Amazon Handmade vs a regular Amazon seller account: what actually changes
Por Oleksandr Shaniuk · fundador de Sellura · Actualizado el 1 de noviembre de 2026
Amazon Handmade is not a separate marketplace. It is a store inside Amazon, with its own fees and listing rules, open only to makers Amazon approves. A Handmade listing sits in the same search, under the same 75-character title cap. What changes: one flat 15% referral fee (at least $0.30 an item) instead of Amazon's category table, which runs from 5% to 45%. The $39.99-a-month Professional plan is waived after the first month. You apply before you list. The brand field says Generic unless your brand is in Brand Registry, and Amazon recommends Handmade titles of 60 characters or less (Seller Central help and the Handmade programme page, read 1 November 2026).
- Handmade referral fee
- 15%
- at least $0.30 an item, every category
- Main-catalog referral fee
- 5%–45%
- by category, most at 15%
- Professional plan
- $39.99/mo
- waived for approved Handmade sellers
- Title cap, both
- 75
- Handmade recommends 60 or less
Which is cheaper depends on the category. Handmade costs less on jewelry, which Amazon's main table charges 20% on the first $250, and on clothing above $20, charged 17%. It costs more on clothing at $20 or less, charged 5% up to $15 and 10% up to $20 in the main catalog. On most home goods both take 15%, so the waived plan fee decides it. Below: one sale under both tables, how the application works, how the listing differs, and how to move a product from one to the other.
The short answer, by what you make
Handmade is not a choice for every product: Amazon only accepts items that are handcrafted, hand-altered, hand-designed, upcycled or repurposed, and reviews each maker before they can list. For a product that qualifies, the choice is real, and the fee table usually decides it. Our read of Amazon's own pages:
| If you sell | Lean to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mass-produced, resold or wholesale goods | Lean toMain catalog | WhyHandmade accepts only products made, altered or designed by hand |
| Handmade jewelry | Lean toHandmade | Why15% against 20% of the first $250 in the main catalog |
| Handmade clothing at $20 or less | Lean toMain catalog, on fees | Why5% up to $15 and 10% up to $20, against Handmade's flat 15% |
| Handmade home goods | Lean toHandmade | WhyBoth take 15%, and Handmade waives the $39.99 monthly plan |
| A few sales a month, no wish to pay a monthly fee | Lean toHandmade | WhyThe main catalog charges $39.99 a month or $0.99 per item sold |
Our read, not a rule. Rates from Amazon's US fee schedule and Handmade referral fee page, read 1 November 2026. The total sales price includes shipping and gift wrap.
Sources: Amazon Seller Central: Selling on Amazon fee schedule (plans, referral fees by category), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Seller Central: Amazon Handmade, Referral fees (15%, $0.30 minimum, Professional plan fee waived), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Handmade programme page (apply, Professional plan, $480 a year saved), checked 1 November 2026
What one sale costs under each fee table
Amazon Handmade charges one rate in all ten of its categories: 15% of the total the buyer pays, item plus shipping and gift wrap, or $0.30 an item, whichever is greater. The main catalog sets the rate by category, from 8% for computers and consumer electronics to 45% for Amazon device accessories, with tiers by price in clothing, jewelry and furniture. Most categories, home and kitchen and toys among them, pay 15% with the same $0.30 minimum.
The plan is the second line. Selling in the main catalog costs $39.99 a month on the Professional plan, or nothing a month and $0.99 per item sold on the Individual plan. Handmade requires the Professional plan, and once you are approved Amazon waives its monthly fee after a one-time first-month payment, for as long as you stay approved and have products for sale. Amazon puts the saving at $480 a year.
| Sale | Main catalog | Amazon Handmade | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| $12 shirt | Main catalog$0.60 (5%) | Amazon Handmade$1.80 (15%) | CheaperMain catalog |
| $30 shirt | Main catalog$5.10 (17%) | Amazon Handmade$4.50 (15%) | CheaperHandmade |
| $40 necklace | Main catalog$8.00 (20%) | Amazon Handmade$6.00 (15%) | CheaperHandmade |
| $60 serving board | Main catalog$9.00 (15%) | Amazon Handmade$9.00 (15%) | CheaperSame |
| $300 ring | Main catalog$52.50 (17.5%) | Amazon Handmade$45.00 (15%) | CheaperHandmade |
Our calculation from Amazon's published rates, read 1 November 2026: Clothing and Accessories 5% at $15 or less and 17% above $20, Jewelry 20% up to $250 and 5% on the rest, Home and Kitchen 15%. Before the plan fee, FBA and shipping costs.
- Handmade's rates apply only to approved Handmade sellers on the Professional plan. An approved maker still on the Individual plan pays Amazon's standard referral fees.
- A product listed without the Handmade Classification attribute is not in the Handmade store and does not get Handmade's referral fee, even if you are approved.
- FBA fees, shipping and advertising come on top in both cases. A $1.80 closing fee applies to media categories, which Handmade does not sell.
Amazon Handmade fee calculator: your price, your shipping → · One sale on every marketplace Sellura calculates →
Sources: Amazon Seller Central: Amazon Handmade, Referral fees (15%, $0.30 minimum, Professional plan fee waived), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Seller Central: Selling on Amazon fee schedule (plans, referral fees by category), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Handmade programme page (apply, Professional plan, $480 a year saved), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Seller Central: Amazon Handmade, List your products (Handmade Classification, Generic brand, bullets, relisting), checked 1 November 2026
Getting in: an application, not a sign-up
Anyone can register a seller account and list in the main catalog. Handmade adds an application. You register as a Professional seller, or upgrade an Individual plan, then apply with information about you, your products and your process, and Amazon's application and audit decide whether you are in. Approval in one region extends to the others where Handmade is open, though each needs its own selling account.
