Walmart retail arbitrage: can you buy from Walmart and resell on Amazon?
Max VershininFounder of Arbitrage Herowalmartretail arbitrageonline arbitrageinvoicesfba fees
Ask AI to summarize this article:
Yes, you can buy from Walmart and resell on Amazon, but Walmart retail arbitrage has two limits. Amazon's US reselling guide says retail arbitrage can work "if you follow Amazon selling guidelines". Walmart's Terms of Use, last updated on 21 September 2026, reserve the right "to prohibit sales to dealers or resellers". Amazon's US invoice requirements for appealing a policy violation also ask for a supplier-issued invoice, which a Walmart receipt may not satisfy.
The retail arbitrage guides we read name Walmart as a source, and none of them quotes Walmart's terms. This guide quotes them, compares them with what Amazon asks for in an appeal, and works out a break-even buy cost in three examples. Arbitrage Hero lists Walmart among its 254 US supported stores, with 2,847,361 products on 6 November 2026. It matches them to Amazon mainly by barcode and shows the profit, fees and ROI of each match. Whether Walmart fills your order and whether your documents satisfy Amazon is a check you make yourself.
This guide covers buying from Walmart in the US and selling on Amazon US, as read on 6 November 2026. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice, and its hypothetical fee calculations are not forecasts of profit.
Walmart's Terms of Use let it refuse sales to resellers
Walmart's Terms of Use give Walmart the right to refuse sales to resellers, and they do not say how often it uses that right. The clause says Walmart "reserves the right, at our sole discretion, to prohibit sales to dealers or resellers". The terms define reselling as "purchasing or intending to purchase any Product(s) from Walmart for the purpose of engaging in a commercial sale of the same Product(s) to a third party". That definition describes retail arbitrage.
Three more clauses in the same document affect a reseller:
- Quantity. Walmart may "limit the quantity of items purchased per person, per household, or per order for any reason", "including without prior notice".
- Cancellation. Walmart may "refuse or cancel an order for any reason". It may cancel an order with a pricing error "even after your receipt of an order confirmation or shipping/delivery notice".
- Use of the sites. "The Walmart Sites and Materials may be used only as a personal shopping resource."
The terms define "Walmart Sites" as www.walmart.com and the Walmart Apps. We found no published Walmart rule on resellers for purchases at a store checkout, so this guide makes no claim about those. We also have no data on how often Walmart refuses or cancels a reseller's order.
Is Walmart retail arbitrage allowed on Amazon?
Amazon allows retail arbitrage within its selling guidelines, and its US reselling guide does not mention Walmart. The guide, dated 17 September 2025, defines retail arbitrage as "purchasing products from retail stores at lower prices and reselling them for a profit". It adds: "It's possible to effectively use this tactic if you follow Amazon selling guidelines." It also warns that a reseller "might need additional documents, such as invoices, to sell the products".
You still need Amazon's approval for some brands and categories, and our guide explains how to get ungated on Amazon. The trademark law is a separate question, covered in is retail arbitrage legal.
Does Amazon accept a Walmart receipt as an invoice?
Amazon does not say that it accepts a Walmart receipt as an invoice, and its US invoice page does not mention retail receipts or Walmart. That page says an invoice "is issued directly by a supplier". Amazon's reselling guide addresses a different context: in its advice for used and collectible products, it says "Purchase orders, invoices, and receipts can serve as proof of authenticity if questions come up". The invoice page is the one written for appeals of a policy violation, so check your documents against it before you buy.
As read on 6 November 2026, Amazon's US appeal page asks for the supplier's name, phone number, address and website, and an issue date within the past 365 days before Amazon's notification. It also asks for quantities that cover your sales and in-stock inventory of each cited ASIN over the past 365 days, and clear product identifiers. Documents must be authentic and unaltered, in PDF, JPG, PNG or GIF format, and no larger than 10 MB. Each line is a question to ask about your own Walmart document:
| Amazon's US invoice page asks for | Check on your Walmart document |
|---|---|
| The supplier's "name, phone number, address, and website" | Are all four on the document? |
| An issue date "within the past 365 days" before Amazon's notification | Is the date clear? An old purchase can fall outside this period |
| Quantity to cover your sales and stock of each cited ASIN over the past 365 days | Do your documents together add up to the units you sold and still hold? |
| "Product names, model numbers, or universal product identifiers" | Can you match each line to the listing? |
| A PDF, JPG, PNG or GIF file of 10 MB or less, "authentic and unaltered" | Can you get a clear copy without editing it? |
Amazon also says "We might reach out to the supplier to verify your documents information". Walmart's terms describe an eReceipt as "a digital copy of your Walmart in-store purchase receipt". They do not describe it as a supplier's invoice, so compare it with the list above.
A Walmart.com order can also come from another company. Walmart's terms say Marketplace orders "will be fulfilled by the third party Marketplace Retailer or, in certain cases, by Walmart on behalf of the Marketplace Retailer". A Walmart Marketplace product "can only be returned to that Marketplace Retailer". So check the seller's name on the listing before you buy, and whose details your document will show.
