Note pour les marques québécoises: Ce guide couvre les exigences spécifiques au Québec – TVQ, fiches bilingues, Loi 96. / This guide covers Quebec-specific requirements including QST, bilingual listings, and Bill 96 compliance.

In this post:

  1. What does an Amazon Agency in Montreal actually do?
  2. How to register an Amazon.ca Seller account
  3. Individual vs Professional account types: Which is right for you?
  4. Do you need a business entity (a company) to sell on Amazon.ca?
  5. Amazon.ca Taxes: An explanation of GST, HST and TVQ
  6. Selling with FBA in Canada: Warehousing, logistics, and important info
  7. The Quebec factor: bilingual listings and Bill 96
  8. How to scale your sales from Amazon.ca to Amazon.com
  9. When and when not to hire an Amazon agency
  10. FAQ

This post will cover both the process for opening an Amazon.ca account for brands in Montreal and the surrounding region, and help you find an Amazon agency. The setup is easy, but you need the strategy to build a profitable Amazon.ca brand that will expand into the U.S. Market-which is 10x bigger than Canada.

Over 172 million visits per month on Amazon.ca, Canada’s #1 online retail website. While it’s the fastest growing marketplace, 10x that opportunity exists on the Amazon.com platform, but sellers should use Amazon.ca as a foundation before scaling their business there.

In this guide you’ll find practical information to help you succeed on Amazon.ca including account setup, account types, taxes, FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon), specific Qubec legal requirements and what your Montreal-based Amazon agency should ideally be doing.

What an Amazon Agency in Montreal Really Does

An Amazon agency is essentially a team managing your Amazon.ca store on your behalf, taking care of the five interconnected functionalities of selling on Amazon.ca. 

1) PPC Management – An Amazon agency will run your Sponsored Products, Brands, and Display ads by setting up your campaigns based on your margins. A good agency should focus on TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sale) – a measure of your ad spend versus your total sales revenue (organic & paid) – rather than solely ACOS (Advertising Cost of Sale). Low and continuously decreasing TACoS is the mark of a well-performing, organic Amazon.ca account.

2) Listing Optimization – Building your titles, bullet points, back-end keywords and A+ content so that you are ranking for the right search terms and are able to convert the traffic those searches bring in. In Canada this should include bilingual listing requirements for Quebec customers, discussed later.

3) Account Health Monitoring – This covers all the operational aspects, such as dealing with suppressions and catalogue errors, managing your IPI score, and making sure that your account complies with all Amazon policies. The operational work that is easy to put off has huge downstream consequences.

4) Strategy – Competitive analysis, launch plans, seasonal strategy, marketplace expansion; the areas of selling on Amazon where your senior agency representative will contribute most to the growth of your brand. This is where the difference between a specialist in Amazon and a junior account manager becomes apparent.

An agency that genuinely considers these elements will be able to link PPC search term data to their keyword decisions in your listings-if they can’t, that’s a major red flag.

How to Open an Amazon.ca Seller Account

Setting up an Amazon.ca account is straightforward, typically takes about 20-30 minutes, as long as you have all your documentation ready:

Step 1 Go to sellercentral.amazon.ca – click “Register,” and begin the account setup process.

Step 2 Select a selling plan – Individual or Professional, which is explained in the following section.

Step 3 Provide your business details – including your business name, address, and business type. If you aren’t a registered company, choose “None, I am an individual.”

Step 4 Identity verification – Upload a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or passport. Amazon has enhanced Know Your Customer (KYC) verification in 2026, which requires company accounts to submit exact business registration documents.

Step 5 Enter your tax details – This includes your Business Number (BN) if applicable, or your Social Insurance Number (SIN) if selling as an individual. Have your GST/HST registration number ready.

Step 6 Provide your bank account – To receive your payouts from Amazon.ca. This bank account must match the verified entity name exactly, or you risk delays receiving payments.

Step 7 Phone verification – A standard two-factor authentication process.