Approval does not move your listings. Each product joins the Handmade store only when you add the Handmade Classification attribute and say how it was made. Amazon also asks approved makers to build a maker profile, the page that tells shoppers who makes the products.
Register or upgrade to Professional
Handmade requires the Professional plan. The first month is charged, then the monthly fee is waived once you are approved.
Apply to Handmade
Confirm you will follow the Handmade guidelines and describe yourself, your products and how you make them.
Classify each product
Add the Handmade Classification attribute: hand-altered, hand-designed, handcrafted, upcycled or repurposed. Without it the product stays out of the Handmade store.
Build your maker profile
Tell shoppers who you are and how you work. The profile is visible to Amazon customers.
Sources: Amazon Handmade programme page (apply, Professional plan, $480 a year saved), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Seller Central: Amazon Handmade, List your products (Handmade Classification, Generic brand, bullets, relisting), checked 1 November 2026
The listing: the same 75 characters, a different title and brand
Since Handmade listings moved into Amazon's standard product types, the field caps are the same on both sides: 75 characters of title, 125 of item highlights and 249 bytes of search terms. The title is written differently. In the main catalog it starts with your brand, in Amazon's word order: brand, flavor or style, product type, key attribute, color, size or pack count, model number. On Handmade the brand field is reserved for brands approved in Brand Registry and reads Generic otherwise, and Amazon recommends 60 characters or less, with Handmade or Handcrafted in the title.
The bullets differ too. The main catalog asks for at least three and says their length varies by product type. Handmade requires bullets on every listing, recommends four or five, and sets a number: no more than 15 words or 500 characters each, and 1,000 characters in total.
Check your own title
- Mantén tu palabra clave más importante en los primeros 40 caracteres — es lo primero que ve el comprador en el móvil.
Free Amazon title checker: the 75-character limit → · Amazon Handmade SEO: the title, the search terms and the bullets →
Sources: Amazon Seller Central: Product title requirements and guidelines (75 characters, brand first, generic), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Seller Central: Amazon Handmade, Product title best practices (60 characters or less, add Handmade), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Seller Central: Amazon Handmade, List your products (Handmade Classification, Generic brand, bullets, relisting), checked 1 November 2026 · Amazon Seller Central: Product bullet point requirements (at least three, length varies by product type), checked 1 November 2026
Moving a product from the main catalog to Handmade
One product cannot sit in both. Amazon's Handmade listing page says products can be listed in a single category only, so a maker who already sells a qualifying product in the main catalog has to delete the original listing and relist it in Handmade. You can give the new listing a new SKU, or delete the old one and wait up to 24 hours to reuse it.
For a new product, list it through the standard listing form with the Handmade Classification attribute set. A new Handmade listing can take up to 24 hours to appear, and Amazon keeps a page of common reasons a Handmade listing cannot be found.
- Rewrite the title on the way: drop the brand unless it is in Brand Registry, add Handmade or Handcrafted, aim for 60 characters.
- Check the bullets against Handmade's numbers: four or five, 15 words or 500 characters each, 1,000 in total.
- Coming from Etsy instead? Amazon's Handmade help has a page on transferring product details from Etsy.
Etsy vs Amazon Handmade: fees, titles, which to pick → · Amazon product description: the one HTML tag allowed →
Source: Amazon Seller Central: Amazon Handmade, List your products (Handmade Classification, Generic brand, bullets, relisting), checked 1 November 2026
What Sellura does here, and what it doesn't
Sellura writes both versions. Choose Amazon and it returns a brand-first title under 75 characters, item highlights, five bullet points, the search terms and a plain-text description. Choose Amazon Handmade and the title drops the brand, the bullets follow Handmade's format, and the rest keeps to the same caps. Each comes back with a 0–100 score that is deterministic: the same listing always gets the same number, and each weak factor comes with one concrete fix.
The score and the title preview are free on every generation and need no card, and so are the Amazon title checker, the Handmade fee calculator and the listing checker. A credit unlocks one finished listing: Starter is $15 a month for 25 credits or $150 a year, and Pro is $24 a month for 65 credits plus bulk, or $240 a year. Sellura doesn't apply to Handmade for you, post to Amazon or track rank, and it is not affiliated with Amazon.
Write the Handmade listing, score and title free → · Write the main-catalog listing, score and title free →
FAQ
What is the difference between Amazon Handmade and a regular Amazon seller account?
Is Amazon Handmade cheaper than selling on Amazon?
Do I need a Professional account for Amazon Handmade?
Can I list the same product in Handmade and the main catalog?
Can I use my brand name on Amazon Handmade?
Do Handmade listings show up in normal Amazon search?
If you make the product by hand and sell jewelry, clothing above $20 or home goods, apply to Amazon Handmade: a flat 15% and no monthly fee once approved. If it is clothing at $20 or less, or not handmade at all, the main catalog's category table is the better deal. Either way the title is 75 characters, written brand first in the main catalog and around 60 with the word Handmade in the Handmade store. Check yours free with the Amazon title checker, or let Sellura write both versions. The score and the title preview cost nothing and need no card, and a credit unlocks the finished listing from $15 a month.
Abre el generador de Amazon Handmade.