Whether you are a beginner or you’ve been in the game for a while, you must have considered taking your business international. In this context, joining an online marketplace appears to be a lucrative venture as it can drive hordes of new shoppers to your games. To help you with the job, we have listed 6 marketplaces including their policy towards digital games as well as their upsides and downsides. Read through to decide which option will work best for you!

1. Amazon

What started as an online bookstore has rapidly grown to become a million-dollar player with a great customer base from over 180 countries. Amazon has currently 14 global online marketplaces that operate across the US, Europe and Asia. Its assortment spans over 30 products categories including electronics, books, toys and video games.
It pays off to sell video games here especially if you realize that third-party sellers generate over 40% of the total sales. You can put boxed video games for sale in return for fees paid within FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). As far as order fulfilment is concerned, things work slightly as with dropshipping – when a customer orders a game, Amazon will send it and deposit the percentage of the sale into your seller account. The amount you earn is always reduced by 15% fee (video games). Of course, this doesn’t come for free – all fees including selling, fulfillment, listing, and monthly subscription fees add up.

How to sell video games with Amazon

First, you need to register as a seller on Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and then list video games for sale. It’s essential that you package the items and ship them to the warehouse assigned by Amazon. You don’t have to worry about boxing them up neatly as they won’t go to the end customer in the same package. Later on, Amazon will verify your video games and store them until the customer orders.

Can I sell digital games here?

No, you can’t. Only Amazon is allowed to include digital games in their offering.

Pros

– International audience of gamers
– Recognised by customers worldwide
– Hassle free shipping and order fulfillment (FBA)
– Affiliate program to promote products

Cons

– No option of selling game downloads
– Hefty fees

2. eBay

If you look for a place “where the world goes to shop, sell and give”, eBay is the right place. As one of the pioneers of online shopping, it has sites in 24 countries, boasting around 168 mln active shoppers. Taking into account that global digital spending has gone up by 15% in June, a substantial number of gamers may hunt for games on eBay auctions.
Video games are among top products with great potential for profit. However, if you’re new to digital sales, it may be more of a headache than a profitable business.

How to sell video games with eBay

To get started, you need to create a seller account on eBay. Next step would be to create a listing with specific titles of games.

Can I sell digital games here?

Yes, you can. You are asked to list digital products under the “Everything else” category. Your listing has to contain a statement that you are authorized to sell a specific game on the owner’s behalf. This is to protect buyers from pirated products. Apart from games, it’s possible to sell other digital products like in-game items, domain names or software.

Pros

– Option of selling digital games
– Immediate access to shoppers worldwide
– Marketing help (eBay affiliates program)

Cons

– Not the best option for newcomers
– Shipping and order fulfillment done by the seller
– Fees charged per listing
– Favours buyers over sellers

3. Walmart Marketplace

Walmart is the second largest shopping platform in the US. Fierce competition with Amazon puts the low-cost leader at the forefront of e-commerce sales with a whopping almost 70% growth Q1 2018. Curiously enough, Walmart and Amazon accounted for almost half of the US sales in 2016. Boxed video games are one of the best products that can be sold at moderate, read Walmart, prices.
What does it cost to sell on Walmart? You don’t pay any account fees, instead, Walmart charges you a referral fee per sale, which amounts to 15% of boxed game’s selling price. The bad news is that Walmart doesn’t offer any in-house order fulfillment and shipping so it’s your job to handle them.

How to sell video games with Walmart

First, you should apply to be eligible for selling on Walmart Marketplace. Not all stores get approved as the online marketplace works mainly with established brands. So if you’re a starter, don’t waste time on applying there – Amazon may be a better choice. Once you have been invited to join Walmart Marketplace, you will set up your account.

Can I sell digital games here?

Unfortunately not. Digital games are on the prohibited products list at Walmart.

Pros

– Over 110 mln customers every month
– Trusted brand for electronics and entertainment
– Only pay per sale (no monthly fees)
– First line of customer support provided

Cons

– Digital games among prohibited products to sell
– Only established brands admitted
– Brand owners preferred over retailers
– Low-cost brand association
– No shipping and order fulfillment support

4. Newegg Marketplace

Newegg has build a strong online marketplace for tech-savvy users. The site’s demographic consists mostly of over 36 mln tech-oriented users across 50 countries including men and women between 18 and 35. And that’s exactly where your target sits. The platform offers a wide range of technology, consumer electronics including video games – both boxed and digital versions.
The commission rate for selling video games is 15%, and you are not charged any fees for joining. You can deal with fulfilling international orders on your own or have it done by Newegg (more details here). The same applies to customer service – provide it on your own or delegate it to Newegg.

How to start selling games with Newegg

Newegg describes itself as “an invite-only online marketplace” so you need to apply for an account to sell there. You can sell games manually or automatically, via API. Once your application has been reviewed, you are ready to list your games here.

Can I sell digital games here?

Yes, you can.

Pros

– Option of selling digital games
– Catering to geeks
– Relatively low-barrier entry into the US market
– Order fulfilment and customer support by Newegg
– Access to marketing tools e.g. promotional emails

Cons

– Shipping time restrictions: 48 hours
– Responding to customer enquiries: within 24 hours

5. GAME Marketplace

Is there a better place to sell video games than an online marketplace with a “GAME” in the name? Heck no! That’s the logic of one of the biggest game retailers in the UK, GAME, which allows third-party sellers put their game catalogue on sale. GAME Marketplace offers new and pre-owned video games, consoles, game-related merchandise, as well as other tech items to gamers. Over 400 third-party sellers can be found here. Online marketplace sellers pay no setup costs, listing fees or subscription fees. Remember that you are not allowed to sell games which include “Only at Game” branding or similar unless it’s been approved by GAME in writing.

How to start selling games with GAME Marketplace

First, apply for an account by sending email with your name and phone number at marketplace@game.co.uk. GAME promises to get back to you with more details about the setup process and commission charges.

Can I sell digital games here?

No, you can’t. Other prohibited products include:
– recently released games – sellers can’t offer them for the first 4 days from release date (if an item is stocked by GAME)
– pre-orders
– new releases of software – they can be put on sale if GAME doesn’t stock it and once the product has been approved by the relevant GAME buyer

Pros

– Online marketplace targeted at geeks and gamers
– Dedicated support that helps with listing products

Cons

– No information about commission charges
– Digital game sales prohibited

6. CodesWholesale

This online marketplace is different from the rest as only authorised game wholesalers are invited to put digital games on sale. If you resell games, you’ll have an opportunity to get unlimited access to over 2000 digital games. As of now, 2137 companies in 72 countries rely on over 400 third-party suppliers. We operate on “pay for what you use” basis, which means there are no setup costs and subscription fees. Best of all, our API technology handles order fulfillment and customer support as well as provides ready-made product descriptions.

How to start selling games with CodesWholesale

In order to start buying games, you’ll have to integrate your online store with CodesWholesale. We provide plugins for the most popular e-commerce software (WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify, PrestaShop, Opencart) as well as enable custom implementation. No matter which method of integration you pick, our dev team will set you up for a successful digital game sourcing.

Can I sell digital games here?

Yes, of course!

Pros

– All-in-one solution for product sourcing, order fulfillment, and product content
– Quick integration
– Free to use
– “Pay for what you use” model

Cons

– Digital sales reserved for wholesale sellers

Wrapping it up

Although having an online game store is the best revenue driver, trying out online marketplaces can help you expand into new markets. Some of the marketplaces we mentioned have strict rules of admission in exchange for a strong reputation and massive audience. We recommend that you weigh all the pros and cons carefully and pick the right marketplace for you!