Step 8 Enter your credit/debit card details – For payment of Amazon seller fees. This card must be internationally chargeable (Visa, Mastercard, Amex).

2026 KYC update: In 2026, Amazon implemented stricter business verification for seller accounts. Any account registered as a business entity now requires exact matches for the registration documents, bank account details and address, unlike previously where inconsistencies were often overlooked.

Canadian individuals or companies are not the only ones allowed to sell on Amazon.ca. You do not need to be a Canadian resident or have a registered business in Canada to create a seller account. For instance, brands in the U.S. Can often use their existing U.S. Business entity and EIN. Many international sellers outside the U.S. Find it efficient to form a U.S. LLC as the documentation is clean and easily recognized by Amazon’s verification system, and banking processes are streamlined.

Individual vs Professional : Which Account to Choose

Amazon.ca sells two types of selling plans. The choice is fairly easy once you understand the differences between the two plans.

Individual Plan : $1.49 CAD per sale

* No access to ads.

* No Buy Box eligibility.

* No bulk listing tools.

* No order reports or feeds.

* No user permissions; a single login.

* No seller-set shipping fees; Amazon controls them.

* No promotions, coupons, or other advanced listing features.

* No automatic calculation of GST/HST/QST.

This is for people wanting to test demand for a few products before diving in. If you are serious about a brand this is not the correct choice. If you can’t be Buy Box eligible there’s no reason shoppers will choose you over the seller in the Buy Box position even if your price is lower.

Professional Plan : $29.99 CAD per month

* Flat monthly rate, regardless of sales volume.

* Full access to Amazon advertising tools.

* Bulk listing uploads and feed uploads.

* Access to business reports and Search Query Performance data.

* Buy Box eligibility.

* Vine program access for review generation.

Recommendation: Anyone seriously considering Amazon.ca should be on the Professional plan. After only 20 sales per month the monthly fee is recouped and advertising access gives you a completely different experience on Amazon.ca.

 A lot of people get confused; switching to the Professional plan does not mean that you’re a “business” to Amazon.ca. It is simply a payment structure; you can be an individual on the Professional plan. The choices of the selling plan type and your business entity are two independent decisions. 

Business Entity – Do You Need a Company to Sell on Amazon.ca?

No, Amazon.ca does not require you to have an incorporated business. You are able to sell as an individual with the use of your personal ID. Many highly profitable Amazon.ca sellers have started as individuals/sole proprietors.

Having said that; a serious brand usually benefits from being incorporated.

Here’s how the two entities commonly compare:

Sole proprietor / individual

  1. Easiest to get started; simply a personal ID and Social Insurance Number are needed.
  2. No costs associated with incorporation or on-going compliance.
  3. Any business liability will fall on the individual seller.
  4. Harder for the seller to be verified by Amazon.ca if the account is flagged, as individual documentation is not always up to their standards.

Canadian corporation (most common for established Canadian brands)

  1. Allows for proper business structure; a separate bank account, tax return and liability from the personal aspects of your life.
  2. The Amazon verification process is simple; certificate of incorporation, business number, and a matching bank account number.
  3. Cost to incorporate typically ranges from $500 to $2,000 (provincially or federally in Canada).

US LLC (common for non-Canadian brands entering Amazon.ca)

  1. A well-recognised entity by the Amazon verification system.
  2. Very quick to form; especially those formed in Delaware or Wyoming can be completed within 24-48 hours.
  3. Clear and standard documents for Amazon’s verification system.
  4. A US EIN is required from the IRS (it’s free and easy to apply for).
  5. Average annual fees range from $300 to $800 depending on the state.

Entity and bank account must match: Your bank account must match your entity, this is the most common reason for hold on funds.

Taxes on Amazon.ca – GST, HST, and Quebec’s QST Explained

Canadian taxes can be complicated if you aren’t aware of the Quebec specifics; but not overly complicated.

