You have heard people say they "sell shirts on Amazon" without ever touching a shirt. That is Merch on Demand. It sounds too simple, and the questions pile up fast: who prints it, who ships it, who pays you, and how much?
This guide answers those questions in plain English, using Amazon's own help pages as the source wherever possible.
What Merch on Demand is
Merch on Demand (it used to be called Merch by Amazon) is Amazon's own print-on-demand program. You upload artwork. Amazon puts it on products like t-shirts, hoodies, mugs and phone cases, and lists those products for sale on Amazon.
When a customer orders one, Amazon prints it, packs it, ships it and handles customer service. You never buy stock, never touch a product and never pay anything up front.
In return you earn a royalty: a fixed amount of money per item sold, which Amazon works out for you. More on that below.
How print on demand works on Amazon
"Print on demand" means nothing is made until someone buys it. There is no warehouse full of your shirts.
Here is the flow, step by step:
- You upload a design and pick the products, colors and fits it should appear on.
- You write a title, a brand name, two optional feature bullets and an optional description.
- Amazon reviews the design against its content policy. If it passes, the products go live, each with its own product page and its own ASIN (Amazon's product ID).
- A shopper finds your product and buys it.
- Amazon prints it with direct-to-garment printing (water-based inks for apparel), ships it, and records a royalty for you.
Note One thing surprises new sellers: Amazon is the seller, not you. That is why you cannot run a sale or a coupon. You set a list price, and Amazon sets the price the customer actually pays, which is usually the same but not always.
How to apply
Merch on Demand is not open sign-up. You request an account at merch.amazon.com, using an Amazon login, and Amazon reviews the request.
What you should know before you apply:
- It is free. There is no fee to apply or to upload.
- You need tax and bank details. Part of setup is a tax interview (a short questionnaire that fills in a US tax form, W-9 for US people or W-8 for everyone else) and a bank account in a supported country.
- Reviews take time. Amazon's FAQ says applications are typically processed within 14 days, though sellers often report waiting longer.
- A rejection is final. Amazon's FAQ states that if your request is rejected, you may not submit another. So fill in the form carefully the first time.
- One account per person. Amazon does not allow a second account, and accounts cannot be bought, sold or shared.
Tip The program is also non-exclusive. You can sell the same design on other sites too.
What you upload
You upload one artwork file per design. Amazon's current guidance:
| Requirement | What Amazon asks for |
|---|---|
| File type | PNG |
| Size | At least 485 x 485 pixels to upload, but 4,500 pixels or more on the long side is recommended |
| File size | Under 25 MB |
| Color | RGB, 8 bits per channel |
| Resolution | 300 DPI at 100% of the print size |
Amazon offers product templates (the standard t-shirt template is 4500 x 5400 pixels) and a design editor that scales your art for each product. Trim the empty transparent pixels around your art so the centering tools work properly.
- 4500 × 5400 pxStandard T-shirt canvas
- PNG, transparentsRGB, under 25 MB
- 300 DPI at print sizeDesign at full size, never upscale
- True black is #000000Dark shirts print a white base first
Your text matters as much as your art. The title, brand and bullets are what Amazon search reads. They must describe the design honestly, with no shipping promises, no claims like "glow in the dark" if it is not, and no keyword stuffing.
They also must not use anyone else's trademark, name or artwork. Amazon is strict here, and repeated violations can get an account suspended or closed. If you are unsure about a phrase, read how to check for trademarks before you upload.
How much you can upload: tiers
New accounts start at Tier 10, which means 10 published designs. One design counts once, even if you put it on a shirt, a hoodie and a mug in several countries.
Your tier grows as you sell. Amazon says tiers are calculated from the number and percentage of your products and designs that sold in the last 12 months. There is also a daily limit on how many new products you can submit, shown on your Merch dashboard.
Tiers deserve their own article, and they have one on this blog later in the series.
How you get paid
Your royalty is roughly the price the customer pays, minus any tax, minus Amazon's costs (materials, printing, shipping, customer service, returns and fraud prevention).
Amazon publishes example tables. For instance, at the time of writing, a standard US t-shirt priced at $19.99 shows a royalty of $2.44 in the basic "Creator" group. Since 2026, US royalties also depend on a royalty group: sellers who drive enough of their own traffic (through ads or social media) earn 2x or 2.16x the basic rate. These numbers change, so check the Royalties page in your Merch account for today's table.
Printing, the blank, shipping and handling, Amazon's fee
What is left is yours, and it is also the most an ad sale can cost
Payment basics, from Amazon's FAQ:
- Amazon pays monthly, roughly 30 days after the end of the month in which the item shipped.
- A sale counts when it ships, not when it is ordered.
- Direct deposit has no minimum. Wire payments have a minimum balance.
- Returned items have their royalty taken back.
- Amazon withholds US tax in some cases, depending on your tax interview. This is not tax advice, so ask a tax professional about your own situation.
Where you can sell
Merch on Demand sells in seven Amazon stores:
- United States (Amazon.com)
- United Kingdom (Amazon.co.uk)
- Germany (Amazon.de)
- France (Amazon.fr)
- Italy (Amazon.it)
- Spain (Amazon.es)
- Japan (Amazon.co.jp)
Not every product is offered in every store. Many accessories are US only, and Japan has a shorter list. Each store pays royalties in its own currency, at its own rates.
Who Merch on Demand suits
It suits you if:
- You can make designs (or text-based designs) that people want to wear or use.
- You are patient. Most designs sell little or nothing, and a portfolio takes months to build.
- You want a side income without stock, shipping or customer emails.
It is a harder fit if:
- You need fast money. Early tiers are small and royalties per sale are modest.
- You want control over the customer. Amazon owns the sale, the price shown and the customer relationship.
- You want to sell other people's characters, logos or fan art. That is not allowed without a license.
Advertising, briefly
Some Merch accounts are invited to run Amazon Ads (Sponsored Products) for their products, from the Advertise tab. Ads can help a design get seen, and since 2026 ad-driven sales also count toward the better US royalty groups.
Ads cost money per click, though, and a royalty of a few dollars leaves little room. Before you spend, learn the one number that tells you what an ad can afford: break-even ACoS.
How MerchPPC fits in
MerchPPC does not help you get accepted, make designs or upload them. Once you sell and advertise, it reads your Merch royalties and your Amazon Ads data into a database in your own browser and shows which products earn their ad spend. If that is where you are heading, the overview of what MerchPPC is explains it in five minutes.
The short version
- Merch on Demand is Amazon's print-on-demand program: you upload art, Amazon makes, sells and ships the product.
- You apply at merch.amazon.com. It is free, reviews take time, and a rejection is final.
- You upload PNG artwork (4,500 pixels or more recommended) plus honest listing text.
- You start at Tier 10 and earn more design slots by selling.
- You earn a royalty per sale, paid monthly; US royalties now depend on your royalty group.
- You can sell in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Japan.
Amazon changes its rules, prices and tools from time to time. Check the current details in your Merch and Amazon Ads accounts.