I'm going to differ from others. Online arbitrage is still possible on Amazon and elsewhere, if the cost of inventory is low enough. I do 100% online arbitrage (no dropshipping of any kind). My sales are 55/25/15/5 FBA/Walmart/FBM/eBay. I mostly source from Amazon, sometimes Walmart or other retailers, and rarely from the manufacturer itself (but some of my best-selling products come from the manufacturer). I mostly sell my products at $50-200. My rule of thumb is to buy inventory for 50% or less of what I expect to sell it for, so that means paying 100. Obviously the lower the better. If I have confidence in selling an item for more than $200 I'll go above 50%. I did $300K (+25% yoy) in revenue in 2023, and ~$85K (+39% yoy) pretax profit. I prefer to focus on return on investment. That $85K came from $149K in inventory; that is, I spent $149K for the inventory that I sold in 2023, I got that $149K back, and earned $85K in addition, so a ROI of >55%. I agree with u/CoyotePuncher about this strategy not being viable for "upper level" annual sales (let's say seven figures). I'd love to prove him (and me) wrong, though! CC: u/catjuggler , u/mttl Answer from TMWNN on reddit.com
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Amazon
amazon.com › 4YourMobile-Retail-Arbitrage › dp › B00L8KBHKI
Retail Arbitrage - App on Amazon Appstore
If you're new to the world of Retail Arbitrage, this app will give you the tools that you need to get started! With quick links to Amazon.com, Amazon's mobile site, and CamelCamelCamel, you'll quickly learn the most frequent places to get current online pricing information.
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Google Play
play.google.com › store › apps › details
Profit Mate: Amazon Arbitrage - Apps on Google Play
Some Features of Profit Mate: Amazon Scanner ✪ Barcode Scanner helps you scan barcodes to identify all products ✪ Built-in Search Engine for searching any type of product on Amazon ✪ Get access to all Amazon FBA and FBM offers easily within ...
Discussions

Is Online Arbitrage Still Viable on Amazon Given Buy Box Removal for High Pricing?
Join Our Discord Server! We created a Discord server for our community and would like to invite all of you to join! You'll be able to discuss FBA with users around the world and discuss events in real time! There are separate channels for many FBA topics which you can opt in and out of, including; PPC, Listing Optimization, Logistics, Jobs, Advanced FBA, Top Secret/Insider Info, Off-Topic I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/FulfillmentByAmazon
46
95
January 3, 2024
What’s the best app to use for retail Arbitrage? - Third-Party Software & Services - Amazon Seller Forum
Would this be the seller central app or do you guys use a better one ? More on seller-forum.com
🌐 seller-forum.com
1
1
June 30, 2023
Do I need Jungle Scout or Helium 10 if I'm just starting with retail arbitrage, or will the Amazon Seller app and Keepa be enough?
Join Our Discord Server! We created a Discord server for our community and would like to invite all of you to join! You'll be able to discuss FBA with users around the world and discuss events in real time! There are separate channels for many FBA topics which you can opt in and out of, including; PPC, Listing Optimization, Logistics, Jobs, Advanced FBA, Top Secret/Insider Info, Off-Topic I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/FulfillmentByAmazon
15
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December 20, 2023
Online Arbitrage sourcing
Hi ich bin seit langer Zeit im online arbitrage business auf amazon unterwegs und mache das sehr erfolgreich · ich hilf gern leuten die neu starten wollen und gebe euch manuell gesourcte deals die ihr profitabel flippen könnt ... I would recommend you to use seller amp and keepa. ... How do you get approval ... More on reddit.com
🌐 r/AmazonFBATips
43
88
February 21, 2024
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Jungle Scout
junglescout.com › resources › articles › best-amazon-seller-scanner-app
Best Amazon Scanner App for Retail Arbitrage Sellers in 2024
August 9, 2024 - An Amazon seller scanner app is a tool retail arbitrage sellers can download on their smartphones to help them find profitable products to resell.
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Seller Assistant
sellerassistant.app › blog › 15-best-amazon-online-arbitrage-tools
15 Best Amazon Online Arbitrage Tools - Seller Assistant Blog
June 2, 2025 - Unlike discount trackers that scan your cart, coupon finders like RetailMeNot offer access to up-to-date, verified promo codes you can apply manually or through their app. They give you visibility into active store-wide and product-specific offers – perfect for deal stacking and maximizing margins. RetailMeNot is one of the largest and most trusted coupon platforms available today. It provides verified promo codes, limited-time discounts, and cashback offers for thousands of retailers across the U.S., making it a go-to tool for Amazon online arbitrage sellers looking to stretch every sourcing dollar.
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Tactical Arbitrage
tacticalarbitrage.com › home
#1 Online Arbitrage Sourcing Software for Amazon FBA | Tactical Arbitrage
August 7, 2024 - The #1 Amazon arbitrage software trusted by top FBA sellers Features You’ll Love Discover potential high-margin products using cached retailer data. Get an immediate overview of available items without the wait. Want to use a 20% off
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/fulfillmentbyamazon › is online arbitrage still viable on amazon given buy box removal for high pricing?
r/FulfillmentByAmazon on Reddit: Is Online Arbitrage Still Viable on Amazon Given Buy Box Removal for High Pricing?
January 3, 2024 -

