To become a seller on Zepto in 2026, register your brand on Zepto’s brand partner portal, submit GST, PAN, bank, business-registration and (for food) FSSAI documents, get assigned a category manager, agree commercial terms, clear the New Product Introduction (NPI) review and ship stock against Zepto’s first purchase order. Registration itself is free.
That is the short answer to how to sell on Zepto. The longer answer is that Zepto is not a self-serve marketplace like Amazon or Flipkart: a category manager decides whether your brand gets shelf space in its dark stores, and your margins, compliance and supply plan decide whether you stay there. This guide covers every step, the documents, the real economics and the mistakes that delay most launches. If you would rather hand the process to a specialist team, Stryder Consulting offers for Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart.
Key takeaways
- Zepto onboarding is curated: you apply on the brand portal, and a category manager evaluates fit, pricing and supply before anything is listed.
- There is no registration fee; the cost of selling is the margin Zepto earns on your product, plus ads, freight and wastage.
- Zepto’s partner page is widely reported to promise onboarding in about 15 business days for qualifying brands, but portal-to-first-order usually takes 3–8 weeks.
- Selling outside your home state needs APOB (Additional Place of Business) GST registration in each state you supply.
- Visibility after launch is driven by availability, sales velocity and Zepto’s sponsored-listing ads.
What is Zepto, and why should brands sell on it in 2026?
Zepto is an Indian quick-commerce platform that delivers groceries, daily essentials and a growing range of general merchandise in minutes from dark stores placed close to customers. For a consumer brand, Zepto is one of the three largest quick-commerce channels in India, built around high-frequency, low-ticket purchases in metro and large cities.
The scale is now public because Zepto is preparing to list. Zepto ended FY26 (April 2025 to March 2026) with 1,139 dark stores and processed roughly 640 million orders in the year, compared with 412 million orders at Swiggy Instamart from a similar store count, according to Bank of America data reported by Entrackr in June 2026. Zepto’s updated draft IPO prospectus, filed in June 2026, describes that network as concentrated in 66 major Indian cities.
Zepto’s IPO filing also claims its share of quick-commerce orders rose from about 26% to 35% between FY24 and FY26, as summarised in Zerodha’s IPO note. The same filing lists advertising (sponsored placements, in-app ads and analytics tools for brands) as a separate revenue stream, which matters for how you will grow after launch.
One 2026 change is worth knowing before you plan co-marketing. In January 2026, after a meeting with the Union Labour Ministry, quick-commerce platforms including Zepto agreed to drop “10-minute delivery” claims from their branding, All India Radio reported. Fast delivery still drives the channel; avoid time-bound delivery promises in your own Zepto creatives.
How Zepto’s model works for a brand
Zepto runs on an inventory-led, B2B2C supply model: brands supply stock in bulk, and Zepto’s network stores, picks, packs and delivers each customer order. You do not ship individual consumer orders.
In practice, Zepto’s category team raises purchase orders (POs) based on its demand forecast, you deliver to Zepto’s warehouses, and Zepto replenishes individual dark stores. Zepto’s filing describes consumer sales as made through third-party merchant partners on the app, with Zepto also sourcing products from brands, so the commercial counterparty in your agreement may be a Zepto entity or partner rather than the end customer.
Who should sell on Zepto
Zepto suits brands with fast-moving, repeat-purchase products that fit in a compact dark store:
- Packaged food, snacks, beverages, dairy, bakery and frozen foods
- Personal care, beauty and hygiene
- Home care and cleaning
- Baby care, pet care and OTC health or wellness products
- Gifting, small electronics and festive lines, which Zepto has been pushing as it moves beyond groceries
Zepto is a weaker fit for bulky, high-ticket or slow-moving products, because every dark store has limited shelf space and stock that does not move gets delisted.
Who is eligible, and what documents do you need to sell on Zepto?
To sell on Zepto you need a legally registered, GST-registered business (proprietorship, partnership, LLP or private limited) that owns the brand or holds written authorisation to sell it. Food brands also need a valid FSSAI licence, and every SKU needs compliant packaging and a barcode.
