Online Arbitrage on Amazon in 2025: The Complete, Up-to-Date Guide

Brand new to Amazon or sharpening an existing store? This guide zeroes in on Amazon online arbitrage in 2025. In simple terms, arbitrage means buying from an online retailer, sending the goods to yourself or a preparation center, and then listing them on FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). Retail arbitrage, on the other hand, is its in-store sibling, where you can scan shelves and then ship afterwards.

In 2025, the numbers have shifted a little. Thankfully, there haven’t been any broad fee increases, yet inventory health targets and inbound placement choices can bend margins more than many expect. In this up-to-date guide, you’ll get practical rules, a step-by-step repeatable workflow, and examples that reflect the reality of online arbitrage (OA).

We’ll also track Amazon FBA online arbitrage trends and demonstrate how to select online arbitrage deals that remain profitable even after accounting for fees.

Online arbitrage Amazon 2025: What’s new

If you’re looking into Amazon online arbitrage this year, there’s some good news. Amazon hasn’t raised its main FBA or referral fees. What has changed, though, is how smaller, less obvious fees can really start to creep up.

The big one catching sellers off guard is the low inventory fee. Amazon looks at how long your stock is expected to last. If both the 30-day and 90-day averages fall under around 28 days, expect to pay an extra charge on every unit you sell. It’s essentially Amazon’s way of not so gently nudging sellers to keep steady stock rather than sending in tiny shipments.

The other area to keep an eye on is inbound placement. If you want Amazon to keep your shipments together rather than splitting them over a heap of warehouses, they now charge you extra for this convenience. Combine those two with regular storage costs, and you can see why planning batches in shipments is going to save you money in 2025.

Another change with a potentially big impact is related to compliance. Amazon has tightened up considerably on compliance checks. They’ll now often ask for invoices less than a year old from real distributors or manufacturers. A receipt from a big box store, unfortunately, more often than not, doesn’t cut it. If you don’t have your paperwork in order, an appeal can fail and leave you stuck. The safest move here is to build a paper trail with invoices that match the ASIN, supplier details, and clear quantities.

There’s also the same old confusion regarding dropshipping. To be clear, online arbitrage is not the same as sending items straight from a retailer to your buyer. Amazon requires you to be the seller of record. This means the invoices and packaging must show your name and not Walmart’s or Target’s. Most sellers tend to avoid the risk altogether by using FBA or by setting up a fully compliant FBM process.

We recommend reviewing the most recent Amazon dropshipping policy and setting up a simple checklist for yourself and your team.

Fee items that affect OA in 2025 – A quick recap

Item	Why it matters	Where to confirm
Low-Inventory-Level Fee	Triggers when short- and long-term days of supply both drop under 28. Budget a per-unit estimate if you run lean.	Seller Central help
Inbound placement	Pay a fee to reduce split shipments or follow Amazon’s routing plan.	Inbound placement service
Storage highlights	Storage rises in Q4, and slow movers tie up capacity.	2025 FBA updates overview

Retail arbitrage Amazon vs online arbitrage: Differences at a glance

Both paths can work just fine for sellers, but ultimately, you should pick the one that fits how you source, travel, and scale. Online arbitrage works out well for anyone with remote work and repeatable systems. Meanwhile, retail arbitrage through Amazon rewards speed, local knowledge, and fast flips.

Take a look at the grid below to get an idea of where you should start:

Dimension	Online Arbitrage	Retail Arbitrage Amazon
Channels	Online retailers, clearance pages, deal newsletters, price alerts.   Ships to you or a prep center, then FBA.	In-store clearance, regional chains, manager markdowns, and local liquidation. Buy, then ship.
Tools	Keepa, SellerAmp SAS, Tactical Arbitrage, Easync watchlists, BuyBotPro, BrickSeek for online stock checks.	Amazon Seller app or Scoutify, Keepa mobile, handheld scanner, BrickSeek for store stock and price drops.
Capital needs	Moderate. Bulk orders and repeat buys.   Watch retailer limits and sales tax. Prep center fees apply.	Lower to start. Cash cycles can be fast. Travel, fuel, and time add real cost.
Throughput	Scales with sourcing filters, VA research, and automated watchlists. Work from anywhere.	Capped by store hours and routes.   Speed comes from experience and local intel.
Risks	Order throttles, cancellations, brand gating, and listing competition.	Stock variance by store, damaged packaging, seasonal swings, and return spikes.
Scaling with VA + prep	VAs run scans, vet leads, and place orders.   Prep center handles intake and labeling.   Highly systematized.	Hire shoppers and set routes.   Centralize prep and shipping.   Standardize checks at the cart.