As someone who’s been selling through online arbitrage on Amazon for about 2 years now, I’m facing a dilemma and would appreciate your insights. Lately, Amazon seems to be actively removing the buy box for sellers if the item’s price is significantly higher than on other websites. This strategy of Amazon complicates our ability to forecast profitability.

The main issue here is the lack of clarity from Amazon regarding the maximum price threshold before they decide to remove the buy box. This uncertainty makes each purchase a risk, potentially leading to razor-thin margins, breaking even, or even losses. I’ve purchased products before that seemed promising only to have Amazon remove the buy box until I brought it down to a price that led to a loss.

Given these circumstances, I’m questioning the feasibility of continuing with OA on Amazon. How are you all managing this situation? Do you still find OA on Amazon to be a viable strategy?

Eager to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Top answer
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I'm going to differ from others. Online arbitrage is still possible on Amazon and elsewhere, if the cost of inventory is low enough. I do 100% online arbitrage (no dropshipping of any kind). My sales are 55/25/15/5 FBA/Walmart/FBM/eBay. I mostly source from Amazon, sometimes Walmart or other retailers, and rarely from the manufacturer itself (but some of my best-selling products come from the manufacturer). I mostly sell my products at $50-200. My rule of thumb is to buy inventory for 50% or less of what I expect to sell it for, so that means paying $25-$100. Obviously the lower the better. If I have confidence in selling an item for more than $200 I'll go above 50%. I did $300K (+25% yoy) in revenue in 2023, and ~$85K (+39% yoy) pretax profit. I prefer to focus on return on investment. That $85K came from $149K in inventory; that is, I spent $149K for the inventory that I sold in 2023, I got that $149K back, and earned $85K in addition, so a ROI of >55%. I agree with u/CoyotePuncher about this strategy not being viable for "upper level" annual sales (let's say seven figures). I'd love to prove him (and me) wrong, though! CC: u/catjuggler , u/mttl
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A big part of OA is finding stuff that’s discontinued, rare, or hard to find. For example, a limited run flavor of Coke. In those cases, buy box isn’t necessary, people will buy it anyway. If you aren’t able to sell something unless you have buy box, it just wasn’t a good product with enough demand or constricted enough supply. Dropshippers are the biggest threat. They can instantly list on Amazon the entire catalog of Walmart.com at razor thin margins, leaving zero opportunity for regular old OA. Is OA viable? Only if you’re creative. Create multipacks and bundles, create your own Amazon listings, run ads, predict supply shortages and demand increases. Competitors and dropshippers aren’t doing any of that. They’re doing things in a “lazy” way and refusing to do anything outside the box.
Find elsewhere
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Seller Amp
selleramp.com › home
SellerAmp - Tools for Amazon Sellers
August 28, 2025 - Discover the power of SellerAmp SAS tools - web app, mobile app, and Chrome extension - for comprehensive analysis and informed sourcing for your arbitrage business.
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Arbitrage Hero
arbitragehero.com › home
Best Amazon Arbitrage Software | Tools for Online Sellers
June 3, 2024 - Integrated Pricing Management: Seamlessly manage and monitor your pricing strategies across all your products, enhancing operational efficiency. Try Arbitrage Hero For Free! Try Arbitrage Hero For Free!
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Jordiob
jordiob.com › amazon tools › best ofs › best retail arbitrage apps
The Best Retail Arbitrage Apps for Amazon Sellers
August 7, 2025 - ScoutIQ is a versatile app tailored for scouting, listing and selling Amazon products. It excels in analyzing barcodes or images, providing optimized Amazon data, product profitability, daily sales, and simplifies listing products or joining ...