Keep these documents ready before you open the portal. Missing paperwork is the most common reason an application stalls after the category manager’s first call.
| Document | Who needs it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GST registration certificate | All sellers | GSTIN must match the legal name on PAN and bank account |
| PAN (business or proprietor) | All sellers | Used for KYC and settlements |
| Bank details + cancelled cheque | All sellers | Account in the registered business name |
| Business registration proof | All sellers | Certificate of incorporation, LLP agreement, partnership deed or Udyam certificate |
| ID proof of authorised signatory | All sellers | The person signing the Zepto agreement |
| Trademark certificate or application | Brand owners | If registration is pending, ask your category manager whether the application number is enough |
| Brand authorisation letter | Distributors and resellers | Required if you do not own the brand |
| FSSAI licence | Food, beverage and supplement brands | A Central licence avoids state-by-state gaps if you will supply several states |
| Category licences | Specific categories | e.g. cosmetics manufacturing licence, BIS certification for products under a Quality Control Order |
| SKU catalogue | All sellers | Product name, pack size, MRP, EAN barcode, HSN code, images |
Also check that every pack meets Legal Metrology labelling rules (MRP, net quantity, manufacturer or marketer address, consumer-care details, date of manufacture or best-before) and carries a GS1 India EAN barcode. Zepto’s dark stores pick by scanning, so a missing or badly placed barcode is an operational problem, not just a compliance one.
Before you apply, confirm the current document list on the Zepto brand portal or with your category manager; requirements vary by category and change over time.
How to sell on Zepto: the 7-step onboarding process
Zepto seller onboarding runs in seven stages: prepare, register on the brand portal, pass the category review, agree commercials, clear NPI, register APOBs for other states, and fulfil your first purchase order. Steps 5 and 6 can run in parallel, which is the easiest way to save two to three weeks.
Step 1: Prepare before you apply
Build a one-page brand pitch (what you sell, price band, where you already sell, sell-through or repeat data), a clean SKU sheet and a draft P&L at Zepto margins. Category managers review dozens of brands; a vague application usually goes to the bottom of the pile.
Step 2: Register on the Zepto brand partner portal
Go to the Zepto brand onboarding portal, verify your mobile number by OTP and create an account with a business email. The brand information form asks for brand name, whether you are the manufacturer or a distributor, category, turnover range, selling price band, website, existing marketplace presence, target geographies and a product portfolio.
Step 3: Application review and category-manager assignment
Zepto’s category team screens the application for assortment gap, demand, price fit and supply reliability. If you are shortlisted, a category manager becomes your single point of contact for the rest of the process. Brands that are not a fit are often not formally rejected, so follow up through the portal or the brand partnerships team if you hear nothing for 30 days.
Step 4: Commercial discussion and agreement
The category manager will discuss Zepto’s margin on your products, launch cities, price parity with other channels, payment terms and whether you will commit an ads or promotion budget at launch. Once terms are agreed, you sign the supplier agreement and your documents are verified.
Step 5: New Product Introduction (NPI)
NPI is where each SKU is created in Zepto’s system. Expect to submit SKU-level data (name, pack size, MRP, EAN, HSN code, shelf life, case pack, dimensions) and product images. Use plain white-background packshots that show the front, back label and barcode, and check that brand name and variant are readable at app-thumbnail size; rejected images send the SKU back for another review cycle.
Step 6: APOB GST registration for multi-city supply
If Zepto’s warehouses for your launch cities sit outside your GST-registered state, you need an Additional Place of Business (APOB) registration in each of those states before stock can be invoiced there. A Bengaluru brand launching in Mumbai and Delhi NCR, for example, needs APOBs in Maharashtra and Delhi (plus Haryana or Uttar Pradesh if those warehouses serve NCR). Start this alongside NPI, not after it.
Step 7: First purchase order and go-live
Zepto raises a PO based on its forecast for your SKUs and cities. You deliver to the designated warehouse within the appointment window, stock is inwarded, distributed to dark stores, and your products go live in the app. Plan buffer stock from day one; a stockout in the first month hurts ranking more than slow sales do.
How long does Zepto onboarding take?