The 7-step Amazon FBA online arbitrage 2025 workflow

Before jumping into the tools, it’s best to set a few rules. These are guardrails so you don’t end up chasing every shiny product that catches your eye when you’re out scoping for goods.

Decide on the minimum margin you want, a return on investment (ROI) percentage that is appropriate for your capital, and a Best Seller Rank (BSR) cutoff for each category.

For example, you might only consider items with at least a 30% ROI and a BSR under 100,000 in the toy category. These numbers aren’t universal, of course, but having them written down means you can reference them for fast decision-making and preventing the dreaded “emotional buy.”

Step 1: Define Buy Box and ROI rules

The Buy Box is where most Amazon sales happen. If you’re not competing for it, profits will stay theoretical. So, write out a rule set: minimum ROI, margin thresholds, and your tolerance for seller competition. Keepa graphs help here, but so does keeping it short and easy to follow.

Step 2: Source your leads

There are two main approaches to leads. Automated tools like can scan hundreds of retailers and return fairly accurate matches.

Manual sourcing means browsing through a lot of clearance pages, newsletters, and deal groups. Both work, but a mix of both keeps your pipeline full.

Step 3: Evaluate with price history and competition 

This is where tools really help. Keepa shows price and sales history so you can see whether the buy box is stable or tanking fast. Pair it with the SellerAmp SAS Chrome plugin (pictured below) to calculate profits, competition data, and check eligibility checks. Together, you’ve got a powerhouse for filtering noise and highlighting genuine opportunity.

Step 4: Check restrictions and brand gating

Some brands and categories are “gated”, meaning you can’t sell them without first applying for approval from Amazon. Always check the gated status before buying. Tools like SellerAMP flag these, but double-check with Seller Central because accidentally listing a gated item will ultimately lead to stranded inventory.

Step 5: Compliance checkpoint

At this stage, ask yourself: if Amazon requests proof of authenticity, can I actually provide it? Keep all invoices from suppliers. Avoid retailer receipts as your only backup. And never ever dropship directly from a store to a buyer. Amazon requires you to be the seller of record, so packaging and paperwork must carry your details, not another company’s.

Step 6: Purchase and logistics

Decide where the stock should land first. Some sellers ship to themselves and then inspect and slap on their labels. Others use a prep center that handles all the intake for them. Prep fees definitely add cost, but they save you time.

Step 7: List and reprice

Once inventory hits FBA, list it under the correct ASIN (you can use an ASIN scraper). Now, decide how you’re going to handle pricing. Manual repricing works fine in small batches, but automated repricers like Easync adjust pricing in real-time to stay competitive without the babysitting.

Best online arbitrage tools in 2025: The OA stack that matters

There are plenty of OA tools promising you the world out there, but you don’t need them all. What you need realistically is a stack that covers the basics:

• Price
• History
• Profitability checking
• Product sourcing at scale

Once you have these, you can then add extras when sales volumes start picking up.

Below is a breakdown of the best online arbitrage tools you’re going to want in 2025.

Must-haves

Keepa: It’s like a time machine and prediction tool all wrapped up in one. It shows price history, Buy Box movement, and sales rank drops so you know if a deal is actually steady or just a trap. When people talk about “Keepa for arbitrage,” they’ll likely also mention you can’t sell without it.

SellerAmp SAS: A profit calculator that scrapes what you need directly from Amazon product pages. It shows ROI, Amazon fees, and whether the products are gated or you’re restricted from selling the brand. Quick red and green signals make decisions simple.

Tactical Arbitrage: Now a part of the Seller 365 package from Threecolts, it’s the real heavy lifter. It scans hundreds of retailers and matches them against Amazon listings. It’s a must-have for building long lead lists, running reverse searches, or checking out wholesale catalogs.

Nice-to-haves

BuyBotPro: Automatically checks ROI, sales rank, hazmat flags, and even IP claim risk. But best of all, it checks your eligibility for gated products and automatically sends an application for approval if you aren’t.

BrickSeek: Designed to track deals in-store, but still very useful online. You can use it to verify if big retailers really have the stock they claim or if a sale price is live before wasting your time.

Where Easync fits

Owing to its reputation as a serious Amazon dropshipping tool, Easync can be overlooked in OA circles. However, Easync actually adds real value for arbitrage sellers too:

• The Product ID grab Chrome extension lets you copy ASINs in bulk and build watchlists without having to manually enter everything.
• Hot items show products on Amazon that are currently trending. Use it for ideas, then double-check the details in Keepa and SAS before buying.
• If you also sell on eBay, Easync’s repricing and auto-ordering make Amazon-to-eBay flips completely hands-off. That crossover is rare among OA tools and can easily open up another revenue stream for sellers.

