A (STEP by STEP) Guide on How to Become a Flipkart Seller?

In this digital era, most people prefer making their purchases through e-commerce sites such as Snapdeal, Amazon, Flipkart, etc. Customers are addicted to online shopping because of fast delivery, quick access, heavy discounts, and feasible payment options. People are more than comfortable purchasing their favourite items just at the click of a mouse or through their mobile phones! So if you are a business owner who wants to become a Flipkart seller, then this blog is just for you.

Here,  we are going to show you how to create your own seller account in a STEP by STEP process. 

So without further delay, let’s get started.

A Step By Step Guide on How to become a Flipkart Seller 

Step 1

Go to seller.flipkart.com. A similar panel will appear. Go to the section of “Register Today”. Click on “Start Selling”.

Step 2

Once you do that, you will be redirected to a page similar to the one given below. Fill in all the necessary details on the seller account form and click on “Sign Up”.

Step 3

Once you enter the details, you will be receiving an email similar to the one given below. This means you have successfully registered yourself with Flipkart. Now move forward to the next step. 

Step 4

After you complete step 2, you will see a page similar to this. Enter Your pin code and click on “verify”. After pin code verification you will have to enter your pick up address. Once you do that, click on “Continue”.

Step 5

Then you have to enter your business details and select your convenient Option. Click on “continue”

Step 6

You will then be redirected to the bank page. Select on your convenient option and click “continue”

Step 7

You will receive a similar verification mail. Verify your email and get started with your online selling.

Step 8

After you verify your account, you will be redirected to this page.

Step 9

Fill up these categories and move on to the next step. Upload a scanned copy of every document as well.

1. Fill up the name of your store

2. Your Business Details

3. Your Virtual Signature

4. Your Bank Details

5. A photo of a cancelled cheque

6. List of products you want to sell.

Step 10

That’s it! You are done. Once you provide the details, you will be officially eligible to sell products on Flipkart.

If you have any doubts, you can check the FAQ page of Flipkart. https://seller.flipkart.com/slp/faqs

Listing Products on Flipkart

Once done, you can start listing your products as per your business.

Step 1

Click on Listing. A dropdown will appear. Click on “My listing”

Step 2

You will be redirected to a page that will look something like this. Click on “Add New Listings”

Step 3

Once you click on that, a similar page will appear. You can upload an individual product or you can upload products in bulk.

Step 4

If you click on a single listing, you will be redirected to 

For Single product

Select your desired product category, gradually move on to selecting the brand and then provide your product info.

For Bulk Product

For the bulk listing, you have to follow the same procedure

Step 5

After the product is uploaded, you can check your inventory, by clicking on the “check Inventory Health”. You will be redirected to this page.

Tracking Orders in Flipkart

Once you start getting customers through Flipkart, you can check your order status. Go to the “Order” section and you can see your: 

1. Active orders. You can check your orders through the warehouse location as well as by entering order ID. 

1. Your Returns. You can check your returns by clicking on the return tab. You will be able to see a page like this.

1. Your Cancellations. Check your canceled orders from the cancellation tab.

Understanding the Payment Dashboard

The Effect of the Digital Era

With the e-commerce sector growing at a massive rate, the customers no longer need to hop from one store to another to find what they need. It is needless to say that the e-commerce industry is booming like never before. Thousands of people are switching to online shopping from the conventional way of shopping because of the benefits. Customers are even purchasing important everyday items such as groceries, medicines, electronics, etc. online. This leaves plenty of scope for sellers who want to make the most of these online platforms. 

One of the leading e-commerce sites these days is undoubtedly Flipkart. With a wide array of products and attractive rebates on their products, the company managed to serve around 2.6 crores of registered users in the financial year 2013 to 2014. In 2016, this market-leading e-commerce store sold products for around $2.4 billion. What more? This diverse company ships over 50 lakhs parcel in 30 days and get around 80 lakhs page visits regularly.

One of the best qualities of Flipkart is that it has been there since 2007 and hence, is trusted by both customers as well as sellers and the company manages to deliver to even remote places. 

So, if you want to dig into this great platform, or explore Flipkart for selling your unique items, then this is the right blog for you. For a seller, Flipkart is certainly the best bet.

Becoming a seller on Flipkart

Don’t worry as we have got you covered. In this blog, you will get detailed guidance that will help you become a Flipkart seller. Please scroll down to know more. 

So whether you want to sell lifestyle goods, electronics or fashion apparel, Flipkart is the right choice for you because your products would be seen by so many prospective customers.

Advantages of becoming a Flipkart seller

If you sell on Flipkart as a partnership firm, then you can sell a wide variety of goods and you have the chance to sell more. 

