Amazon Shop Direct Merchant Workspace: How to Join, Fees, and How Buy for Me Works

Amazon describes the Merchant Workspace as "a self-service portal that gives any eligible merchant the ability to register for Shop Direct and connect their store to Amazon" (aboutamazon.com). In the portal, merchants can:

• register for Shop Direct;
• submit product feeds and manage their participation;
• see which of their products are active and available to Amazon customers.

The portal lives at shopdirect.amazon.com. Amazon calls the whole system "a fast, free direct AI connector" from a merchant's store to Alexa for Shopping and Amazon.

The key point for merchants is that this isn't selling on Amazon. You don't create Seller Central listings, Amazon doesn't hold your stock, and the customer completes the purchase with your store. Amazon's job is to show your products to its shoppers and send them to you.

How does Shop Direct work for shoppers?

Shop Direct is Amazon's program for showing products it doesn't sell. Amazon says the products appear in relevant searches and inside Alexa for Shopping, clearly labelled "Shop Direct." From there:

1. Shop Direct button: the shopper taps "Shop Direct" on the product page, sees a notice that they're leaving Amazon, and lands on the merchant's site to buy.
2. Buy for Me button (eligible products only): the shopper confirms delivery address, taxes, shipping fees and payment method on an Amazon checkout screen, and "Amazon's AI then securely completes the purchase from the merchant's website," according to Amazon.

Either way, Amazon says shipping, delivery, returns, exchanges and customer service are handled by the merchant through its existing processes. For customers, Shop Direct is available "for all U.S. customers" on Amazon.com, the Amazon Shopping app, mobile web browsers and Alexa for Shopping. Amazon's announcement doesn't mention any other country.

How do I join Shop Direct? (3 steps)

Amazon lists three steps on the Merchant Workspace:

1. Create a Shop Direct merchant account at shopdirect.amazon.com.
2. Verify your business website.
3. Share your catalog. Either use a solution provider whose app connects it for you, or integrate directly with Amazon's Selling Partner API (SP-API) to submit and manage your catalog yourself.

The feed partners Amazon names are Feedonomics, Salsify, CEDCommerce and VersaFeed. Amazon says the Workspace accepts "widely adopted shopping feed formats," so you can reuse a catalog you already maintain for other shopping channels rather than building a new one. Developers building their own connector can start with Amazon's Shop Direct API documentation.

Already an Amazon seller? Amazon says existing sellers "may also be eligible" to use Shop Direct for products they don't currently sell in Amazon's store, and should email [email protected].

Who is "eligible"? Amazon's announcement repeatedly says "eligible merchants" but doesn't spell out the criteria. The portal itself only loads with JavaScript and we couldn't read its terms, so check the eligibility rules there before you assume your store qualifies.

How much does Shop Direct cost?

Nothing, according to Amazon. The announcement says: "There are no fees to participate in Shop Direct, and merchants can opt out at any time." That covers Shop Direct itself. If you connect through a feed provider such as Feedonomics or Salsify, that company's own pricing still applies. Amazon's announcement doesn't cover third-party costs, and we haven't checked each provider's pricing.

Earlier this year, SiliconANGLE reported that Amazon said Buy for Me "collects no commissions" (SiliconANGLE).

Shop Direct vs selling on Amazon: comparison table

This is the decision most merchants face. The table compares Shop Direct with the traditional Seller Central route, using what Amazon says in its announcement.

There's a third option Amazon is promoting at the same time. Its newsroom says merchants using Multi-Channel Fulfillment through Amazon Supply Chain Services can now add the Prime badge and delivery to their own websites and save "15-25%" on fulfilment fees. That's a separate program from Shop Direct.

Timeline: how Shop Direct got here

Amazon's latest figures are that "tens of millions of customers have discovered hundreds of millions of unique products from other stores" through Shop Direct, and that Shop Direct products appear "in hundreds of millions of searches monthly." Amazon doesn't break down how many of those searches lead to sales.

Why does Amazon want to show products it doesn't sell?

Amazon's stated reason is to keep shoppers starting their searches on Amazon even when it doesn't stock what they want. "Customers are increasingly trusting Amazon and Alexa for Shopping as the place to start any shopping journey—whether what they're looking for is in our store or somewhere else on the web," said Amanda Doerr, Amazon's vice president of Core Shopping, in the announcement.

It also fits Amazon's push into AI shopping agents. Alexa for Shopping can now act on a shopper's behalf, and products from Shop Direct feeds give it a much wider catalog to choose from. We've covered the advertising side of this in Alexa+ agentic ads.

What are merchants saying?

The loudest reaction to Shop Direct so far came before this launch. In January 2026, SiliconANGLE, following reporting by Modern Retail, said small businesses had objected on social media, including Instagram and Reddit, after finding their products on Amazon without opting in.

• Angie Chua, CEO of Bobo Design Studio, who sells through Shopify and had chosen not to sell on Amazon, told the publication: "We were forced to be dropshippers on a platform that we have made a conscious decision not to be part of." SiliconANGLE reported she was contacted by more than 180 other small businesses on Shopify, Wix, Squarespace and WooCommerce whose products had also appeared.
• Emi Moon, founder of Peachie Kei, was quoted saying: "I would really like to see these things be opt-in versus opt-out."
• Hitchcock Paper, a Virginia stationery supplier, reportedly received dozens of orders for a stress ball it doesn't sell.

