There are several legit ways to make money from Amazon, whether you’re selling products, writing books, or using your skills online. Here’s a breakdown of the top methods—with both active and passive income potential:
🛍️ 1. Sell Products via Amazon FBA
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) means you send your products to Amazon, and they handle storage, shipping, and customer service.
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Private Label: Create your own brand (e.g., skincare, kitchen tools)
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Retail Arbitrage: Buy discounted products locally and resell on Amazon
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Wholesale: Buy bulk items from suppliers and resell
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Online Arbitrage: Flip deals from online stores
💡 Pros: Scalable, passive-ish
💼 Cons: Upfront costs, competition, learning curve
📚 2. Publish Books with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Self-publish:
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Novels
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Non-fiction guides
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Children’s books
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Journals / planners (aka low-content books)
Upload your manuscript and cover to kdp.amazon.com and earn royalties for every sale.
💡 Pros: Passive income, global reach
💼 Cons: Takes effort upfront (writing/designing, marketing)
💸 3. Amazon Affiliate Program (Amazon Associates)
You get a custom link to Amazon products, and when people buy through your link, you earn a commission (usually 1–10%).
Use it if you have:
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A blog
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A YouTube channel
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TikTok or Instagram with product content
💡 Pros: Easy to start, no inventory
💼 Cons: Low commissions, requires traffic
🧑💻 4. Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)
Do small online tasks (surveys, data entry, tagging images) for quick cash. Not super lucrative but okay for side income.
💡 Pros: Easy to do from home
💼 Cons: Low pay per task
📦 5. Merch by Amazon
Upload t-shirt (or other merch) designs, and Amazon handles the rest—printing, shipping, and customer service.
Perfect for:
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Graphic designers
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Hobbyists who want passive income
💡 Pros: Passive once uploaded
💼 Cons: Competitive, payouts vary
🛒 6. Create a Shopify Store and Use Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment
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Sell on your own website, but let Amazon handle fulfillment.
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Great for brand builders who still want Amazon’s logistics power.
🎮 7. Amazon Influencer Program
If you have a decent social following, you can earn by recommending products via an Amazon storefront.
🚀 Bonus: Tools to Boost Your Amazon Hustle
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Helium 10 / Jungle Scout: Product & keyword research
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Canva / Book Bolt: Design books or merch
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ChatGPT 😎: Brainstorm ideas, product listings, ad copy
Want help choosing the best Amazon path for you based on your skills or budget? I can guide you step-by-step! Just tell me what you’re into.