Walmart Dropshipping Guide 2025 for Beginners to Sell Online

With millions of visits daily, Walmart offers an incredible opportunity for online retailers to reach a massive market. However, does the Walmart Dropshipping model on this platform truly hold potential? In this article, NextSky will explore its suitability for beginners.

What is Walmart Dropshipping?

Walmart Dropshipping is a business model on Walmart Marketplace that allows you to sell products without worrying about inventory or shipping. When a customer orders on Walmart.com or the Walmart app, the supplier will directly deliver the product to the customer. 

Before diving into how to sell on Walmart, you need to clarify this:

• You are allowed to sell dropshipping products on Walmart.com.
• However, you cannot use Walmart's products to dropship to other platforms.

According to the terms of use, Walmart prohibits purchasing products from their store and reselling them through your store or third-party platforms, using Walmart to fulfill the delivery to the customer.

Read more: What is Dropshipping? Everything You Need to Know 

Pros and Cons of Walmart Dropshipping

Advantages of Dropshipping on Walmart

• Significant traffic and easy customer access: Walmart Marketplace attracts millions of buyers daily, allowing sellers to easily reach a large customer base without spending much on marketing costs.
• Lower competition compared to Amazon and eBay: Compared to Amazon or eBay, there are fewer sellers on Walmart, making it easier for newcomers to enter the market with less competition from large competitors. Additionally, Walmart tightly controls its seller list, limiting unhealthy competition.
• Low selling fees, only commission charged upon successful sales: Walmart charges a commission fee (referral fee) only on successful orders, and there are no fees for maintaining a store. This reduces the initial financial pressure for sellers.
• Easy integration with Shopify and management tools: Walmart supports integration with Shopify, BigCommerce, and other platforms, helping sellers synchronize products, inventory, orders, and prices automatically, saving time on management.
• Wide range of product categories: Sellers can choose from over 35 categories, from electronics and home goods to fashion, as long as they adhere to product guidelines and prohibited items.

Disadvantages of Dropshipping on Walmart

• Strict approval process: Walmart requires sellers to provide clear business information, demonstrate operational capacity, and have a reputable business history before approval.
• Commission fees can be high: Commission fees range from 8–15%, depending on the category. For low-priced items, these fees can impact profit margins.
• Strict operational standards: Sellers must ensure fast order processing (1–2 days), clear return policies, and up-to-date shipping information. Failure to meet these requirements can lead to account restrictions.
• No support for products from AliExpress: Walmart prohibits dropshipping directly from AliExpress but allows integration with DSers, Spocket, and CJDropshipping, platforms with reliable sources and automatic integration.

Explore 3 popular dropshipping models on Walmart Marketplace

Walmart allows dropshipping if you strictly adhere to its inventory, shipping, and product quality guidelines. Below are the methods for dropshipping on this platform.

Become a dropship vendor (DSV)

Becoming a dropship vendor (DSV) on Walmart Marketplace is a great opportunity, with a simple registration process. Once approved, you can list your products and choose from two flexible shipping options:

• Send products to Walmart’s warehouse, and they will handle the packing and shipping to customers.
• Ship directly from your warehouse to the end customer.

This flexibility helps optimize costs and operations to fit your dropshipping model best. Becoming a DSV at Walmart is a strategic stepping stone for expanding your business and increasing brand exposure.

Reselling Products from Walmart

Reselling products from Walmart is slightly different from traditional dropshipping. Instead of having the supplier ship directly to the customer, you need to purchase the products from Walmart, receive them, and then ship them to the customer.

This method requires more effort and isn’t as simple as dropshipping, but it allows you to access a rich source of high-quality products and gives you more control over the process to ensure customers receive the best products.

Become a 3P seller on Walmart

Dropshipping on Walmart is one of the simplest and most promising ways to start a business today. All you need to do is find the right suppliers and list the products on Walmart Marketplace. When an order arrives, the supplier takes full responsibility for packaging and shipping the product to the customer. This is the fastest and most cost-effective way to start dropshipping on Walmart with low risk and minimal operating costs.