GST and HST : The basis for taxes

Canada has a federal GST of 5% applied to most goods. Several Canadian provinces have joined with the federal government to combine GST and Provincial Sales Tax into HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) at higher rates (e.g., Ontario at 13%, Nova Scotia at 15%).

The key to selling on Amazon.ca is understanding the $30,000 yearly threshold for taxable sales. Once you exceed $30,000 in annual taxable sales, you’re obligated to register with the Canada Revenue Agency for GST/HST, collect taxes, and then remit them.

Important for FBA sellers: If you store any product in an Amazon Canada fulfillment center, this gives your business a physical presence in Canada. That means you need to register for GST/HST regardless of how much money you make.

Amazon collects and remits GST/HST on behalf of the seller for most Canadian purchases in most situations. While this greatly simplifies things, you still need to be registered and file your returns. 

Quebec’s QST : An extra tax few sellers realize.

Quebec also applies its own provincial tax: QST (Quebec Sales Tax) at a rate of 9.975%, added onto the federal 5% GST, making the total rate 14.975% in Quebec.

If you ship to a customer in Quebec, you are subject to QST. Amazon will collect the tax and give it to you; however if you exceed the registration threshold you are responsible for paying it to Revenu Quebec directly. You need a separate QST registration for Quebec that is distinct from the federal GST/HST registration.

QST registration: If you are selling a lot to Quebec residents, it is highly advised to get a QST number with Revenu Quebec. An accountant that focuses on Amazon sellers can handle the registration and ongoing filing, it is not complicated to obtain, just often overlooked.

Summary of Necessary Taxes For a Seller:

  1. Sell under $30,000 per year without FBA? Likely no registration needed at this point.
  2. Ship with FBA to Canada? You are automatically subject to GST/HST registration.
  3. Sell to residents of Quebec? You must register for QST separately with Revenu Quebec.

Amazon FBA in Canada – A Montreal Seller’s Guide

FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) is when you send your stock to Amazon’s Canadian fulfillment centers and Amazon takes care of storing it, picking, packing, and shipping to your customers.

Why FBA is important for Amazon.ca sellers

  1. Prime badge – FBA products gain the Prime badge which helps your conversion rate significantly, along with being Buy Box eligible
  2. Customer service – Amazon manages your returns and customer service for   FBA orders
  3. Delivery speed – you can offer same-day and next-day delivery in major Canadian cities to FBA sellers
  4. Alexa for Shopping – Amazon’s voice assistant is more likely to favor Prime-eligible items in response to shopper queries

FBA fees on Amazon.ca

FBA fees cover two main areas: fulfillment (picking, packing, shipping) and storage. Fees are calculated based on product size, weight, and dimension tier. Unlike Amazon.com, FBA fees in Canada are not a direct cost equivalent to the US marketplace so do not assume any cost model applies from the USA. Do your own math with the FBA fee schedule found on Seller Central for Amazon.ca.

The tax nexus implication

By placing inventory into an Amazon Canada fulfillment center you are creating a permanent establishment in Canada which will require you to immediately register for GST/HST regardless of sales volume – this is something many new brands to Canadian FBA are surprised by and should be handled prior to sending the first shipment.

Where Amazon Canada FBA centres are located

Amazon fulfillment centers can be found across Canada including Toronto (Ontario), Brampton (Ontario), Calgary (Alberta), Vancouver (British Columbia), and Winnipeg (Manitoba). Amazon dictates where inventory is sent from the FBA system rather than you. Your items will be sent to various centers, meaning some goods will likely be housed in different provinces which will influence how provincial taxes are levied on the FBA service fee.

The Quebec Factor : Bilingual Listings and Bill 96

Montreal brands have a unique hurdle that most, if not all, Montreal agencies have completely overlooked to date:

Quebec’s French Language Charter was amended in 2022 under Bill 96 and stipulates that all products sold in Quebec must be available in French. Therefore, listing any product for sale to the Quebec market should be available in French. 

