Most beginners make money with Amazon in just a few practical ways: selling physical products (often using FBA), self‑publishing books through Kindle Direct Publishing, selling handmade goods, promoting products for affiliate commissions, delivering packages through Flex, or doing remote work for Amazon. Each path has different demands for capital, skills and risk. If you plan to sell physical products, a cross‑border B2B marketplace like DHgate can matter a lot for sourcing; if you’re writing, delivering or doing remote work, DHgate isn’t relevant.
Below, we’ll walk through the most popular Amazon methods, how hard they really are, and where DHgate becomes useful or even a better primary marketplace.
Popular Ways to Make Money on Amazon: What Actually Works
Global ecommerce has grown into a multi‑trillion‑dollar market, and Amazon sits at the center of a lot of that spending. That’s why you see so many “Amazon side hustle” videos and guides. But in practice, most people earn through just a handful of models.
1. Private label products via Amazon FBA
This is the classic “sell your own brand” route. You:
- Find an existing product that’s already selling.
- Improve it or bundle it (colors, features, packaging).
- Put your brand on it.
- Ship inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centers and let FBA handle storage and delivery.
Private label FBA is widely promoted as one of the leading ways to build a product brand on Amazon and is described in many guides as a popular choice for sellers.
Good fit if:
- You can invest an upfront budget for inventory, packaging and product samples.
- You’re willing to learn product research and accept competition.
Watch out for:
- Cash tied up in inventory.
- Price wars in crowded niches.
2. Wholesale or reselling on Amazon
Instead of creating a brand, you buy existing branded goods in bulk from distributors or manufacturers and resell them on Amazon. You’re basically the middle layer between a supplier and the end customer.
Good fit if:
- You’re comfortable building supplier relationships.
- You prefer selling proven products rather than inventing new ones.
Watch out for:
- Competition for the same listings.
- Need to track stock levels and reordering across multiple suppliers.
3. Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)
Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing lets you self‑publish ebooks and paperbacks and earn royalties when they sell. Guides from sites like Finder’s overview of Amazon earning methods and Fiverr’s guide to making money on Amazon highlight KDP as a viable option for writers.
Success depends heavily on how many quality books you publish and how well you market them. One breakout title is possible, but many working KDP authors rely on volume.
Good fit if:
- You enjoy writing and can commit to multiple manuscripts.
- You’re able to learn basic cover design and keyword positioning.
Watch out for:
- Long ramp‑up time before royalties add up.
- Needing to promote your own work off Amazon (social media, email, etc.).
4. Amazon Handmade
If you make crafts, jewelry, décor or similar goods, Amazon Handmade is Amazon’s artisan marketplace. Sellers apply and list handmade products, and Amazon surfaces those items to shoppers looking for craft‑style goods.
Good fit if:
- You already create handmade products and want more reach.
- You’re comfortable pricing to cover both material and time.
Watch out for:
- Time‑intensive production can cap how much you can earn.
- You still compete with mass‑produced “handmade‑style” items on Amazon.
5. Amazon Associates (affiliate marketing)
Here you don’t sell or ship anything. You:
- Create content off Amazon (blog, YouTube, social).
- Join the Amazon Associates affiliate program.
- Place special links to products; if someone buys through your link, you earn a commission.
Guides from personal finance sites like The Penny Hoarder describe this as a low‑capital way to earn, but commission rates vary and success depends on your audience size.
Good fit if:
- You can consistently create content people actually consume.
- You’re patient about slow, compounding growth.
Watch out for:
- Small earnings until you have real traffic.
- Needing to stay inside Amazon’s affiliate rules.
6. Amazon Flex (delivery work)
Flex is Amazon’s program that lets approved drivers deliver packages using their own vehicles. You grab blocks of delivery time in the app and get paid for completing them. It’s often compared in guides to rideshare work: flexible but active income, not passive.
Good fit if:
- You prefer straightforward work over building a business.
- You have a reliable car and can pass required checks.