At the time, Amazon said businesses could opt out by email and that it removed them promptly. Chua said her listings came down a few days after she asked (SiliconANGLE).

We looked for merchant reactions to the November Merchant Workspace launch itself and didn't find first-hand posts we could verify and link to yet. The questions merchants are asking are predictable, though:

• Does joining through the portal change how products that were already in Shop Direct are handled?
• What makes a merchant "eligible"?
• Who handles a chargeback or dispute on a Buy for Me order?
• Will Shop Direct expand beyond US shoppers?

Amazon's announcement doesn't answer any of these directly.

Is Shop Direct worth it for merchants?

It can make sense if:

• you already maintain a shopping feed (for example through Feedonomics or Salsify), so the extra work is small;
• you sell to US customers and can handle a possible rise in orders and returns;
• you want Amazon shoppers to find you but don't want Amazon fees, Amazon's checkout or an FBA relationship.

Think twice if:

• you don't want your brand shown next to Amazon listings, or you've deliberately stayed off Amazon;
• your stock levels and prices change quickly and your feed isn't reliable. Buy for Me orders depend on accurate data, and the January complaints included a merchant receiving orders for an item it didn't sell;
• your returns and customer-service setup is already stretched. Amazon customers will expect Amazon-level service, but you're the one providing it.

Editor's take

The Merchant Workspace fixes the biggest complaint about Shop Direct: merchants now have a front door, a dashboard showing what's live, and a clear opt-out. That's a real improvement on emailing Amazon to get removed. The terms are also hard to argue with on paper: no fees, your checkout, your customer.

What's still missing is detail. Amazon hasn't published eligibility criteria in its announcement, hasn't said how Buy for Me disputes are handled, and hasn't shared conversion data beyond very large "hundreds of millions" figures. If you're a US-facing store that already runs a shopping feed, it costs little to try. Just watch the Workspace dashboard closely in the first weeks, especially with Black Friday and Cyber Monday traffic about to arrive.

FAQ

What is Amazon Shop Direct?

Shop Direct is Amazon's program that shows products from other online stores in Amazon search results and in Alexa for Shopping, labelled "Shop Direct." Shoppers are sent to the merchant's website to buy, or for eligible items Amazon's Buy for Me feature buys from the merchant's site for them.

What is the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace?

It's a free self-service portal Amazon launched on 4 November 2026 at shopdirect.amazon.com. Eligible merchants can register, submit product feeds, manage which products are included and see which are active.

Is Amazon Shop Direct free for merchants?

Amazon says there are no fees to participate in Shop Direct. Third-party feed providers you use to connect may charge their own fees.

How do I sign up for Amazon Shop Direct?

Create a Shop Direct merchant account, verify your business website, then share your catalog through a solution provider (Feedonomics, Salsify, CEDCommerce or VersaFeed) or directly through Amazon's Selling Partner API.

How do I opt out of Amazon Shop Direct?

Amazon says merchants can opt out at any time and choose which products to include, which the Merchant Workspace lets you manage. Existing Amazon sellers can contact [email protected].

Who handles returns for Shop Direct and Buy for Me orders?

The merchant does. Amazon says shipping, delivery, returns, exchanges and customer service are managed by the merchant through its existing processes.

Is Amazon Shop Direct available outside the US?

Amazon's announcement says Shop Direct is available for all US customers on Amazon.com, the Amazon Shopping app, mobile web and Alexa for Shopping. It doesn't mention other countries.

What is the difference between Shop Direct and Buy for Me?

Shop Direct is the program and the button that sends shoppers to a merchant's website. Buy for Me is an option on some Shop Direct products where Amazon's AI agent completes the purchase on the merchant's site after the shopper confirms details on Amazon.

Sources

• About Amazon — Amazon's new Shop Direct Merchant Workspace (4 Nov 2026): https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-shop-direct-merchant-workspace
• Amazon Shop Direct Merchant Workspace portal: https://shopdirect.amazon.com/
• Amazon SP-API — Shop Direct developer documentation: https://developer-docs.amazon/sp-api/docs/shop-direct
• About Amazon — Shop Direct test announcement (11 Feb 2025): https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/search-products-amazon-shopping-feature
• About Amazon — Amazon introduces feeds for AI-powered Shop Direct (11 Mar 2026): https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-shop-direct-external-stores
• About Amazon — Amazon's new 'Buy for Me' feature (3 Apr 2025): https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-shopping-app-buy-for-me-brands
• SiliconANGLE — Amazon's AI agents spark backlash from retailers (6 Jan 2026): https://siliconangle.com/2026/01/06/amazons-ai-agents-spark-backlash-retailers-listing-products-without-knowledge/
• PYMNTS — Amazon streamlines direct sales for merchants (11 Mar 2026): https://www.pymnts.com/?p=3554042

Featured image: Amazon press image of a merchant using the Shop Direct Merchant Workspace on a laptop. Source