Quick recap: task -> tool(s)

Task	Best tool(s)
Price history, Buy Box, demand signals	Keepa
Profit calculation, restrictions, and eligibility	SellerAmp SAS
At-scale sourcing and reverse search	Tactical Arbitrage
One-click due diligence and risk flags	BuyBotPro
Verification of stock pricing at retailers	BrickSeek
Bulk ASIN grab	Easync Product ID Grab
Find trending items to vet	Easync Hot Items
Amazon to eBay flipping and automation	Easync auto-orders and repricing

Product picking for online arbitrage in 2025: The red flags and the targets

Finding winning online arbitrage deals isn’t just about luck. Certain categories just keep working year after year, especially when they’re small, light, and really easy to ship. Consumables like supplements, craft supplies, everyday deals in beauty and personal care (so long as they’re non-hazmat), pet supplies, office goods, kitchen, the list is almost endless. Toys are another classic, though their popularity tends to wane and peak with the seasons.

Some categories can look tempting but carry hidden risks. Products that often trigger IP complaints, like big-name electronics and luxury brands, are sometimes more trouble than they’re worth. Fragile and oversized items eat into your margins quickly through higher FBA and shipping fees. They can also create more customer service work than they’re worth. And if Amazon itself is dominating the listings, well, your odds of holding the Buy Box are slim to none.

Then there’s brand gating. Many popular brands require special approval before you can even think about selling them. Getting “ungated” usually means providing invoices from authorized distributors, sending in product photos, or paying a small approval fee. If you’re looking to build a long-term presence in one particular category, going through the ungating process can absolutely be worth it.

Categories are only half the story. The other half is knowing when demand rises. To help, here’s a quick seasonal planner that highlights the best sourcing windows throughout the year:

Amazon arbitrage fees for 2025: The numbers that matter

It’s pretty hard to judge a product without first running the math. Fees pile up quickly, and what looked like a healthy margin at first glance can shrink to almost nothing once you account for storage, shipping, and extras.

Let’s walk through a simple example.

Say you buy a small kitchen item for $10. It sells on Amazon for $28, so on the surface, that $18 feels like a healthy spread. Here’s how it actually breaks down:

• Referral fee (15%): $4.20
• FBA fee (based on size/weight): $5.50
• Inbound placement cost: $0.35
• Storage and pre combined: $0.50
• Low-Inventory Fee: $0.40

After subtracting all of those, your net is closer to $7.55 profit per unit. That’s a 75% ROI on the $10 buy cost. It’s still good, but nowhere near the $18 you first thought you were getting.

The big takeaway: Always test a deal using a calculator before buying.

Download: Easync OA Profit Calculator for 2025 – Free

Compliance and account health for OA sellers

It’s probably the least glamorous side of Amazon online arbitrage in 2025, but keeping your account safe is extremely important. We’ve seen how fees can eat into profits, but a suspension can end them altogether. That’s why compliance and documentation deserve just as much attention as sourcing.

Authenticity documentation kit

In 2025, Amazon has ramped up its efforts to have sellers prove their products are genuine. The gold standard is an invoice issued within the last 365 days from an authorized distributor or manufacturer.

It needs to show the following:

• Your business name
• Supplier details
• Product identifiers (UPC/ASIN)
• The exact quantity you purchased

Don’t rely on retail receipts, as these typically fail in appeals. Instead, think long-term and keep all invoices organized and easy to pull, should Amazon target you for a request.

IP and brand complaints

Even if your invoice cataloging is solid, intellectual property complaints still happen. The safest approach is to prepare a paper trail before issues even arise. Save invoices, keep copies of packaging, and take photos of what you send in.

If a complaint lands, respond fast—ideally within 24 hours. Have your receipts, supplier contact details, and clear images ready. Fast, accurate replies can stop an issue from escalating any further.

Dropshipping pitfalls

Finally, avoid any practices that Amazon deems non-compliant. Sending an item directly from Walmart or Target to a buyer with their packing slip still shoved inside is one of the fastest ways to lose your selling privileges permanently.

If you fulfill orders yourself, you must be the seller of record. That means your name goes on the paperwork and the box. Most OA sellers stick with FBA to stay fully aligned with Amazon’s strict policies.