How to Dropship Walmart in 2025?

Here are the simple but essential steps to help you start dropshipping on Walmart effectively and smoothly:

Find suppliers and products for Dropshipping

This is the first and one of the most important steps when starting dropshipping with Walmart.

Find best-selling products

There are many ways to identify potential products. I often use product research tools, and Helium 10 is my top choice when dropshipping on Walmart. This tool has a feature called Black Box, which allows you to filter products by:

• Category
• Number of reviews, best-seller ranking
• Competitor data, keywords, images, etc.

Additionally, you can browse through categories currently on sale on Walmart, such as:

• Clearance items
• Daily deals
• Flash Sales
• Walmart Savings Spotlight

You can gather plenty of potential product ideas by checking out a few categories.

Choose a reliable supplier

Before choosing a product, make sure you have selected a suitable supplier. Here are some tips I usually follow:

• Prioritize local suppliers: This ensures faster shipping, which helps you make a good impression on both Walmart and customers.
• Use websites like Dropshipping.com to find suppliers. You can filter by location, product type, shipping time, cost, etc.

When reviewing a supplier, consider:

• How quickly do they respond to messages?
• How well do they understand the products they are selling?
• Do they provide detailed information about prices, processing times, MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity), shipping, etc.?

Research product trends

You should also explore trending products using Google Trends. Additionally, avoid products that are banned on Walmart, such as:

• Obscene or offensive items
• Restricted items like adult products, military gear, gambling, etc.

Price analysis

Finally, don't forget to compare prices with those of your competitors. Selling too cheaply means no profit, while setting prices too high will scare customers away. Additionally, you can use Commerce Inspector to see what your competitors are selling, their prices, and whether they are making any adjustments.

Read more: Top 20+ Dropshipping Suppliers for Every Business Type

Sign up for a Walmart account

• Step 1: Visit https://marketplace.walmart.com and click the “Request to Sell” button to begin registration.
• Step 2: Fill in the information related to your business, including:
  • Legal company name
  • Employer Identification Number (EIN)
  • Business address
  • Country of registration
  • E-commerce website (if available)

• Step 3: Next, you’ll need to provide details about:

  • The product categories you plan to sell (e.g., electronics, fashion, home goods, etc.)
  • Your average annual e-commerce revenue
  • Current sales channels (e.g., Amazon, eBay, Shopify, etc.)

• Step 4: In this step, you’ll outline agreements related to shipping and returns, including:

  • The shipping carrier you use
  • Order processing times
  • Your return and refund policy
• Step 5: Walmart allows you to add a brief note introducing your business and explaining why you are a suitable candidate. This is your chance to:
  • Highlight your experience in online business
  • Showcase your ability to handle large order volumes
  • Emphasize your brand's reputation and positive customer reviews
• Step 6: After completing the fields, simply submit your application and wait for Walmart Marketplace to review and respond via email. The review process typically takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks; in some cases, it may take up to a month.

Read more: Shopify Dropshipping Guide Step-by-step for Beginners

Walmart Marketplace integration

Once your registration is approved, you will receive an email with instructions on creating your seller account. The following steps include:

• Provide business information: address, bank account details, tax identification number, etc.
• Agree to Walmart's Retailer Agreement.
• Complete the necessary tax forms.
• Set up your payment method (via Hyperwallet or Payoneer) and shipping information.
• Create product listings and upload your inventory.
• Complete your Walmart Partner Profile with your company name, description, logo, and sales policies for customers to view.

Setting up your store

Once your account is approved, you can begin listing products on Walmart Marketplace. However, before proceeding, it is essential to pay attention to accuracy and attention to detail in every aspect. You can also refer to the official Walmart video guide for detailed instructions.