• Secondly, buyers can even pre-book the items. 
• Your customers would get the products on time, thus, you will be on their good books. 
• You can attract your customers through lucrative combo offers or discounts. 
• You can optimize your earnings potential.
• There are other reasons as well, about which we will talk later in this blog.

As of now, let us discuss the steps that are needed to start your business on this site. 

Here are the steps you need to go through to start selling on Flipkart. Pay heed to the following points as you need to complete every step to start your business. Do not skip any step. Take a look. 

Information Required for Selling on Flipkart

So if you are keen to make the most of selling on Flipkart, then you need to sign up on the Flipkart Seller Registration homepage. It is quite an easy process. You can sign up here by providing some basic information such as name, e-mail address, phone number, business address, business registration deeds, products you want to sell on Flipkart, bank details along with supporting KYC documents, GSTIN registration documents, etc. You have to prove that you are an original and active business entity. 

Once you have furnished and met the requirements of providing your information, it is time for you to give them other important information related to your business. 

Business Information for Selling on Flipkart

You can sell as a sole proprietorship company or as a private limited company – it all depends on your choice. There are other choices as well, about which we will mention below. Let us enlighten you about the same.

If you are selling on your name, then it would be automatically perceived as a Sole Proprietorship business, which means that it is not easily transferable, the business cannot have partners or investors, does not provide limited liability protection to the promoter, is not really scalable and also has restricted ability to get bank loans. 

If you choose this mode, then you have to provide certain documents such as identity proof, bank account statement that is registered on the Flipkart payment gateway, PAN card, passport, Voters ID, Drivers License, any other photo ID card, a letter from a significant Public Authority or Public Servant verifying identity.

For address proof, you can give a telephone bill that is in the name of the Proprietorship firm, an electricity bill in the name of the Proprietorship firm, a bank account statement which is in the name of the Proprietorship firm, the letter from the employer, ration card, lease or license agreement or letter from a significant Public Authority or Public Servant verifying identity.

Flipkart as a Private Limited Company

This mode provides limited liability protection to promoters, allows easy transferability, you can take partners or investors if you want, allows fast scale-up of operations, etc. 

For the same, you need to provide identity proof such as a copy of Certificate of Incorporation of Private Limited Company, copy of Memorandum of Association, company PAN card and address proof such as company phone bill, the electricity bill of company, lease or rental agreement, etc. This is a more favoured method of selling on Flipkart. Most sellers opt for this way because of its various benefits. 

You can also sell on Flipkart as an LLP or Partnership Firm.

Nevertheless, it is suggested to register an LLP (Limited Liability Partnership) while you sign as a Flipkart seller. This would work in your favour as the same provides limited liability protection, easy transferability, different legal entity and other documents needed to sell on Flipkart. Identity proof required for the same includes partnership registration or LLP Incorporation Certificate, partnership deed, power of attorney given to a partner or an employee of the LLP or partnership firm to transact, PAN Card of the partnership firm or the LLP, a document identifying partners and the individual holding the Power of Attorney with their photographs.

Moreover, you will also have to furnish your address proof which can be firm or partner’s telephone bill and electricity bill, any valid document confirming the address of the partners and the person holding the Power of Attorney, lease or rental agreement, company electricity bill, etc. This is also a great way of becoming a Flipkart seller. 

Lastly, you must know about selling on Flipkart as a Trust & Foundation. 

If you want to sell on Flipkart as Trust & Foundation, then you need to furnish documents that will prove the legal identity of the Trust/ Foundation and the address of the same. 

Register for Taxation

Once you have registered a Flipkart Seller Account, you have to specify the type of business you want you run. And after that, you need to submit the following things:

1. Business Name
2. PAN
3. TIN
4. TAN
5. Name of the bank
6. Bank account number
7. IFSC code of the bank

Start to Sell on Flipkart

After all these procedures are completed correctly, you can start with your business. If you are serious, you can earn quite a handsome amount from it. 

You need to list your products for creating a Seller account. The platform even gives you the option to upload pictures of your products so that the customers get a vivid idea of the same. You also need to update the price and stock count. 

Flipkart can help you by giving you access to industry experts, who can guide you through this process. The experts can even take high-definition, clear and bright pictures of your products so that they look attractive to customers. Make sure that the items look presentable and appealing on the website. View your products from a consumer’s point of view. 

Use the Flipkart dashboard to market your products. This feature would ensure a higher rate of conversion if used correctly. 

Once you receive orders from customers, ensure that you pick a courier facility with good ratings so that your products reach your customers on time. Check the ratings of the courier partners before you pick one. 

