The fee, the approval step, the used-book catch, ISBNs, and the separate route for authors.
Updated November 10, 2026 · By the Margenos team
Here's how to sell books on Walmart: get an approved Walmart Marketplace seller account, request approval for the Books category (Walmart requires pre-approval for it), and list each title by its ISBN. Walmart charges a 15% referral fee on books. The big catch for resellers is condition. Only sellers invited to Walmart's Resold program can list pre-owned books; everyone else can list new books only. If you wrote the book, the usual route to Walmart.com is a distributor, not your own seller account.
Margenos is a Walmart reseller tool (Chrome extension and Android app) that shows whether a product is worth selling on Walmart Marketplace: fees, profit, ROI, sales estimates, every competing seller with stock, the Buy Box winner and the product's price and Buy Box history. For books, that means checking how many sellers are already on a title and what's left after the 15% fee before you buy a stack of them.
Yes, with two conditions. First, Walmart's prohibited products policy (updated Jun 5, 2026) puts Books on the list of categories that "require pre-approval from Walmart before you can offer them for sale." Software, fragrances, luxury brands and a few others are on the same list. So you need an approved seller account first, then approval for books. Our Walmart restricted brands and approval categories guide covers how gating works.
Second, physical books only. Walmart's digital goods policy names eBooks as prohibited, along with any other digitally delivered product. A printed book that comes with an access code in its original packaging is a different case; Walmart allows digital codes included with a physical item.
This is where most resellers get stuck. Walmart's resold products policy (updated Feb 12, 2026) says "the sale of products not in new condition is strictly prohibited" unless you've been invited to list Restored, Pre-Owned, Open box or Remanufactured items. If you haven't been invited, you must list new items only.
Walmart does have condition grades for books. Its item condition types guide (updated Aug 31, 2026) lists them, and says the programs that use them are invitation only:
| Condition | What Walmart's guide describes (summarized) |
|---|---|
| New | Unread and unused, with all supplemental materials, such as digital codes for textbooks. |
| Pre-owned: like new | Looks new, minimal signs of reading, no cover wear, no markings, no missing or damaged pages. |
| Pre-owned: good | Read, with minimal wear such as an owner's inscription or foxing; no tears and all pages present. |
| Pre-owned: fair | Worn, possibly with creases, foxing or small tears, and possibly missing non-vital pages, but structurally intact. |
Walmart says to apply from the Exclusive programs page in Seller Center. Pre-owned book listings from invited sellers do appear on Walmart.com, so the path exists, but you can't count on getting in. If your plan is used books from thrift stores and library sales, don't buy inventory until Walmart has accepted you. Selling a used book as new is a condition misrepresentation, which Walmart also prohibits.
Walmart's referral fee page lists Books at 15%, flat, with no price tiers. Music and Video & DVD are 15% too. The fee is a percentage of the total sales price, which includes shipping, gift wrap and other charges, and it's only charged when an item sells. There's no monthly or setup fee.
Hypothetical example: a new hardcover sells for $24.99 with free shipping. The referral fee is 15% × $24.99 = $3.75. If you charged $3.99 shipping instead, the fee would be 15% × $28.98 = $4.35. Shipping a book yourself or through WFS comes on top. See all Walmart seller fees and WFS fees for the rest.
Every Walmart listing needs a product identifier. Walmart's product identifier guide (updated Sep 2, 2026) accepts four types: GTIN (14 digits), UPC (12), EAN (13) and ISBN (10 or 13 digits), "for use only with books and publications." So for a book you normally use its ISBN, and you don't need to buy a UPC.
Older books printed before ISBNs, or items with no barcode, are where a Walmart GTIN exemption comes in. For writing the listing itself, see Walmart product listings.
If you're a self-published author, opening a Marketplace account just to sell your own title is a lot of overhead: business verification, books approval, shipping and customer service. The simpler route is a distributor. IngramSpark's print distribution page lists Walmart.com among the U.S. retailers where its titles are made available. You publish the print book through the distributor, and it supplies the listing and the copies; you don't manage a Walmart account.
Two things to know. Walmart Marketplace doesn't allow eBooks, so a Marketplace account won't sell your digital edition. And a distributor making a title "available" isn't a promise that Walmart.com stocks or promotes it. Check the distributor's current terms before you choose.
It can be, for the right titles, but the two marketplaces are set up differently for book resellers:
| Walmart Marketplace | Amazon | |
|---|---|---|
| Used books | Invitation only (Resold program) | Allowed, with Used - Like New, Very Good, Good and Acceptable grades |
| Category approval | Books require pre-approval | Check Amazon's current rules |
| Referral fee | 15% of total sales price | Referral fee plus a $1.80 closing fee per media item |
| Monthly fee | None | $39.99 on the Professional plan, or $0.99 per item on Individual |
The takeaway: Amazon is still the easier place for a used-book business. Walmart is more interesting for new books, such as clearance, wholesale and remainders, where there may be fewer sellers per title and no per-item closing fee. Margins on low-priced books are thin either way, so check the numbers title by title. Our Walmart vs Amazon guide compares the two in general.
Margenos shows steps 3 to 5 on the Walmart.com listing: every seller with stock, sales estimates labeled with their source (or "not enough data"), and profit, ROI and max buy cost after Walmart's fees. The full method is in how to know if a product will sell on Walmart, and sourcing ideas are in Walmart reselling and selling video games on Walmart, another 15% media category.
Sources: Walmart Marketplace referral fees · Walmart prohibited products policy: overview (updated Jun 5, 2026) · Walmart resold products policy (updated Feb 12, 2026) · Walmart item condition types (updated Aug 31, 2026) · Walmart digital goods policy (updated Dec 11, 2025) · Walmart: choose a product identifier (updated Sep 2, 2026) · IngramSpark print distribution partners · Amazon selling plans and fees · Amazon condition guidelines (Sep 26, 2025). Walmart changes its rules; confirm in Seller Center.
Yes. You need an approved seller account and pre-approval for the Books category, which Walmart lists among its pre-approval categories. Only physical books are allowed; Walmart's digital goods policy prohibits eBooks.
Only if Walmart invites you to its Resold program. Walmart's resold products policy says sellers who haven't been invited must list new items only. You can apply from the Exclusive programs page in Seller Center.
Walmart lists Books at a flat 15% of the total sales price, which includes shipping and other charges. Music and Video & DVD are also 15%. The fee is only charged when the item sells.
No. Walmart accepts ISBNs (10 or 13 digits) as the product identifier for books and publications. Each edition and format needs its own ISBN.
The usual route is a print distributor rather than your own Marketplace account. IngramSpark, for example, lists Walmart.com among the retailers where its print titles are made available. Check the distributor's current terms.
For used books, Amazon is easier, because Walmart limits pre-owned listings to invited sellers. For new books, Walmart can work if a title has few sellers and the numbers hold up after the 15% fee and shipping.
Margenos shows fees, profit, sales estimates, every competing seller and price history on any Walmart.com listing, in Chrome or on Android. Start your 14-day free trial.
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