Compliance quick-check for OA sellers

• Keep invoices from authorized distributors or manufacturers. Don’t use retail receipts.
• Make sure that invoices are dated within 365 days and match the ASIN/UPC verbatim.
• Store supplier contact details alongside invoices for easy access.
• Take photos of packaging and labels before shipping them off.
• Respond to IP or brand complaints within 24 hours with proof at the ready.
• If using FBM, confirm you are the seller of record and remove all third-party slips.
• Stick with FBA if ever in doubt. It covers most compliance risks automatically.

Your first 10 online arbitrage leads: A repeatable weekly recipe

Getting started in online arbitrage doesn’t mean you need to chase random deals. A simple routine is all it takes to fill an online arbitrage sourcing list with good options every week. Here’s a recipe you can run in just a few hours:

1. Start by picking 3-5 reliable retailers. Walmart, Target, and office supply chains are a safe place to start.
2. Pull their clearance and weekly ads.
3. Run those through Tactical Arbitrage with filters set to your ROI and sales rank rules.
4. Export the top 50 results.
5. Validate each one with a quick scan in Keepa to confirm price history and Buy Box stability.
6. Use SellerAmp SAS to check for any restrictions and calculate the profit.
7. For a final sanity check, use BuyBotPro to flag any potential IP or hazmat risks.
8. Use Easync’s Product ID Grab to build an ASIN watchlist. This lets you track price and stock changes without having to re-run scans from scratch.
9. Place a few test orders and send them to yourself or a prep center for labeling and carton preparation.
10. Repeat weekly.

Example: 3 starter leads

Category	Buy price	Amazon price	Est. fees	Est. ROI
Beauty accessory	$9.50	$24.99	$7.10	35%
Office supply	$6.00	$17.99	$5.10	38%
Pet consumable	$11.00	$27.49	$7.90	34%

Scaling online arbitrage for Amazon: Systems, VAs, and prep

Once you’ve proven the model with a few wins, growth becomes less dependent on finding deals and more on building a system that’s repeatable. Start by writing simple SOPs:

• How leads are vetted
• The rules for approving purchases
• The steps for creating shipments
• The triggers for restocking

Making these kinds of clear rules means you’ll cut down on mistakes and make the training process easier.

Tracking performance is also important. A lightweight KPI dashboard can give you a quick pulse check, and can be made in Excel or Google Sheets—you don’t need an expensive BI application.

Include the following in your dashboard:

• Sell-through rate
• Average ROI
• Buy Box percentage
• Stranded inventory
• Authenticity flags

Once you’re done, you can expect something like the table below that’s editable and tells you where margins are slipping or where capital is getting stuck:

Metric	Value	Status
Sell-through %	72%	✅ On Track
Average ROI %	34%	✅ On Track
Buy Box %	85%	✅ Strong
Stranded inventory (units)	12	⚠️ Needs Attention
Authenticity flags	1	❌ Critical

Finally, think about your team structure. Many sellers hire virtual assistants (VAs) to handle sourcing scans and lead vetting. They also use prep centers to take care of labeling and intake. Layer in a basic audit routine like weekly checks on shipments and invoices, and you’ll be able to scale volume without losing any control.

Online arbitrage FAQ 2025

Is OA still profitable in 2025?

Yes, but it depends on doing the math and doing it correctly. The mix of fees has shifted, so margins are getting thinner if you ignore storage, inbound placement, or the Low-inventory-level fee. With clear rules for sourcing and the right tools, though, Amazon online arbitrage in 2025 can still deliver a solid ROI.

Are receipts acceptable for Amazon authenticity checks?

Unfortunately, receipts are rarely enough if Amazon challenges authenticity. Appeals typically require invoices dated within the past 365 days from authorized distributors or manufacturers. Check out the requirements on Amazon’s official site.

Can I dropship directly from retailers?

No, Amazon’s dropshipping policy clearly states that you must be the seller of record. That means invoices and packing slips must carry your details, not those of the retailer. Most OA sellers avoid this risk by using FBA or a fully compliant FBM setup.

Wrapping up your OA playbook for 2025

Online arbitrage is far from dead. It’s just sharper in 2025. Margins hinge on knowing the current fee mix, keeping your tool stack lean, and staying compliant no matter what.

With those three pieces in place, you’ll turn weekly sourcing into steady growth. Use the profit calculator, compliance checklist, and KPI dashboard to keep your decisions grounded.

Experiment with Hot Items and Product ID Grab with a free trial of Easync to speed up ideation and monitor products without the endless manual checks.

Finally, run a small test loop through a prep partner using clear ROI rules. Once you start seeing consistent wins, you’ll know it’s time to scale.