How to Sell on Amazon Without Selling Physical Products

For years, the phrase make money on Amazon conjured up a single image: stacks of cardboard boxes, long hours spent on sourcing products, and constant management of shipping and returns. While this is still the reality for countless sellers, the Amazon ecosystem in 2025 offers something different — and for many, more appealing: a way to earn significant income without ever touching a physical product.

These alternatives aren’t just side hustles. Some creators, marketers, and entrepreneurs have learned how to make up to $10,000 per month on Amazon without selling physical products, building scalable income streams that leverage Amazon’s reach without requiring warehouses, inventory, or supply chains. If you’ve wondered how to make money on Amazon without selling, the opportunities ahead could redefine your idea of online business.

One of the most accessible ways to make money online with Amazon is through the Amazon Associates program. It allows you to earn a commission whenever someone purchases a product using your unique referral link. You don’t handle payments, customer service, or shipping — you simply guide buyers to Amazon.

Here’s how it works in practice: you sign up for a free Amazon Associates account, choose products to recommend, and share those recommendations through your own channels. A niche blog with well-optimized articles can rank in search results for specific keywords like “best camping gear 2025,” while a TikTok account can showcase quick product demos that go viral. Instagram carousels, YouTube review videos, and even carefully chosen Reddit posts can all generate affiliate clicks.

The key to success is relevance and trust. People click when the product clearly matches their needs and they trust the person recommending it. Tools like the Amazon Associates dashboard help track which links are performing best. Bit.ly can shorten and track links for social media, while Pinterest Trends and SurferSEO can guide your content toward what’s popular and searchable.

Affiliate marketing won’t make you rich overnight, but with consistent content and smart promotion, it can scale into a reliable income stream.

If you’ve ever dreamed of publishing a book but were discouraged by the logistics of printing and distribution, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is the answer. Amazon’s KDP platform allows anyone to publish eBooks and print-on-demand paperbacks, with Amazon handling printing, shipping, and payment processing.

Creators are using KDP to sell everything from niche nonfiction guides and children’s picture books to low-content items like journals, planners, and coloring books. The process is straightforward: format your manuscript or design, upload it along with a cover and description, set your price, and make it available for sale worldwide.

The profitability comes from finding the right niche. Instead of competing with mainstream bestsellers, many KDP publishers focus on underserved topics or specific demographics. Tools like Book Bolt help identify keywords and niches, Canva can create professional covers, and KDP Spy lets you see what competitors are selling. For outlining and content drafting, AI tools like ChatGPT can speed up production without sacrificing quality.

KDP books can continue to sell for years, turning your initial creative effort into an ongoing source of royalties.

If you have a knack for design — or even if you just have great ideas for slogans — Merch by Amazon lets you create and sell custom apparel and accessories without managing inventory. You upload your designs, choose which products to offer (T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, mugs), and set your prices. Amazon handles printing, packing, and delivery.

The challenge is standing out in a competitive marketplace. Successful Merch by Amazon sellers often focus on micro-niches: instead of generic “funny shirts,” they might create designs for pickleball fans, cat-loving nurses, or retro video game enthusiasts. Seasonal and trending topics can also generate spikes in sales.

For creating designs, tools like Canva, Vexels, and All Sunsets are popular, while Merch Informer helps research demand and optimize listings. Once a design is live, every sale is hands-off — you simply collect your royalty.

For content creators with an existing audience, the Amazon Influencer Program combines affiliate marketing with personal branding. Approved influencers get a custom storefront on Amazon where they can feature curated product lists, create shoppable videos, and even host live streams through Amazon Live.

The process begins by applying through Amazon with a linked social media account (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube). Once accepted, you can build themed collections — for example, “My Kitchen Essentials” or “Best Travel Gadgets” — and direct your audience there. Commissions are earned on all qualifying purchases made through your storefront links.

Video plays a huge role here. Short clips demonstrating how products work or showing them in real-world use often convert better than static images. Tools like CapCut make video editing quick, OBS Studio enables professional live streams, and TubeBuddy optimizes YouTube uploads for search.

For influencers already comfortable creating content, this program is a natural extension that turns recommendations into revenue.

Amazon income streams are tied to physical goods. Through Amazon Video Direct (AVD) and Audible’s ACX platform, you can license creative work and earn royalties.

AVD allows filmmakers and video creators to upload their content — from short films to documentaries and courses — and earn through purchases, rentals, or ad-supported views. ACX connects authors, narrators, and producers to create and sell audiobooks on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

For both formats, quality is key. Descript and Riverside.fm help with editing and remote recording, while the AVD uploader and ACX dashboard make it easy to manage your titles. Once content is live, it can generate passive revenue for months or years, especially if it taps into evergreen demand.

As Amazon’s marketplace grows, so does the need for expert help. Many sellers hire virtual assistants (VAs) or consultants to handle everything from PPC campaign management and keyword research to listing optimization and branding.

Freelancers can find work on Fiverr, Upwork, or by networking through LinkedIn. Rates vary widely: beginners may charge $15–$30/hour, while experienced consultants with a track record of increasing sales can command $100/hour or more.

Mastering tools like Helium 10, Jungle Scout, and AMZScout is essential for delivering value. Graphic design skills with Canva or ad campaign expertise with Google Ads can make your services even more attractive. This model isn’t passive, but it offers high earning potential and valuable skill-building.

Some entrepreneurs prefer to own their traffic source entirely, avoiding reliance on social media algorithms. Building a niche website or an email newsletter that promotes Amazon products through affiliate links can provide long-term stability.

A niche site might focus on a specific interest — like “smart home automation” — and publish detailed guides, reviews, and tutorials. An accompanying newsletter can deliver curated recommendations directly to subscribers’ inboxes. Over time, this builds a loyal audience that trusts your recommendations.

Tools like WordPress make site creation accessible, while Ahrefs and SurferSEO help with keyword targeting and content optimization. Beehiiv and MailerLite provide user-friendly platforms for managing email campaigns.

This method takes time to build but can result in a highly resilient income stream.

The right tools can dramatically speed up your progress in any of these models. Here’s a quick reference:

Choosing to make money on Amazon without selling physical products has clear advantages. You avoid the complexities of inventory management, warehousing, and shipping. Startup costs are typically much lower, and you can experiment with multiple ideas without heavy financial risk. Many models — like KDP or Merch by Amazon — can become largely passive after the initial setup.

However, there are also challenges. Growth can be slower compared to selling physical products, especially if you rely solely on organic traffic. Earnings may be limited by commission or royalty rates, and popular niches can become saturated quickly. Additionally, some models require ongoing content creation or audience engagement to maintain income levels.

In 2025, learning how to make money with Amazon doesn’t mean you have to open an online store or ship products yourself. From affiliate marketing and KDP publishing to content licensing and consulting, there’s a model to suit almost any skill set or interest. The most successful people in this space start with one method, refine their approach using the right tools, and then diversify into additional income streams.

Amazon’s ecosystem is vast, and it’s designed to reward those who can connect the right products and content with the right audiences. Whether you’re aiming for a modest side income or dreaming of how to earn money from Amazon at a five-figure monthly scale, the opportunity is there — without a single box in your living room.