Marketplace policies change, and this table reflects what's publicly documented as of this review — always confirm the current requirement directly in your own seller account's policy documentation before assuming a figure here is still accurate, especially given how recently Amazon changed its own rule (see Amazon's November 2026 Insurance Rule Change).
The comparison
| Marketplace | Requirement | Trigger | Minimum coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Mandatory | $10,000/month gross proceeds in a category (standard); regardless of volume for 11 enhanced-safety categories as of Nov. 2, 2026 | $1,000,000 per occurrence and aggregate |
| Walmart Marketplace | Mandatory | Gross merchandise value exceeding $100,000 in any rolling 12-month period, or whenever Walmart requests it directly | $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate; must cover worldwide and name Walmart Inc. and its subsidiaries/affiliates as additional insured |
| TikTok Shop | Not currently platform-mandated | Not universally enforced as of this review, though TikTok has signaled it may become required and will notify sellers ahead of enforcement | No published minimum; a $1,000,000 per-occurrence floor is the commonly recommended level, and NEXT Insurance now offers a dedicated TikTok Shop product built around that figure |
| eBay | Not platform-mandated | N/A — sellers remain personally liable regardless | No platform minimum; $1,000,000 per occurrence is a common voluntary baseline when a buyer or business partner requests proof |
| Etsy | Not platform-mandated | N/A — sellers remain personally liable regardless | No platform minimum; same $1,000,000 voluntary baseline commonly cited |
| Target Plus | No publicly documented standard found | — | Confirm directly in your Target Plus merchant agreement — this site found no public source specifying a figure comparable to Amazon's or Walmart's, which doesn't necessarily mean no requirement exists |
What actually drives the difference
The marketplaces that mandate insurance (Amazon, Walmart) are also the two largest by GMV and the two most exposed to product-liability claims flowing through their own platforms at scale — their thresholds and minimums are explicit, publicly documented policy, and enforcement (held funds, listing restrictions) is a real consequence for non-compliance. TikTok Shop, eBay, and Etsy currently leave this to the seller's own judgment, which doesn't mean the underlying liability risk is lower — a product that injures a customer carries the same real-world exposure regardless of which marketplace it sold through. The absence of a platform mandate is a policy choice by that marketplace, not a signal that coverage is unnecessary.
If you sell on multiple marketplaces
Get a policy sized to your highest applicable requirement across every marketplace you sell on, rather than a separate policy per marketplace — in most cases a single general/product liability policy at Walmart's $1M/$2M level (the highest of the mandated figures here) with the right additional-insured endorsements added for each marketplace that requires one will satisfy every platform's documented minimum. Confirm with your broker that a single policy can carry multiple additional-insured endorsements (one per marketplace) rather than assuming you need separate policies.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a marketplace that doesn't mandate insurance (TikTok Shop, eBay, Etsy) means coverage isn't worth carrying — the underlying product liability risk doesn't change based on platform policy.
- Buying separate policies per marketplace instead of one policy with multiple additional-insured endorsements added.
- Not re-checking requirements after expanding into a new marketplace, since a seller already compliant for Amazon may still need additional endorsements (not necessarily additional coverage limits) to satisfy Walmart's specific additional-insured requirement.