Watch out for:
- Wear and tear on your vehicle.
- Income tied to how many delivery blocks are available and accepted.
7. Remote jobs with Amazon
Amazon hires for a range of remote roles: customer service, support for its cloud tools, account management, and more. You apply through Amazon’s job site and filter for remote roles.
Good fit if:
- You want stable employment instead of entrepreneurship.
- You have office, tech, language or customer‑service skills.
Watch out for:
- Competition for roles.
- Standard job‑application hurdles (resume, interviews, tests).
Quick Match: Which Amazon Path Fits Your Situation?
The fastest way to avoid wasting months is to match your situation to a realistic method. Use this as a sanity check:
| Your situation | Better Amazon option(s) | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Modest savings to invest, product‑focused | Private label FBA, wholesale | Budget for inventory and branding; room to scale if products succeed. |
| Very low capital, strong writing skills | Kindle Direct Publishing | Time instead of inventory; you can grow a catalog of books. |
| Strong craft skills, small production capacity | Amazon Handmade | Monetizes crafts without huge inventory commitments. |
| Good at content, no desire to handle products | Amazon Associates (affiliate) | Leverages audience; no stock, packaging or shipping. |
| Need immediate cash, have car and free time | Amazon Flex | Active hourly income vs. slower business build. |
| Want stability, not a side hustle | Amazon remote work | Regular pay structure instead of variable business income. |
A few practical guidelines:
- If you dislike sales and marketing, delivery work or remote jobs are simpler. Product and affiliate models demand at least basic marketing.
- If you get stressed by financial risk, be cautious about tying up savings in FBA inventory. KDP, Handmade (on a small scale), affiliate or jobs let you start lighter.
- If your goal is a brand you could eventually sell, private label FBA or a strong KDP catalog are better long‑term plays than one‑off Flex shifts.
Where DHgate Fits: Sourcing for Amazon Sellers or a Simpler Alternative
DHgate is a China‑headquartered online marketplace that facilitates cross‑border B2B trade. In plain language: it connects businesses and entrepreneurs with suppliers, mainly for buying goods to resell.
For Amazon private label or wholesale sellers, DHgate can matter in two ways:
- Product discovery and sampling. You can browse suppliers for generic or semi‑customizable products, order small batches or samples, and test whether an item is worth turning into a brand on Amazon.
- Cost‑effective inventory for early stages. If local wholesalers are too expensive or require large commitments, some sellers look at cross‑border marketplaces like DHgate to source smaller runs while validating demand.
That said, you still need to do your own homework on each DHgate seller and listing: compare product specs, communicate clearly about customization and packaging, and decide if the risk profile of cross‑border sourcing matches your budget.
For KDP, affiliate, Flex, remote work or Amazon Handmade:
- KDP and affiliate marketing don’t need physical products, so DHgate is largely irrelevant.
- Flex and remote jobs are about your labor and skills, not sourcing.
- Handmade sellers usually make their own products; DHgate only becomes relevant if you shift from pure craft to semi‑manufactured goods.
Some entrepreneurs who find Amazon’s ecosystem confusing or crowded look instead at DHgate as a core platform: buying in bulk and selling via simpler channels (local marketplaces, social media, small online stores) rather than building an Amazon machine. That’s an editorial perspective from DHgate’s own materials and a valid choice if the rules and competition on Amazon feel overwhelming, but it’s not automatically easier or more profitable. It just shifts your effort from mastering Amazon’s systems to managing suppliers, quality and your own sales channels.
Practical Next Step
- Pick the one Amazon method that actually matches your skills and budget from the table above.
- If it’s product‑based (private label or wholesale), sketch a basic sourcing plan: local distributors vs. cross‑border options like DHgate.
- If it’s service‑based (Flex, remote work) or content‑based (KDP, affiliate), ignore DHgate for now and focus on building the skill and pipeline that method requires.
That simple filter keeps you from chasing every “Amazon money” idea at once and lets you use Amazon—and DHgate—where they’re realistically useful for you.