Zepto’s partner page is widely reported to cite onboarding within about 15 business days for qualifying brands. That window covers the verification, catalogue and activation stages; it does not include the wait for a category manager to pick up your application. Typical ranges look like this:
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Portal registration and brand form | Same day (if documents are ready) |
| Review and category-manager contact | 1–6 weeks, depending on category demand |
| Commercials and agreement | 1–2 weeks |
| NPI (SKU creation and image approval) | 1–2 weeks per clean submission |
| APOB GST registration, per state | 1–3 weeks (run in parallel with NPI) |
| First PO to live in app | About 1 week |
End to end, most brands should plan for 3–8 weeks from application to first sale. Treat these as planning estimates and confirm current timelines with your category manager.
How much does it cost to sell on Zepto? Commission, margins and fees
Zepto charges no registration or onboarding fee. Your real cost is the margin Zepto earns on each unit, which published seller guides put at roughly 8% to 25% depending on category and fulfilment model, plus your own ads, freight, packaging and wastage.
Zepto works on an inventory model, the margin is usually negotiated as the gap between MRP and the price Zepto pays on its purchase order, so it is often called “margin” in your agreement rather than “commission”. Rates differ by category and brand, so confirm your exact terms with your category manager before you fix MRPs.
The full cost stack for a Zepto SKU usually includes:
- Platform margin: the discount to MRP at which Zepto buys your stock
- Ads and promotions: sponsored listings, banners and funded discounts, heaviest in the first 90 days
- Freight and inwarding: transport to Zepto warehouses, appointment and handling costs
- Wastage: damages, near-expiry returns and shrinkage, especially for perishables
- Compliance: APOB GST registrations per state and FSSAI or category licences
- Data (optional): Zepto Atom, a paid analytics subscription launched for listed brands in 2025, on top of the free brand portal
Worked example: unit economics of a ₹190 snack on Zepto
The numbers below are illustrative assumptions, not Zepto’s rates. Plug in your own margin, COGS and ad budget before you commit to MRP.
| Line item (per unit, ex-GST) | Assumption | ₹ |
|---|---|---|
| MRP (ex-GST) | — | 190 |
| Zepto margin | 20% of MRP | −38 |
| Price you receive on the PO | — | 152 |
| Cost of goods incl. packaging | Your factory cost | −80 |
| Freight and inwarding | ~4% of MRP | −8 |
| Ads and promotions | 8% of MRP | −15 |
| Wastage and returns | 2% of MRP | −4 |
| Contribution per unit | ~24% of MRP | 45 |
Two takeaways from the maths. First, a product with a gross margin below roughly 50% of MRP at factory cost leaves very little room after platform margin and ads. Second, ad spend is the biggest controllable line, so set a launch budget and a target return on ad spend (ROAS) before the first PO lands.
If the numbers do not work at your current MRP, fix the pack size or price architecture before you apply, not after the category manager asks.
After you go live: listings, inventory and dark-store availability
On Zepto, a product that is out of stock in a dark store is invisible to every customer that store serves. Availability is the first growth lever, before ads or discounts.
The operating basics every new Zepto seller should set up in the first month:
- Fill rate on POs: deliver the full quantity on every PO and on time. Short supply and missed appointments reduce future PO sizes.
- Store-level availability: track which dark stores and PIN codes are out of stock, not just national stock. Zepto’s free brand portal shows performance data; the paid Atom tier adds PIN-code-level dashboards.
- Shelf life at inward: send fresh stock. Warehouses commonly reject consignments with too little remaining shelf life, and near-expiry stock becomes wastage you pay for.
- Listing quality: clear titles with brand, product and pack size, accurate attributes, and images that read well at thumbnail size. A customer who receives a 250 g pack when they expected 500 g leaves a rating that drags your rank.
- Price consistency: Zepto expects pricing in line with Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and your own website. Undercutting it elsewhere invites margin renegotiation.
- SKU discipline: launch with your three to six fastest movers in the pack sizes that suit impulse purchase, then add SKUs once you have sell-through data.
A brand’s ranking in Zepto search and category pages responds to sales velocity, ratings and availability. That is why the first 60–90 days, when you are building velocity from zero, need deliberate support.
How do Zepto ads work for new sellers?