How much can you pay at Walmart after Amazon's fees?
Assume that Amazon classifies a hypothetical Toys and Games unit as small standard-size with a shipping weight of 6 oz: it leaves an estimated $7.26 at a $12.99 sale price and $17.46 at $24.99. An assumed large standard-size Home and Kitchen unit with a shipping weight of 2 lb leaves an estimated $27.63 at $39.99. Under Amazon's US peak fees (15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027), these estimates deduct a referral fee of 15% of the sale price and the FBA fulfillment fee plus a surcharge of 3.5% of that fee. They exclude sales tax and all other costs, so each amount is a break-even limit and leaves nothing for profit.
The inputs of the three examples
- Examples A and B: Toys and Games, assumed small standard-size, shipping weight 6 oz.
- Example C: Home and Kitchen, assumed large standard-size, shipping weight 2 lb.
- Referral fee: Amazon's US referral fee page sets 15% of the total sales price for both categories, with a $0.30 minimum.
- Fulfillment fee: Amazon's US FBA fee page, for units priced $10 to $50 that are not apparel or dangerous goods. The peak fee applies from 15 October 2026 to 14 January 2027: $3.65 for 6 oz and $6.15 for 2 lb. From 15 January 2027 the same page lists $3.92 and $5.98.
- Surcharge: the same page adds 3.5% of the fulfillment fee in the US, and its tables do not include it. We add it to both periods.
- Formula: estimated amount left = sale price - (sale price x 15%) - (fulfillment fee x 1.035). The referral fee is $1.95, $3.75 and $6.00 in Examples A, B and C.
The result for each example
For the peak period, the estimated fulfillment fee with the 3.5% surcharge is $3.78 per unit in Examples A and B and $6.37 in Example C.
| Example | Sale price | Peak fulfillment fee with surcharge | Left for buy cost at peak (estimated) | Left from 15 January 2027 (estimated) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A, 6 oz | $12.99 | $3.78 | $7.26 | $6.98 |
| B, 6 oz | $24.99 | $3.78 | $17.46 | $17.18 |
| C, 2 lb | $39.99 | $6.37 | $27.63 | $27.80 |
Each value is calculated from unrounded inputs and rounded on its own, so a row can differ by a cent from the sum of its rounded parts. From 15 January 2027 the fulfillment fee with surcharge is $4.06 for 6 oz and $6.19 for 2 lb. The estimated amounts left are then $6.98 for Example A, $17.18 for Example B and $27.80 for Example C, before the same left-out costs.
Your buy cost includes any sales tax you pay at Walmart, so compare each limit with the price after tax. The table leaves out your selling plan, inbound shipping, inbound placement, storage, prep, labels and returns. It also assumes the unit sells at that price, which Amazon's fees cannot tell you. Use our FBA calculator with your own unit before you buy.
Do Walmart clearance prices change these checks?
No, a Walmart clearance price does not remove the checks on the seller, your right to list, your documents and your costs. Amazon's US invoice page names no exception for clearance goods. Sellers and deal sites use the term "Walmart hidden clearance". Walmart's Terms of Use do not use it, and we did not verify it as an official Walmart program. Those terms do say: "Pricing for products may be different on the Walmart Sites or from prices available in Walmart stores or on Walmart Apps."
So check the price at the place where you will buy. Walmart.com's quantity limit still applies when you order discounted goods online, and the terms set no rule for a store checkout. Calculate Amazon's fees from the item's category, sale price, size, shipping weight and fee period.
What to do next
Before you buy Walmart stock for Amazon US, check your right to list it, the seller, your documents and your total costs.
- Check in Seller Central that you can list the brand and category before you buy.
- Check who sells the item: Walmart or a Marketplace Retailer.
- Compare the document you will get with the table of Amazon's invoice requirements, and keep every document.
- Work out your limit with your own fees, sales tax, shipping, prep and storage.
- Wait until the goods reach you or your prep center before you list them, because Walmart can still cancel an order.
- Inspect each unit and check the labeling requirements shown for your shipment in Seller Central. Our FNSKU label guide explains FNSKU labeling.
Can Walmart cancel an order from a reseller?
Yes. Walmart's Terms of Use say Walmart may "refuse or cancel an order for any reason", and they separately reserve the right to prohibit sales to dealers or resellers. If your order is canceled after your payment account was charged, the terms say Walmart "will issue a credit" for the charged amount. The terms do not say that every reseller's order is canceled, and we have no data on how often it happens.
Can Walmart ship directly to your Amazon customer?
No, you should not order from Walmart for direct delivery to an Amazon buyer. Amazon's US reselling guide says "Drop-shipping retail-to-retail is prohibited". For the sourcing described here, we recommend that you or your prep center receive and inspect the stock before you offer it for sale. Our guide explains why Amazon does not allow retail-to-retail dropshipping.