While Amazon has let people shop for goods on their mobile phones and tablets for some time, its tools for people who sell items through the site have lagged behind.
Some third-party developers have offered Amazon sellers a way to use their mobile devices, like SellerMobile, but none of them have carried the Seattle-based retailer’s seal of approval.
Today, Amazon quietly launched Amazon Seller, an iPhone app that allows sellers to log into their accounts, put items up for sale, manage their sales and interact with customers. Users can also estimate how much a particular item will make them, with a built-in calculator that figures out the fees Amazon will take for both a standard sale as well as handling fulfillment for a seller.
For sellers that need help on the go, the app also includes a direct line to Amazon’s Seller Support service for technical support and other assistance.
While it doesn’t offer quite as many features as SellerMobile, one of Amazon Seller’s biggest benefits is security. Because all data is running through Amazon’s servers, users don’t have to worry that their app’s developer is logging sensitive information, which is a common concern for people who use third-party seller apps.
At the moment, the Amazon Seller is free and appears to be iPhone-only, though given Amazon’s interest in Android, it seems unlikely that the company will let users of Google’s operating system go without an app of their own for very long.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment on this piece.