Zepto ads run on Zepto’s in-house ads platform and come in two main forms: sponsored search listings that place your product in search results, and display or banner placements for awareness and launches. For most new brands, sponsored search is where the budget should start, because it captures shoppers who are already looking for the category.
According to Zepto’s own engineering blog (October 2025), the platform supports:
- Keyword targeting with three match types: exact, phrase and broad, where broad match also catches colloquial and regional-language variants of a keyword
- Keyword recommendations, including for new products with no sales history
- Bidding options: a single campaign-level bid optimised for ROAS, or keyword-level bids for tighter control
- Campaign strategies that Zepto infers from your setup, such as brand defence, competitor targeting and generic category capture
Zepto’s blog describes the logic plainly: sponsored placements win impressions, sales lift improves conversion, and better conversion pushes the product higher in organic results. That flywheel is why launch-phase ads matter more on Zepto than on a mature marketplace listing.
A simple launch ad plan
- Weeks 1–2: run broad and phrase-match campaigns on generic category terms (for example “masala chips” or “face wash”) to find which searches convert. Add regional and Hinglish terms your customers actually use.
- Weeks 3–6: move budget to the keywords and cities with the best ROAS; add negative keywords for irrelevant searches.
- From week 6: run a low-cost brand-defence campaign on your own brand name, and test competitor terms only where your price or pack offers a clear reason to switch.
- Throughout: pause ads in cities or dark stores where you are out of stock. Ad spend on unavailable products is wasted.
Running this well week to week is a discipline in itself. Stryder’s team runs Zepto, Blinkit and Instamart campaigns together so budgets follow availability and ROAS across platforms.
Zepto vs Blinkit vs Swiggy Instamart: where should you launch first?
Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart all onboard brands through curated category teams rather than open self-serve listing, so the choice comes down to where your customers are and how much inventory and ad budget you can support. Blinkit has the widest network; Zepto and Instamart have similar store counts, but Zepto moves more orders per store.
| Platform (FY26, Apr 2025–Mar 2026) | Parent | Dark stores at end of FY26 | Stores added in FY26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blinkit | Eternal (formerly Zomato) | 2,243 | 942 |
| Swiggy Instamart | Swiggy | 1,143 | 122 |
| Zepto | Zepto (independent, IPO-bound) | 1,139 | 110 |
Source: Bank of America data via Entrackr, June 2026.
Blinkit’s wider footprint helps brands that need reach beyond the top metros. Zepto’s denser network (about 640 million orders in FY26 against Instamart’s 412 million from a similar store base) suits brands whose buyers are concentrated in the large cities. Many brands launch on one platform, prove velocity in two or three cities, then use that data to negotiate entry on the next.
What about Tier-2 cities?
Zepto’s network is concentrated in 66 major cities, so a Tier-2 launch on Zepto usually means larger state capitals and industrial hubs rather than small towns. If your demand is strongest in Tier-2 markets such as Lucknow, Indore, Coimbatore or Nagpur, check Zepto’s live serviceability in those cities before you build your launch plan around it, and budget APOB registrations for each new state.
Zepto seller readiness checklist
Use this before you open the brand portal:
- GSTIN, PAN and bank account all in the same legal entity name
- Trademark registered or applied for (or brand authorisation letter)
- Central FSSAI licence if you sell food and will supply more than one state
- Legal Metrology-compliant labels and GS1 India EAN barcodes on every SKU
- SKU sheet with MRP, pack size, HSN, shelf life, case pack and dimensions
- White-background packshots (front, back, barcode) that are readable at thumbnail size
- P&L per SKU at a 20–25% platform margin plus 8–10% launch ad spend
- Launch cities chosen and APOB registrations planned for each state
- Production and warehouse capacity for at least 4–6 weeks of buffer stock
- A 90-day launch budget for sponsored listings
Common mistakes that delay or damage a Zepto launch
- Applying with an incomplete catalogue. Missing EANs, HSN codes or shelf-life data send NPI back for another cycle.
- Using lifestyle photos for listing images. Marketplace packshots and Instagram creatives are different jobs.
- Starting APOB registration after NPI. It is the most avoidable cause of a delayed multi-city launch.
- Pricing without the platform margin. Brands that set MRP for their D2C site often find no contribution left on quick commerce.