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Yaballe
yaballe.com › blog › top 8 retail arbitrage apps by category
Top 8 retail arbitrage apps by category - Yaballe
April 14, 2025 - While the product research features are useful for retail arbitrage sellers, this tool can also help you create, optimize, and promote your listings. Best for: Granular product and seller information on Amazon. Price: $59.99 per month, with a discount for yearly payments and a $1,599.99 “lifetime” plan. ... This calculator, another free Amazon app, allows you to compare the costs of various fulfillment methods in real time so you can choose the best option for your orders.
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Full-Time FBA
fulltimefba.com › home › the top 19 app links i use in my fba business (15 are free!)
The Top 19 App Links I Use In My FBA Business (15 are Free!) - Full-Time FBA
August 21, 2019 - Apple Android · *Scoutify – This app comes free to use when you purchase a monthly subscription to Inventory Lab. Scoutify is one of the top 2 apps I use when I’m doing retail arbitrage...
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App Store
apps.apple.com › us › app › amazon-seller › id794141485
Amazon Seller App - App Store
Download Amazon Seller by AMZN Mobile LLC on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips, and more games like Amazon Seller.
Rating: 4.6 ​ - ​ 96.8K votes
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SellerApp
sellerapp.com › amazon › sellerapp updates › a complete guide on amazon retail arbitrage
Retail Arbitrage On Amazon: What it is & How Does it Work
Clearance sales and product reviews on Amazon can help identify potentially profitable items. Use the Amazon Seller smartphone app to compare prices, scan barcodes, and view real-time product listings.
Published   April 9, 2025
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EcomCrew
ecomcrew.com › amazon-arbitrage-seller-scanning-apps
The Best Amazon Arbitrage Apps
January 19, 2023 - The last app on the list is from Seller Engine. Profit Bandit is an Amazon arbitrage scanning app that allows sellers to calculate profit based on multiple factors, determine which product has the Buy Box, and gives restricted item alerts.
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Amazon
sell.amazon.com › tools › amazon-seller-app
Amazon Seller mobile app | Sell on Amazon
The Amazon Seller mobile app is a free mobile application that allows Amazon sellers to manage their business and grow sales from anywhere. The app syncs with your Amazon selling account so you can track orders, add or update listings, manage ...
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App Store
apps.apple.com › us › app › barcode-scan-for-amazon-seller › id1570762031
‎Barcode Scan For Amazon Seller on the App Store
June 6, 2021 - Barcode Scanner is an innovative arbitrage finder and fba profit calculator that helps sellers identify items you can purchase in local stores and resell on Amazon for a profit. Start your Amazon business with Barcode Scanner and Tool4seller now!
Rating: 4.8 ​ - ​ 397 votes
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Threecolts
threecolts.com › home › blog › top 6 amazon seller scanner apps to try out
Top Amazon seller scanner apps for retail arbitrage - Threecolts Blog
August 25, 2025 - From free options like the Amazon Seller App to specialized tools like ScoutIQ for books, today’s scanning technology transforms retail arbitrage from guesswork into a data-driven strategy.
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Nepeto
nepeto.com
Nepeto - Automated Product Sourcing for Amazon
Our algorithm scans hundreds of retailers, distributors, and wholesale suppliers, providing you with a selection of thousands of profitable products ready for resell on Amazon!
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SellerApp
sellerapp.com › amazon › selling on amazon › best amazon seller scanners in 2024
Best Amazon Seller Scanners in 2024 (The Top 7 Apps)
November 19, 2025 - Amazon Seller Scanner Apps are particularly popular among retail arbitrage sellers, who source products from physical stores and resell them on Amazon.