For most Amazon sellers, the ability to sell in the U.S. marketplace is the dream.

And for good reasons too.

Amazon’s U.S. marketplace has a massive consumer base unrivaled by the company’s next two largest, Japan and the U.K.

In fact, Amazon owns 45% of America’s entire e-commerce market.

And as increasingly more Americans are shopping online, and purchasing everything from electronics, to groceries, and even at-home medical services, here’s plenty of untapped market potential in the e-commerce sector.

While Canadian and Mexican nationals automatically have access to the American marketplace upon registering, for other nationalities, it’s not so easy.

For non-U.S. citizens, selling in the states, a lack of permanent residency, or social security number, can cause significant hurdles, most notably, opening up a U.S. bank account.

In this article, I’ll lead you through several ways to work around these issues.

But before we get started….

I’ll be mentioning a handful of apps and services in the following article.

I highly recommend reading the fine print of all of these, just to make sure you’re not breaching any terms of the agreement.

To be honest, selling and buying products internationally can get tricky, and it’s best to be up to date on all the latest information.

If video tutorials are more your style check out my tutorials on my YouTube channel here:

Now let’s get started!

Is It Possible to Sell in the U.S. as a Non-Citizen?

The short answer is yes, but it does come with caveats.

The ability to sell in the U.S. marketplace will depend on many constantly-changing factors.

First, make sure that your country is on the list of those eligible locations to register with Amazon Seller Central.

You can do so by checking on Amazon’s website here.

From there, you’ll need to connect a bank account and provide a chargeable credit card, as well as a few other sign-up necessities.

If you’re eligible to sell in other marketplaces, you’ll need to register a new seller account in any market you plan on entering.

For example, if you’re a Canadian seller, but hope to sell in the U.K., you’ll have to register on Amazon. Co.UK.

More information about selling globally is available on Amazon’s website here.

Does a Wise Account Replace a U.S. Bank Account?

Wise (formerly known as transfer wise) is a great option if you run an Amazon business, inside or outside the United States, and you send and receive funds in different currencies.

While it doesn’t replace an existing bank account, it does make it easier to exchange and transfer money internationally, and their exchange rates are hard to, if not impossible to beat.

Best of all? It’s also not limited to USD.

Let’s say for example you’re already selling in the U.S. marketplace, but you’re a non-U.S. citizen selling from Spain.

Opening a Wise account can act as an intermediary between your domestic bank and Amazon’s US marketplace. This will make your life easier, and you’ll be paying lower exchange rates.

Payoneer is another option with similar perks and features.

However, each platform is unfortunately limited to certain locations, meaning not every nationality will have access to them.

Learn more about Wise here.

Can I Get a U.S. Bank Account Without Actually Traveling to America?

Are you currently outside the U.S. but looking to open a bank account?

Luckily, there’s an option that allows you to set up a U.S. bank account without physically being present in the country through Mercury.

Mercury is a financial technological service whose members are FDIC insured.

Sounds confusing, right?

It’s really not. This free-to-sign-up service effectively acts as a bank account, and is insured through the U.S. federal government; meaning deposits are completely safe.

That being said, do take time to read over the platform’s Frequently Asked Questions to get a better understanding of the platform’s structures.

What is FDIC Insured and Why Is It Important?
Funds that are deposited in an FDIC-insured bank are protected by the U.S. government from fraud and theft.
More easily said, your money is safe in these institutions.

The one caveat, however, is you must have already set up a U.S. business in order to use Mercury.

This can be done by starting a U.S. business through a registered agent.

How Can I Start A U.S. Business to Open a Mercury Account from Abroad?

I’ve discovered Wyoming and Delaware have the friendliest business laws for e-commerce.

And it’s completely possible to set one up with setting foot in America.

In these states, it’s easy to set up businesses in the U.S., including addresses and mail forwarding, without actually traveling to them.

I recommend the following two websites to get started.

https://www.wyregisteredagent.net/ – This is a registered agent in the U.S. state of Wyoming.

I’ve personally used this service countless times. I recommend starting with an LLC.

This is also a great solution to getting a U.S. phone number.

https://www.delawarebusinessincorporators.com/ – Business services for the U.S. State of Delaware.

How to Get a U.S. Phone Number?

An increasingly large number of apps now require location-specific SMS verification.

This becomes a problem if you’re outside the U.S., but verification is required using a domestic U.S. number.

Thankfully, many business services (see above) provide options to set up a U.S. phone number.

Alternatively, there are countless Voip options, including Google Voice and Ringblaze.

Honestly speaking, however, some apps and services are straying away from two-step authentification through a VOIP phone.

This creates more headaches than anything. I recommend spending the money and purchasing a proper agent to register your U.S. business. In my opinion, it’s worth it to avoid wasted time and frustration.