  1. Product titles and bullet points should be provided in both French and English for Quebec-marketed products
  2. A+ content that Quebec buyers view should include elements in French where applicable
  3. Physical products shipped to Quebec must have French packaging. This is a compliance issue related to the product itself rather than the listing.

Amazon’s compliance processes around this are still evolving, but English-only listings could be de-prioritized in the Quebec market.

Montreal-based agencies commonly advertise that they will do translation of bullet points as part of their listing service – however real compliance involves an understanding of the actual products targeted at the Quebec market and how those products are categorized within the Amazon catalog.

Expanding From Amazon.ca to Amazon.com

The first natural market to pursue is Amazon.ca. Amazon.com has about 10x the volume of the Canadian marketplace and Montreal brands will almost certainly want to pursue expansion at some point.

The North American Unified Account advantage

Canadian sellers have a structural advantage that the UK, Australian, and European counterparts do not have; their Amazon.ca and Amazon.com listings will be controlled through the North American Unified Account in one Seller Central login, without additional costs. This shared interface allows you to manage all listings from a single view, streamline listing creation, extend an ASIN from Canada to the US, view your combined inventory and simplify the running of both North American marketplaces simultaneously.

What changes when you expand to Amazon.com

  1. Keywords – US searches are structured differently so new keyword research using data solely from the US is imperative; never use your Canadian keywords data in the USA.
  2.  PPC costs – the CPC on Amazon.com is between 3-5x higher than the CPC for similar keywords on Amazon.ca so be prepared financially.
  3.  Competition – categories that are typically nascent on the Canadian marketplace often have over 10x more competition on Amazon.com so take the time to research and analyse the US SERP before sending your first shipment to the USA.
  4.  US Trademark – The Amazon Brand Registry requires a US trademark for registration which can take 8-18 months to process; start this early if you plan to eventually grow to Amazon.com.

Signs you are ready to expand

  1. You are consistently earning $50,000+ in revenue per month with profitable margins on Amazon.ca
  2.  Your products are differentiated and have been able to hold their own against competitors on Amazon.ca and will do so again on a more competitive platform.
  3.  Your product supply chain can support dual marketplace operations
  4.  Your US trademark is in the process of being registered

When to Hire an Amazon Agency in Montreal 

This isn’t something most agencies would say, so it’s worth explaining in plain language.

 If your brand is generating less than $20,000 per month on Amazon.ca you probably do not need an agency yet. The benefits of good agency management (better PPC structure, optimizing listing content and managing your account proactively) are definitely there. However, at that sales level, the recurring fee charged by agencies likely wouldn’t be recouped as added revenue. Helium 10 for keyword analysis, Amazon Seller University for technical information and devoting sufficient time to writing clear and optimized listing copy would yield more benefit for you at that stage.

However, if one or more of the following are true, it’s worth contacting an agency:

  1.  PPC is the only thing preventing your organic rank from dropping.
  2.  Your listing conversion rates are below average for the category, but your product reviews are good – an indication of a problem with your listing quality.
  3.  You have over 10 products that have not been systematically optimized in the past 12 months.
  4.  You’re preparing to transition from Amazon.ca to Amazon.com.
  5.  Your bilingual listing compliance is a concern and you’re experiencing significant sales volumes in Quebec.
  6.  You’re spending more time managing Amazon than building your brand.

If any of the above points are relevant, we recommend booking a free 30-minute account audit. We will analyse your account, without any cost to you beforehand, and inform you about what exactly is hindering growth. If an agency is the solution for you, we will outline the scope and potential outcomes of a partnership. If not, we’ll let you know that too.

About Sellexio:

Sellexio is an amazon growth agency specialized for successful brands in beauty, wellness, lifestyle and apparel. An approved amazon ads partner. We take care of Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, and Amazon.com.au for brands achieving over $30k per month. We’ve partnered with Canadian companies, and manage cataloguing (in both English and French) for products that are marketed to the Quebec consumer.

You communicate directly with the founder-not an account manager.