Walmart Marketplace Maintains No-Monthly-Fee Model
Walmart Marketplace currently charges no setup or monthly fees and primarily collects 6% to 15% referral fees by category; WFS storage fees increase during peak months for inventory stored longer than 30 days.
What are the key facts?
- 1Walmart Marketplace charges no setup or monthly fees
- 2Public Referral Fee rates are generally 6% to 15%
- 3WFS storage costs $0.75 per cubic foot per month from January through September
- 4Storage fees increase during peak season for inventory stored longer than 30 days
What happened?
Walmart Marketplace’s pricing page shows that the platform currently charges no setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees, and primarily collects a Referral Fee on completed sales. Public rates are generally 6% to 15%, depending on category, item price, and price range. Walmart Fulfillment Services storage fees are $0.75 per cubic foot per month from January through September. From October through December, inventory stored for no more than 30 days remains charged at $0.75 per cubic foot per month, while inventory stored for more than 30 days is charged $1.50 per cubic foot per month; inventory stored for more than 12 months is charged $2.25 per cubic foot per month. This fee structure affects Chinese sellers preparing to enter the US marketplace, brand sellers using WFS inventory, and large, slow-moving products. Referral fees are generally based on total sales including shipping and handling fees, rather than only the listed item price.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Walmart Marketplace does not charge setup or monthly fees, but its 6% to 15% category referral fee is generally calculated on total sales including shipping and handling fees. Recalculate unit economics accordingly. For WFS users, pay particular attention to storage-fee increases from October through December for inventory stored longer than 30 days, especially for bulky or slow-moving products.
What should sellers do now?
- 1Recalculate referral fees this week by product category, item price, and total sales, and include shipping and handling fees in the unit-profit table.Finance
- 2Export the WFS inventory list and flag bulky, slow-moving products that may remain in storage for more than 30 days during peak season; prepare clearance, promotion, or reduced-replenishment plans.Procurement List