- Launching too many SKUs. Ten slow SKUs get delisted faster than three fast ones get noticed.
- Going live with no ad budget. New listings with no velocity sink in search; brands then conclude Zepto “does not work”.
- Running ads during stockouts. Track availability by city before you increase bids.
- Using “10-minute delivery” in co-branded creatives. Platforms dropped this claim in January 2026; keep your messaging consistent.
How Stryder Consulting helps brands sell on Zepto
Stryder Consulting is a Bengaluru-based growth consulting firm that helps consumer brands get onboarded and scale on quick-commerce and e-commerce platforms. For Zepto, that work covers three stages:
- Onboarding: document and compliance readiness, the brand portal application, category-manager pitch preparation, SKU sheets, NPI-ready images and APOB planning.
- Account management: PO fill-rate and availability tracking, listing quality, pricing consistency across Zepto, Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart, and SKU expansion.
- Growth: sponsored-listing and banner campaigns, keyword and bid management, and monthly ROAS reporting tied to availability.
Stryder does not decide listings or commercial terms; those stay with Zepto’s category team. What we do is make sure your application, catalogue and launch plan are complete enough to give you the best chance of a fast, profitable start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a registration fee to sell on Zepto?
No. Zepto does not charge a fee to register on its brand partner portal or to get listed. Brands pay through the margin Zepto earns on each unit, which seller guides put at roughly 8% to 25% depending on category, plus their own costs for ads, freight, wastage and state-wise APOB GST registrations. Confirm current terms with your Zepto category manager.
How long does it take to become a seller on Zepto?
Zepto’s partner page is widely reported to cite about 15 business days to onboard qualifying brands, covering verification, catalogue setup and activation. The full journey, from portal application to first purchase order, typically takes 3 to 8 weeks, because category-manager review, NPI image approval and APOB GST registrations in other states add time.
Can I sell on Zepto without a GST number?
No. Zepto requires a GST-registered business, and the GSTIN must match the legal name on your PAN and bank account. If you will supply Zepto warehouses in other states, you also need an Additional Place of Business (APOB) registration under your GST in each of those states before stock can be invoiced there.
Can a new D2C brand without retail distribution sell on Zepto?
Yes. Zepto lists D2C brands in food, personal care, wellness and home categories that have no offline presence. The category manager looks for a clear assortment gap, viable pricing after Zepto’s margin, reliable supply, and professional packaging and images. Sales data from your website, Amazon or Flipkart strengthens the application.
Do I need my own warehouse or delivery fleet to sell on Zepto?
You do not need a delivery fleet, because Zepto delivers every customer order from its dark stores. You do need to deliver bulk stock to Zepto’s designated warehouses against purchase orders, on time and in full. That stock can come from your own warehouse, a third-party logistics partner or a distributor.
What sells best on Zepto?
Fast-moving, repeat-purchase products sell best on Zepto: snacks, beverages, dairy, instant foods, personal care, home cleaning, baby care and pet care. Low-ticket items bought on impulse or urgent need convert well. Zepto has also expanded into gifting, small electronics and festive lines, but bulky or slow-moving products struggle for dark-store shelf space.
How do I increase sales on Zepto after launch?
Keep every dark store in your launch cities in stock, because unavailable products disappear from search. Then run Zepto sponsored listings on high-intent category keywords, shift budget to the cities and terms with the best ROAS, protect your brand name with a low-cost defence campaign, and add SKUs only once your first products show steady velocity.
Conclusion
Becoming a seller on Zepto in 2026 is a curated process, not a self-serve listing: apply on the brand portal, win the category manager with a clear assortment and pricing story, clear NPI, register APOBs early and fulfil your first PO in full. The brands that grow after launch are the ones that priced for Zepto’s margin from day one, kept every dark store in stock and funded sponsored listings through the first 90 days.
Nidhi Bhasin is the Founder of Stryder Consulting, where she helps brands turn digital marketing into measurable revenue growth. She has previously driven growth and built digital marketing teams and operations for brands including Flipkart, Google, YouTube, Café Coffee Day and TVS Motor.
She writes about D2C growth, performance marketing, quick commerce, SEO, CRO and the strategies that move businesses beyond vanity metrics to real revenue.