How Much Can You Make on Merch by Amazon? (2026 Income Guide)
Updated
Merch by Amazon sellers earn $50–$10,000+/month depending on their tier level, number of designs, and niche selection. Amazon’s massive built-in traffic means your designs get eyeballs without any marketing — but the tier system makes early growth painfully slow. Here’s the complete breakdown of Amazon Merch income in 2026.
Merch by Amazon (MBA) is Amazon’s print-on-demand platform for t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and other apparel. Unlike Etsy or Redbubble, you’re listing directly on Amazon — which means access to hundreds of millions of shoppers with zero advertising required.
Merch by Amazon Income: Realistic Expectations
Income by Tier and Design Count
Tier
Design Slots
Avg. Monthly Income
Required Sales to Advance
Tier 10
10
$0–$20
10 sales
Tier 25
25
$10–$75
25 sales
Tier 100
100
$50–$300
100 sales
Tier 500
500
$200–$1,500
500 sales
Tier 1,000
1,000
$500–$3,000
1,000 sales
Tier 2,000
2,000
$1,000–$6,000
2,000 sales
Tier 4,000
4,000
$2,000–$12,000+
4,000 sales
The tier bottleneck is the #1 challenge: Most new sellers are stuck at Tier 10 or 25 for months, severely limiting income potential.
Merch by Amazon Royalty Calculator
Selling Price
MBA Product Cost
Your Royalty
Notes
$14.99
~$12.91
~$2.08
T-shirt minimum viable price
$17.99
~$12.91
~$5.08
Sweet spot for most categories
$19.99
~$12.91
~$7.08
Competitive for hooded t-shirts
$24.99
~$12.91
~$12.08
Premium positioning
$39.99
~$25.00
~$14.99
Pullover hoodie range
$44.99
~$25.00
~$19.99
Zip hoodie premium tier
Amazon sets a minimum price per product type; you cannot sell below it.
How Merch by Amazon Works
Product Catalog
Product Type
Common Price Range
Avg. Royalty
Standard t-shirt
$14.99–$24.99
$2–$12
Premium t-shirt
$19.99–$29.99
$3–$17
Pullover hoodie
$32.99–$44.99
$8–$20
Zip hoodie
$39.99–$54.99
$10–$25
Sweatshirt
$27.99–$39.99
$6–$17
Long sleeve
$19.99–$29.99
$3–$12
V-neck
$15.99–$24.99
$2–$11
Tote bag
$14.99–$21.99
$3–$9
PopSocket
$14.99–$19.99
$4–$8
The Invitation and Tier System
Phase
What Happens
Apply
Submit application at merch.amazon.com
Wait
Approval takes weeks to months; no guaranteed timeline
Tier 10
Start with 10 design slots immediately
Sell up
Each 10/25/100/etc. sales unlocks next tier
Tier climbing
Focus on selling existing designs before adding more
Getting Started on Merch by Amazon
Step 1: Design Strategy for Tier 10
With only 10 slots, each design must be chosen carefully:
Strategy
Why It Works
High-volume search terms
Find phrases with 10,000+ monthly Amazon searches
Low-competition niches
Search for phrases with under 500 competing products initially
Offer 2–4 color options; dark colors often outsell light
What Sells Best on Merch by Amazon
Top-Performing Niches in 2026
Niche
Best Sellers
Competition
Professions
Nurse, teacher, truck driver, electrician
High but deep
Pets
Dog breeds, cat lovers, “fur mom”
Very high
Humor/sarcasm
Introvert memes, relatable sayings
High
Hobbies
Fishing, hunting, hiking, cooking
Medium-High
Military/patriotic
Veteran appreciation, branch-specific
Medium
Seasonal
Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July
High (seasonal spike)
Sports
Specific teams cautiously (avoid official logos/IP)
Medium
Seasonal Revenue Patterns
Season
Revenue Impact
Key Products
Q4 (Oct–Dec)
40–60% of annual revenue
Holiday shirts, hoodies, gift items
Q1 (Jan–Mar)
Below average
New Year, Valentine’s Day
Q2 (Apr–Jun)
Average
Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, graduation
Q3 (Jul–Sep)
Below average
Back to school, patriotic
Critical insight: Upload Christmas and holiday designs by September — Amazon indexes slowly and competition is fiercest in November.
Merch by Amazon Income Timeline
Timeframe
Tier
Designs Active
Monthly Income
Month 1–3
10
5–10
$0–$30
Month 4–6
25–100
20–80
$20–$150
Month 7–12
100–500
80–400
$100–$700
Year 2
500–1,000
300–800
$400–$2,000
Year 3+
1,000–4,000+
700–3,000+
$1,000–$10,000+
Tax Implications for Merch by Amazon Sellers
Amazon sends a 1099-MISC for royalties paid during the calendar year.
Tax
Rate
Notes
Self-employment tax
15.3%
Royalties are self-employment income
Federal income tax
Your bracket
Net income after deductions
State income tax
Varies
Most states apply
Deductible Expenses
Expense
Deductible?
Design software (Canva, Adobe, Affinity)
Yes
Purchased stock graphics/fonts
Yes
Research tools (MerchInformer, Helium 10)
Yes
Computer (business use %)
Yes
Home office
Yes
Is Merch by Amazon Worth It in 2026?
Pros
Advantage
Details
Amazon’s traffic
Hundreds of millions of buyers; zero marketing needed
Truly passive income
No fulfillment, shipping, or customer service
Higher royalties than Redbubble
$5–$20/shirt vs. $3–$5 on Redbubble
Free to use
No monthly fees
Brand trust
Customers trust Amazon; conversion rates are higher
Cons
Challenge
Details
Invitation required
Can’t start immediately; waitlist applies
Slow tier advancement
Stuck at Tier 10–25 for months is common
Strict content policies
Designs get removed for policy violations
IP/copyright enforcement
Even innocent designs get flagged
Slow indexing
New designs may take weeks to appear in search
Who MBA Is Best For
Good Fit
Why
Designers who hate marketing
Amazon handles all customer acquisition
Text-based/graphic designers
Simple designs sell best
People building passive income
True set-and-forget after Tier 100+
POD sellers diversifying beyond Redbubble
Significantly higher royalties
Who Should Skip Merch by Amazon
Poor Fit
Why
People needing fast income
Tier system + wait list = 6–12 months before real earnings
Fine artists
MBA shoppers want wearable text/graphics, not gallery art
Low-volume creators
Under 100 designs, income is negligible
Merch by Amazon vs. Redbubble
Comparison
Merch by Amazon
Redbubble
Application
Invite required
Open to all
Royalty per shirt
$4–$12
$2–$5
Traffic
Massive (Amazon)
Moderate
Product range
Limited to apparel
70+ products
Competition
High
Very high
Time to income
Longer (tiers)
Faster (no tier limit)
Best strategy: Use both. Same designs can go on Redbubble immediately while you wait for MBA approval and tier advancement.
Bottom Line
Question
Answer
Realistic income (Tier 10–25)
$0–$50/month
Realistic income (Tier 100–500)
$100–$700/month
Realistic income (Tier 1,000+)
$1,000–$5,000+/month
Time to meaningful income
12–24 months typically
Best designs
Simple text, specific niche/profession targeting
Key to success
Volume + niche research + Q4 preparation
Merch by Amazon is one of the best passive income platforms for designers who can play the long game. The tier system is frustrating but intentional — Amazon limits supply to maintain quality. Once you grind through to Tier 500+, you’ll have access to Amazon’s full customer base with no marketing costs. Treat it as a 2–3 year project, not a get-rich-quick scheme.