Walmart has laid down very detailed rules and tips to help with suitable images for products. Image size, file format, file size, aspect ratio, image URLs, etc., are all elaborated well for the seller’s help in guidelines.

c. Item Specifications: Fill the Full Item Spec

Walmart provides a complete workbook with detailed instructions and tabs for each category available on Walmart. On opening sheets, you can find sub-categories just as well. Hence, careful categorization before reaching this stage is crucial.

For updating items on Walmart, there are several methods to reduce the work for sellers. Sellers can either choose to do it themselves, or they can get assistance from Solution Providers. While doing Walmart Product Listings by themselves, they would have to fill out the Item Specs Worksheet.

How to fill the Item Spec Form?

• Properly Categorize Products before starting.
• Open the worksheet and makes sure you enable the macros. Macros are recordings of your clicks, commands, and series of actions in excel that you can repeat with just one click next time. These help in saving time when you are required to repeat something over and over again.
• Select the sheet of your matching sub-category.
• In the toolbox at the top, find Walmart Toolbar, and choose “Show Required Field Only.”
• Fill out all the details precisely and make sure the data you enter is valid to avoid an error during the upload.
• If you need help with a particular column or are unsure what to fill in a cell, go to the Data definitions tab. You will find a complete guide for all the Attributes required.
• Add Main and Additional Images as per your need. To add more than one image, go to the Walmart toolbar once again and select Show All Fields.
• Manage Variant Groups for your products. Variant Groups are Products varying by only a few attributes (Color, size, print, etc.).
• Once you are done filling out the details, you need to Validate your data to avoid small or big errors. Although they are not enough, they still help you in finding most of the mistakes.
• Once all these steps are successfully covered, upload the file to Seller Center.

3. Upload Inventory

The next step is to update inventory. For updating inventory using inventory spec, go to Items & Inventory, and then click on Bulk Updates.

From the Select Spec Template, and under the Select Spec dropdown, select Bulk Inventory Update and then click download.

Now an Excel Sheet opens up in which you need to enter SKUs that you want to update, the quantity of stock, and then Save the file.

Once all this is done, you need to upload the Completed Spec.

Step 4: Confirm you are Ready To Launch

At this step, make sure that the following things are in place:

• Is your staff ready to start selling on Walmart once you go live?
• Have you decided on what shipping methods you are going to involve? Make sure it is all set and ready to use.
• Recheck all your form details and be very sure everything is correct and within the lines of Walmart policies before going live.
• Recheck your bank details and Payoneer or Hyperwallet account. See if everything is set up correctly.
• Are all your inventory updated with the correct pricing and details?

If yes then, go ahead and click that Ready to launch button on the bottom of the Walmart onboarding Checklist.

In case you chose a Solution Provider, the process of onboarding might differ a little bit. To understand the process again, make sure you contact the right solution provider and let them take care of it all!

After placing the request for launch, wait for Walmart to approve your application. You will receive an approval mail from Walmart and 48 hours post which your account will be live. Congratulations!

To Sum Up

So, once you decide to take your store to Walmart, you will find yourself wondering how to do that? How to sell your products on Walmart? Well, the answer to that is rather a simple one.

To start selling on Walmart, you need to fill out the Walmart application form before beginning the registration process and gaining access to the seller center. As soon as you gain access to the seller center, you can upload your inventory either by yourself or choose a third-party solution provider to meet your needs through Walmart Integration API.

Once done, complete Walmart Onboarding Checklist to go live.

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