Five ways tohandle Amazon.
Sell to Amazon. Hire someone. Sign with a big distributor. Hand it to a specialist like us. Or leave it to whoever shows up. Here's how they stack up, including where we're not the answer.
How the options
stack up.
Typical terms from public sources and our own experience. Every deal is different, so ask anyone you talk to, us included, to put theirs in writing.
| Cycle Crew | Amazon Vendor Central | Large Amazon reseller | In-house hire | Do nothing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who buys your stock | We do, up front | Amazon, on its own purchase orders | They do | Nobody. You sell it yourself | Whoever finds it |
| When you're paid | Within 24 hours of your invoice | On Amazon's terms, after deductions1 | Can be 30-90 days2 | When Amazon pays you out | Through your usual channels |
| Who pays for ads | We do: up to 10% of what we pay you | You do | Often you do2 | You do | Nobody runs your brand's ads |
| Deductions | None. No chargebacks, fees or buy-backs | Co-op, allowances, shortage claims and chargebacks1 | Can include buying back aged or unsold stock2 | Amazon's own fees | None, until your dealers call |
| Your advertised price | Your policy stays yours. We set ours independently, and you get free monitoring | Amazon sets its own, independently of your policy5 | They set their own | You set your own | Anyone's guess |
| Who else sells your brand | Whoever you authorize. We flag everyone else | Amazon, plus any seller with stock | Can require an exclusive deal2 | Whoever you authorize | Anyone with genuine stock3 |
| Contract | No minimum term. End it any time | Amazon's terms. Amazon can stop buying4 | A set term2 | An employee to hire and keep | None |
| Content if you part ways | Licensed to you for $1 after 2 years; before that, removed or sold to you at our cost | Yours | Depends on the contract2 | Yours | Whoever edited it last |
| Your team's time | As much or as little as you like | Purchase orders, disputes and deductions | Contract and report reviews | Hiring, managing and tools | None, until it isn't |
| Best for | Parts and accessories brands that want growth without the work | Items under about $6, and big, bulky, low-cost goods | Brands that need dozens of countries | Brands that already have a great Amazon operator | Honestly, almost no one for long |
- Vendor Central terms vary by vendor. Deductions commonly include co-op, damage and freight allowances, and shortage claims (vendor-negotiation guides by MerchantSpring, April 2026, and Wake Commerce, July 2024).
- Terms found in reseller contracts filed publicly with the SEC and a US court (2021-2022). Your contract may differ, so ask.
- Amazon's Brand Registry protects your trademark and listings. It doesn't stop anyone reselling genuine products.
- In late 2024, Amazon told some Vendor Central suppliers it would stop buying from them, most with two to three months' notice (Retail Brew, October 2024).
- Amazon's customer-service help pages, checked 2026.
When we're not
the answer.
Mostly items under about $6?
Amazon's own retail team often handles low-cost small items, and big, bulky, low-cost goods, better than any reseller. Vendor Central may be your best bet.
Need dozens of countries?
A global reseller is built for Europe, Japan and beyond. We focus on North America: Amazon US, Canada and Mexico, plus Walmart, eBay and your own store.
Already have a great Amazon operator?
Keep them. If they'd like backup, we can run parts of it with them, or take the products they don't have time for.
Happy with the wild west?
Get a free brand snapshot first. Most brands are surprised by what's on their listings.
Eight questions
to ask anyone.
Every brand gets pitched. These questions sort the partners from the pitches. Here are our answers.
Within 24 hours of your invoice. No 30- or 90-day wait, and no deductions.
We do: Up to 10% of what we pay you. Our best estimate for most resellers is about 2.5%, so ask anyone you talk to for their number. Your portal shows ours every month.
There's no minimum term. End it any time.
It's ours. No buy-backs, markdown money or chargebacks, ever.
After two years together, you do: It's licensed to you for $1. Before that, we remove it or sell it to you at our cost.
Every seller, every channel, every hour, in a report you can download. Our own offers show up in it like everyone else's.
We'll tell you before you sign. If it's a real conflict, we'll pass.
No. We don't wholesale to bike shops.
Vendor Central
and us.
Plenty of brands keep Amazon buying their low-cost and bulky lines, and hand us the rest. We've run it that way with brands before. It works.
Where Amazon and we would sell the same product, we plan it with you first, product by product. Life after Vendor Central →
Wrong details on a listing aren't just a lost sale. When a rider relies on a listing and the part doesn't fit or work as described, it can turn into a product-liability claim against the brand. We know of a brand that was sued over wrong details on an Amazon listing. And nearly half of shoppers returned an online purchase last year because the product information was wrong (Salsify survey of US, UK and Canadian shoppers, 2026).
Find out who's selling your brand on Amazon.
Doing nothing costs more than it looks. A free brand snapshot shows who sells your brand, the advertised prices shoppers see and your Prime gaps, checked by hand.
- 3 new sellers joined your listings in the last 2 weeks
- 4 listings have under 14 days of supply left
- Estimated units sold are up 67% on the prior 12 months