Amazon is, hands down, the most popular online marketplace. It’s one of my top choices when I’m looking for ways to save money and discounts on things I need. Good prices aren’t the only thing Amazon has to offer, though. Did you know that you can also make money on Amazon?
Thanks to Amazon’s growth into new industries, there are many opportunities to make extra money. Some are traditional, like having a part-time job, while others, like selling items for cash, are more non-traditional.
Just like there seems to be no limit on how you can save money on Amazon, there are also many opportunities to make money with Amazon.
If you’re looking for a unique way to make extra money on the side, this post provides seven great ideas on how to make money on Amazon.
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Ways to Make Money Selling on Amazon
Amazon sells their own products, but they also allow individuals to sell items for cash. Below are some of the best ways to make money selling on Amazon.
1. Sell Your Unused Items
This is one of the most common ways to make money on Amazon. If you have old items you no longer want or use but are still in fair condition, you can try selling them on Amazon. Believe it or not, you may have some items sitting in your home that you can sell to make money.
All you need to do is create a seller’s profile and upload clear images with a description of your items. Amazon will charge a small fee for using the site to sell your items but you can factor that into your pricing. This ensures you make a decent profit.
Some people even make a business out of selling items on Amazon by flipping used items or ones they purchased brand-new for a discount.
2. Amazon FBA
Amazon FBA stands for Fulfillment By Amazon. This is a service that allows you to send the products you sell to Amazon’s fulfillment warehouse shipping centers.
There, the team will pack and ship your items for you when you receive an order. This cuts out the time and effort you would have spent doing it yourself.
It’s also a great option if you’re looking to scale your business and ship multiple items weekly. For example, let’s say you decide to become a wholesaler to make extra money on the side and start selling on Amazon. The FBA program would be a great way to grow your business and your income.
What I love about this income stream is that that you don’t need any sales or entrepreneurial experience to get started.
If you’re looking to launch your own Amazon FBA business, I highly recommend checking out The Selling Family and their Amazon Boot Camp, a free course to help get you started selling items on Amazon for profit.
3. Write and Sell an E-book
Have an interesting story to tell? You can write and self-publish your own e-book to sell on Amazon’s Kindle self-publishing service.
I did this years ago when I graduated college. I wanted to write a guide for students with tips about saving money and avoiding excessive student loan debt.
Publishing an e-book is a great way to share your knowledge and experiences while helping others. As an added bonus, you get to create passive income after you market the book. If you set up a successful sales funnel, you can even get consistent sales each month.
4. Sell Your Creation on Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade is very similar to Etsy, the online marketplace where people sell their handmade crafts and creations. If you’re crafty and like to DIY, this is a good opportunity to make money on Amazon.
With Amazon Handmade, your products must be made entirely by hand, hand-altered, or hand assembled. You must first apply to sell your products and, once approved, can sell items that fall under categories including jewelry, home products, beauty and personal care, party supplies and decor, stationery, accessories, and toys.
Amazon takes 15 percent cut when you make a sale. You can also take advantage of FBA if you’re selling items at a higher volume.
Ways to Make Money on Amazon Without Selling Anything
Not everyone likes sales. If that sounds like you, it’s okay. Below are some of the best ways to make money with Amazon without selling anything.
5. Deliver For Amazon Flex
Amazon processes countless orders per day for different products and they all need to be delivered.
With Amazon Flex, you can get paid as a delivery partner. This allows you to get paid for driving your car to deliver Amazon packages in your local area.
*Related: Looking for other delivery opportunities? Read our guide on apps like Amazon Flex to identify other side gigs.*
This is a flexible income stream where you set your own hours and earn competitive pay. According to their website, delivery partners can earn anywhere from $18 – $25 per hour delivering packages to homes and businesses.
6. Work From Home For Amazon
If you’re looking for legitimate work-from-home jobs, Amazon is one of the top employers providing quality remote job opportunities. Most of their positions are customer-service based but there are also other technical positions that require some experience.
For the customer service role, associates communicate with customers primarily through phone and email. They also utilize a variety of software tools to navigate customer accounts, research and review policies, and propose effective solutions.
Full-time and part-time opportunities are often available but there is a location requirement you have to meet.
Amazon only hires remote employees who reside in specific areas of the country so read the job description carefully to make sure you qualify. You can start looking for work from home jobs with Amazon here.
7. Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards
Everyone loves Amazon gift cards. What if you could receive them on a regular basis for free? Think about how many everyday items you order on Amazon and how you could supplement some of those expenses using Amazon gift cards.
Earning gift cards doesn’t technically qualify as a way to make money on Amazon. However, it can help you spend less and allocate those resources to other areas of your budget.
You can use sites like Swagbucks to do short tasks in exchange for points. Those points can be redeemed for Amazon gift cards.
You can also take surveys online to earn free money to use on Amazon. Taking surveys is one of the easiest ways to earn extra cash with very little effort.
You can take surveys on your phone, while watching TV, or even during your lunch break.
The extra cash won’t make you rich but if you take surveys consistently each week, you can score plenty of free Amazon gift cards. Some of the best survey sites I like to use to earn free Amazon gift cards are:
Survey Junkie: Survey Junkie is one of the oldest survey sites, starting in 2005 and boasting over 5 million members. You earn points, which can be converted to cash or rewards, by taking surveys. You can take redemptions once you hit $10 worth of cash or rewards. Gift card options include Amazon, plus many other stores.
Pinecone Research: Pinecone Research is one of the higher paying survey sites on the market. The pay starts at $3 per completed survey and increases the longer you’re with the company. The best part of Pinecone Research is they have no minimum redemption so you can redeem rewards right away. Gift card options include Amazon, plus many other stores.
Remember, surveys won’t make you rich but they can be a great way to help you earn some income to offset what you buy on Amazon.
Bottom Line
Clearly, Amazon is one of the best sites for saving and making money. Whether you’re considering a quick side hustle or even a long-term flexible business, you can utilize your options with this growing platform.
What are some other ways you’ve seen used to make money on Amazon? Would you ever consider selling items on Amazon to make money on the side? What are some other unique ways you’ve found to make extra money?
Choncé is a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI), personal finance freelance writer, and blogger who focuses on helping others manage their money better in order to live a life with more possibilities and fewer limitations. Her work has been featured on Business Insider, LendingTree, Credit Sesame, and Barclaycard.
