Amazon Seller Central: Setup and Maximisation Guide

What is Amazon Seller Central?

A Seller Central account is an online dashboard that merchants use to sell on Amazon. It allows you to list products, track orders, manage payments, communicate with customers, and monitor sales performance. There are two main types of accounts:

• Individual seller accounts—suited to occasional sellers.
• Professional seller accounts—ideal for businesses managing high volumes or multiple product lines.

Key Benefits for Businesses in Hong Kong

• Access to Amazon’s global customer base
• Built-in logistics and fulfilment solutions
• Detailed analytics to support data-driven decisions
• Integrated support for multi-country operations

How to Get Started With Amazon Seller Central

1. Create an Amazon Seller Account

To create an Amazon selling account, you must first register for a new account at sell.amazon.com. For businesses based in Hong Kong, you’ll need to gather the following documents:

• Company Registration Certificate and Business Registration Regulations
• Valid government-issued ID
• A valid credit or debit card 
• Accurate company email and telephone numbers
• A bank account to receive payments (either a Hong Kong account or an account with a third-party payment provider).

2. Identity Verification

After submitting your account information and registering as a new seller, Amazon will ask for identity verification. Hong Kong sellers can choose between:

• Photo verification: Take a clear photo of your face along with your ID using your device’s camera.
• Video verification: Record a short video showing your face and the ID documents you submitted.

Amazon sends a postcard with a verification code to your business address within 5-8 working days.

3. Select Selling Category

Choose the product categories that match your Seller Central Amazon account offerings. Some categories (such as groceries, beauty, and electronics) may require approval. 

4. Upload Product Information

You’ll need:

• Product titles and descriptions
• High-quality images (Amazon has strict standards)
• SKUs and barcodes
• Price and quantity

5. Set Up Logistics

You have two main options for order fulfilment as a new seller:

• Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA): Ship your products to Amazon’s global warehouses. The Amazon Fulfilment network handles packing, shipping, free storage, and customer returns.
• Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM): Store and ship products yourself, or partner with an Amazon partnered carrier program and logistics provider in Hong Kong.

For cross-border sellers, Amazon offers services like Amazon Global Logistics (AGL) and FBA Inventory Management to help you manage stock and delivery times. FBA is recommended to scale quickly and tap into Prime shipping.

How to Optimise Product Listings on Amazon Seller Central

Understand the Product Detail Page

Your product detail page (PDP) is the brand storefront on Amazon.com. It's where potential customers assess your product, so optimising each component is crucial.

Key Components:

• Title: Craft a keyword-rich title in your preferred language, including essential information like brand, product type, size, and key features. 
• Images: Use high-resolution images to enable zoom functionality. Include multiple images showcasing the product from different angles, in use, and highlighting key features. ​
• Bullet Points: Highlight the top five features or benefits of your product. Start each bullet with a capitalised feature (e.g., "DURABLE MATERIAL") followed by a brief explanation.
• Description: Explain how the product solves a problem or improves the customer's life. 
• Price: Set a competitive price by researching similar products.
• Customer Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. The page feedback helps.
• A+ Content (if eligible): You can enhance brand storefronts on Amazon.com with rich media, comparison charts, and detailed brand stories.

Match or Create a Product Listing

When adding a product to Amazon, you have two options:

Matching an Existing Listing:

• When to Match: If the exact product (same brand, model, and specifications) already exists on Amazon, you should match your offer to the existing listing. ​
• How to Match: Use the product's identifier (UPC, EAN, ISBN) to search in Seller Central. Once found, select "Sell this product" and enter your offer details.

Creating a New Listing:

• When to Create: If your product is new to Amazon or differs significantly from existing listings (e.g., unique brand, features, or bundling), you'll need to create a new listing.​
• How to Create: Navigate to "Add a Product" in Seller Central, select the appropriate category, and enter all required product information, including title, images, bullet points, and description.​
• Brand Registry: If you own the brand, enrolling in Amazon's Brand Registry provides additional protections and access to enhanced marketing tools.​

By optimising your product listings and ensuring accurate representation, you'll achieve your first sale in less time.

How to Use Amazon Seller Central for Pricing and Inventory Management

How to Price Products Competitively

Amazon is a competitive space. To stay relevant:

• Research competing products and prices
• Factor in Amazon referral fees and fulfilment costs
• Consider dynamic pricing tools to auto-adjust based on demand and competition

Remember to track exchange rate implications if you're managing sales in multiple currencies. Using a digital Corporate Card from Aspire can simplify international purchases while offering better rates.

How to Manage Your Inventory Effectively

Stay in stock—but don’t overstock. Use Amazon’s tools to:

• Set inventory alerts
• Track the performance of SKUs
• Forecast demand during peak seasons

How to Use Amazon Seller Central to Monitor Performance

Customer Service Performance

Amazon tracks metrics like:

• Late shipment rate
• Pre-fulfilment cancellation rate
• Order defect rate

To maintain selling account health, respond to customer messages within 24 hours and resolve disputes professionally.

Account Health Rating

Amazon’s Account Health Rating (AHR) scores you based on:

• Policy compliance
• Intellectual property complaints
• Fulfilment and shipping issues

How to Choose a Fulfilment Method

Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)

Fulfilment by Amazon FBA is convenient but comes with fees. Amazon stores your products, ships them to customers, and handles returns and customer service.

Best for: Businesses looking to scale quickly across countries, especially when shipping from Hong Kong to the US, EU, or Asia-Pacific.

Pros:

• Prime eligibility
• Faster delivery
• Less operational overheads

Cons:

• Less control over packaging
• Additional storage and handling fees

Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM)

With FBM, you handle storage, packaging, and shipping.

Best for: Businesses with in-house logistics or lower sales volume. This gives you more control and can be more cost-effective for niche products or B2B sales.

Pros:

• Greater control over shipping
• Lower storage costs

Cons:

• No Prime badge
• Customer service responsibilities remain with you

How to Boost Your Amazon Business with Aspire

Aspire helps eCommerce businesses streamline finances with tools and programs tailored for cross-border operations:

• Business Account: Send and receive money globally with lower FX rates and no hidden fees.
• Global Payments: Pay international suppliers and platforms like Amazon with ease.
• Corporate Card: Issue multi-currency virtual or physical cards for different team members or marketing campaigns.
• Expense Management: Track, categorise, and manage spending in real-time—great for monitoring your Amazon ad costs, inventory purchases, and software tools.

Use Aspire to help you start selling with Amazon for tools to grow sustainably and efficiently.

Frequently Asked Questions

What documents are required for an Amazon Seller account from Hong Kong?

You’ll need a Company Registration Certificate, government ID, an international credit/debit card, and company contact details.

How can you optimise your product listings on Amazon?

Use relevant keywords, high-quality images, clear bullet points, and compelling descriptions.

What are the differences between FBA and FBM?

Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) offers convenience and Prime access at a cost, while FBM provides more control and is more suitable for lower-volume sellers.

How can you manage payments and currency conversions?

Using a platform like Aspire helps to streamline global payments, reduce fees, and simplify financial tracking.

What performance metrics should you monitor?

Track your Order Defect Rate, Late Shipment Rate, and Pre-Fulfilment Cancel Rate.