The best part about selling on Flipkart is that you can expect to get your payment within 7 to 15 days after-sales. This is one of the best facilities provided by this industry-leading e-commerce website. 

As a seller, you can also have access to a network of lending partners. If you have the willpower and a clear strategy, you can easily expand your business within a few months. 

However, some of the challenges that you need to deal with are a return, tracking the orders, et al.

You will need to agree to all tax laws that apply to the e-commerce domain. One of the most important things which you need to do related to this is filing your GST returns on time. 

So these are the few steps to start selling on Flipkart.

As mentioned earlier, we will now talk about the main benefits of being a seller on Flipkart. 

• The first and foremost reason is that you can reach out to around 10 crores of registered users in India from your comfort zone. 
• Since bank accounts are linked to the Flipkart seller account, the payments are quickly and easily transferred to the seller’s bank accounts. And every seller wants quick and accessible payments. 
• The best part about the entire process is that a seller is not responsible for shipping it. The company, i.e. Flipkart, will provide dedicated pick-up service who will pack and dispatch the product and ensure that it reaches the customer. 
• If you are a Flipkart seller, you will also be able to enjoy certain initiatives and reward programs, such as reduced commissions, etc. You can get some lucrative offers if you are a registered seller on Flipkart.
• Flipkart also has a Seller Protection Fund (SPF) to protect the sellers against fraudulent activities.
• You can also choose the products after you have done your market research. Check if there is adequate demand in the market of the products or not. If not, then you can of course move on to the next best option. There are plenty of items that you can sell, such as skincare or cosmetics, apparel, accessories, electronics, daily necessities, baby products, home and kitchen items, etc. You need to take your pick carefully. Once you select a product, ensure that you know everything about it such as features, advantages of using, etc.
• When studying the demand, you should check the existing stock of products, reviews, and ratings, sellers selling the product, etc. 

We hope that by now you are convinced to be a seller on Flipkart. After all, you can earn a handsome amount every month without any kind of hassles and stay within the comfort of your house. You do not have targets as well, which makes it even easier for Flipkart Sellers. You do not have to worry about the shipment. They will send courier companies to pick up and send the parcel to your customers.

But again, not everyone is a successful Flipkart seller. Do you know the tricks to become a successful seller? Many sellers can’t make it big because they don’t have a fixed goal and a clear plan in their heads. If you don’t want to fail, you must give enough time to research and find out the possible areas where you might go wrong.

With plenty of competitors out there, you need to figure out what will work the best for you. You need to take strategic moves so that the conversion rate is high and you get meaty profits.

You need to be patient as well.

So here are a few tricks for you that will help you achieve success on Flipkart.

Firstly, do your due diligence. Once you have your business idea ready, you need to ensure that the idea holds enough potential. If you are confused, you have to give yourself a second thought.

You have to get a clear idea of your target customers, who are you catering to, who are your competitors, if your idea is different or not, the demand for your customers, cost and potential return of the same, et al.

Next, you have to plan your finances as well. You need a certain amount of money to cover the initial expenses before you start making a profit by selling on Flipkart. A few things that you need to take care of include insurance, licenses, and permits, legal fees, marketing, inventory and trademarking, etc. Note them down so that you can plan your finance accordingly.

You also pick the right business structure so that it is feasible for you. Do not pick a random structure without doing thorough research about how every model works. A right business structure can change a lot of things. Otherwise, things might get unnecessarily complicated.

Benefits of choosing the right business structure?

A. It will help you keep the expenses within budget.

B. It will also allow the business to be flexible.

Once you have chosen the ideal business type (all of them are mentioned above), it is time to choose a business name. You can read a few blogs and articles to get an idea about how to choose the right name for your business. Get the domain name if possible.

Things to Keep in mind while selling on Flipkart

Get the complete paperwork

When you are getting into this world of Flipkart selling, make sure that you complete the paperwork with due diligence. Do not try to skip any step. You also need to get a few business permits and licenses (depending on the business type and location). You can ask other sellers or visit Flipkart to know about them.

Make sure you have submitted all official documents

Once all of the above steps are completed, go official. If you have a checklist, then ensure you cross off all the points, i.e., business structure, name, registration and permits, trademarks and patents, licenses, copyrights, PAN, bank accounts, etc. It can be a little tedious but it is absolutely worth it.

Try to sell uncommon products

If you want to sell your own products, you need to make sure that it stands out in the crowd. Choose your manufacturers carefully. And if you want to sell the products of other brands, then get the best deal from the wholesalers.