To optimize sales effectiveness, you should:

• Write clear and attractive product titles
• Provide detailed descriptions with complete information
• Use high-quality, professional images

You can refer to products listed on Walmart.com to understand professional sellers' effective presentation methods. Additionally, it is recommended that merchants check the order processing procedure with a few test products directly in the Seller Center. This involves 4 basic steps:

• Confirm the order
• Cancel the order (if necessary)
• Ship the product
• Handle returns

After completing the test process, Walmart will conduct a final review. If your store meets the requirements, it will be activated, and you can start receiving real orders within 24–48 hours.

List your products on Walmart Marketplace

• Step 1: Log in to your Walmart Seller Center account. In the top right corner, click "Manage Items" → then click "Add Items" to start adding your products.

• Step 2: Enter the product's UPC, ISBN, or GTIN code.

  • Some information will be auto-filled if the product is already listed in Walmart's catalog.
  • If it's not, click "Add Here," enter the identification code and product name, and select the appropriate category.
• Step 3: Choose the category that accurately reflects your product features, as this will affect the listing fees and how the product appears in search results.
• Step 4: Fill in detailed product information, such as:
  • SKU
  • Brand
  • Product description (use bullet points to highlight key features)
• Step 5: Upload high-quality product images under the "Images and Media" tab. Choose one image as the primary photo and arrange the order of images to attract viewers.
• Step 6: Set up promotions and shipping information by going to the "Promotions" tab to enter the price, update the weight, and configure shipping options or limits.
• Step 7: Once all information is completed, click "Submit" to display your product on Walmart Marketplace. The approval process will take approximately 24 hours.

Read more: 500+ Best Dropshipping Products To Sell (Month + Niche)

Promoting your product

To advertise effectively on Walmart, you can optimize your product listings with high-quality images, appealing descriptions, and relevant keywords. Pay-per-click advertising (Sponsored Products) helps increase visibility, while SEO and positive reviews boost credibility.

Additionally, leveraging social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, email marketing, and influencer partnerships will help expand your reach. Don’t forget to use promotions and exclusive offers to attract customers.

How to Dropship from Walmart to Shopify Without Breaking the Policy

You can sell the same dropshipping product on Walmart Marketplace and Shopify, but you cannot dropship directly from Walmart to your Shopify store. This violates Walmart’s terms of use.

Instead, use apps like Walmart Integration on Shopify. This app allows you to import products from Walmart into Shopify and sync prices and inventory almost in real time. It helps you manage sales effectively and compliantly on both platforms.

Optimizing Tips for Walmart Dropshipping

To run dropshipping on Walmart effectively and sustainably, you must synchronize product visibility, customer service, operations management, and marketing. Here are some helpful tips to help you stand out:

Optimize your listing for better visibility

• SEO-optimized title: Place the main keyword at the beginning, followed by important details like size, color, and material.
• Clear and engaging description: Write concise sentences, highlight key benefits, and use bullet points to make it easier for customers to understand.
• High-quality images: At least 5–6 images from different angles, including white background photos and lifestyle shots. Consider adding a short video to increase interaction.

Choose trendy products

Success with dropshipping on Walmart largely depends on selecting products that meet market demand. Instead of relying on intuition, tools like Ahrefs or Google Trends can be used to measure real demand and spot seasonal trends. Focus on products with stable search volumes and good profit margins to generate sustainable revenue.

Follow Walmart’s service standards

Walmart prioritizes customer experience, so sellers must adhere to strict standards, such as ensuring timely delivery and maintaining low cancellation and complaint rates. With dropshipping, store owners should communicate shipping times and work with reliable suppliers. Additionally, check product quality before listing it to avoid potential issues.

Track and improve sales performance

Walmart provides a seller dashboard with comprehensive metrics like sales, customer reviews, and return rates, allowing you to monitor your business performance. Regularly track and compare your performance with Walmart’s platform standards to identify areas for improvement, optimize product listings, and enhance the shopping experience for customers.

Expand across multiple channels to reduce risk

While Walmart is a promising sales channel, you shouldn’t rely solely on it. Even a minor violation can lead to account suspension due to strict standards. Proactively expand to other platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce to reduce risk and ensure steady income. A multi-channel approach will provide more flexibility and better control over long-term growth.