Avoid selling fragile items

To stay safe, do not pick items that are too brittle or fragile. Also, if you have storage issues, then pick small items as they would need a smaller space. Always make sure that the items are in stock so that you can meet the demand of your customers.

When you are choosing the products, go for the ones with a good shelf life as otherwise, you might end up making a loss because your items might expire.

Try to participate in events

You also need to participate in exciting events such as Spike Sales. These events give you the chance to make the most of the product categories. You can attract a lot of buyers during these times. This also happens because Flipkart also invests in running TV commercials, etc. To be highly successful, make sure you are taking part in these events. You can also become a top seller in Flipkart by reaching out to more customers.

Keep your packaging attractive

Also, you must keep in mind that customers love good packaging. They value the same and you have to ensure that the overall appearance and appeal of your product is premium. The products must also match the images and the description given on the site. Invest in good e-commerce packaging so that it not only looks good but is also safe while in transit. 

This way, you can show your dedication to providing supreme quality to your customers. This will lead to more sales, good reviews and ratings. You can gain customer loyalty easily through these small yet essential steps. Every time you ship your products, make sure that they are packed in supreme quality packaging, which will impress your customers. 

Post Advertisements

To boost your total number of sales, you can post advertisements for your products. You will get visitors through this and the conversion rate would be higher as well.

Create a campaign for your products to see an uptick in your sales value. If you do so, Flipkart will show it as one of the featured products in the related pages. Buyers would thus, click on the ads and would buy the items eventually. This is a great way to achieve success in Flipkart selling. 

You also need to keep a check on the inventory. You should personally be involved when it comes to inventory. Especially during the major sales periods, you should stock up your items in sufficient quantities so that your customers aren’t disappointed.

Maintain a transparent relationship with your customers and follow all the business ethics so that you can quickly achieve success on the platform. When it comes to product returns, see the issues and ensure that the same doesn’t repeat.

When it comes to tax, pay them on time so that there are no issues. If you cannot understand the same, go through as many blogs as possible and visit Flipkart to get a vivid idea about the rules that you have to follow.

You should also avoid seasonal items such as coats or knitwear so that your sales don’t suffer throughout the year. You have to be very smart to become a good Flipkart seller. It is not

And here are a few more important points for you.

Who can sell on this platform?

The answer to this very common question is everyone. As long as you follow all the above-mentioned steps and choose a good business structure, you are good to go.

As you already know you can sell apparel, consumer electronics, makeup and cosmetics, lifestyle goods, bathroom products, jewelry, home decorations items, shoes, home appliances, etc. on Flipkart. And here is a list of items that you cannot sell.

• Property
• Real estate
• Detrimental chemicals
• Heavy machinery
• Medicines
• Farm inputs
• Sex toys
• Car parts, etc. 

Flipkart Payout Systems

To know more about Flipkart operations and payout systems, you can visit https://seller.flipkart.com/LearningCenter/sub-category/51?collapse=6

How Competitive is Flipkart Marketplace?

You have to understand that online marketplaces are quite competitive. If you choose any product, there is a high chance that there are a few sellers who are already selling it at more or less the same price. It is not noted that there is any kind of huge price difference. So when you are selling a product, make sure that you do your research well and then only quote a price. If a customer finds that he or she can get the same product at a lesser price from any other seller, they might opt for the same.

How to Set up Pricing while selling in Flipkart?

You have to sell them at reasonable prices, pay charges to Flipkart and still make a profit. So how will you do that? Well, you can do that by choosing the right wholesaler and by setting the right sale price.

Be very tactical in this because you have to pay Flipkart a part of the amount as a commission (which is mainly based on the product), a fixed fee, courier charges, and collection fee if the shipment is sent on a cash on delivery mode of payment as well as GST on all of the above charges. You don’t want to run your business in a loss, right? So ensure that you make smart plans to become a good Flipkart seller.

Find out the products that are mostly sold on this platform. Try to get the products at the cheapest possible price without compromising on the quality. Buy in bulk to save more.

Get a warranty from your supplier so that you can provide a warranty for your customers. This way, they will be able to rely on your brand with ease. This simple tip can help you go a long way when you are selling on Flipkart. Otherwise, you might end up in a loss. There are some buyers who will just return products even if there are no flaws and you will have to find other ways to sell it again. This can be frustrating and can take a toll on your profit margin. You have to pay reverse shipping as well.

Conclusion

Now that you know it all, we hope that you will be able to succeed as a registered Flipkart seller. There are multiple benefits of starting this business but there are some challenges as well. As long as you love to take up challenges, this is the right path for you. You just need to plan well and move ahead. You need to be a smart seller. The industry of online shopping websites is booming so you can have a very bright future in this domain. Best of luck!