Sellerboard Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): A Clear Guide for Amazon Sellers

When it comes to selling on Amazon, one of the most important numbers to track is your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

Without knowing this figure, it’s almost impossible to understand your real profits.

Many sellers only look at their sales numbers and think they’re doing well, but once COGS, fees, and ads are factored in, the story can look very different.

In this guide, I’ll explain what COGS is, why it matters, and how you can manage it inside Sellerboard.

I’ll also walk you through some of Sellerboard’s latest features that make entering and tracking your costs easier than before.

Heads up! If you want to test Sellerboard yourself, I’ve got a special deal for you:

Get Sellerboard 2 Months Free Trial

What is Meant by the Cost of Goods Sold?

COGS is the direct cost of producing or buying the products you sell.

It usually includes:

1. The cost you pay your supplier per unit.

2. Shipping from supplier to your prep center or directly to Amazon.

3. Packaging costs (if you cover those).

For example, let’s say you sell a water bottle on Amazon for $20.

1. You pay $5 to your supplier.

2. Shipping adds another $1 per unit.

3. Packaging adds $0.50.

That means your total COGS = $6.50.

So, even before Amazon fees, PPC ads, or other expenses, you know you’re starting with $13.50 left per unit.

Why Does COGS Matter?

Many sellers, especially beginners, underestimate the importance of tracking COGS correctly.

Here’s why it matters:

1. Profit Clarity - If you don’t track your COGS, Seller Central may show revenue but not actual profit. You could be selling a lot but still losing money.

2. Pricing Decisions - Knowing your COGS helps you decide the minimum price you can sell at while still staying profitable.

3. Scaling Safely - As you grow and reorder more stock, having accurate COGS data helps forecast how much cash you need.

Think of it like driving a car: revenue is your speedometer (how fast you’re going), but COGS is your fuel gauge.

Without it, you can’t tell how far you can actually go.

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How Sellerboard Helps Track COGS

Sellerboard was designed to make profit tracking easy for Amazon sellers.

One of its strongest features is automatic profit calculation, which depends heavily on correct COGS data.

Inside Sellerboard, you can:

1. Enter your COGS per product (and update it when supplier costs change).

2. Import COGS in bulk using spreadsheets or Google Sheets.

3. Get profit dashboards that instantly reflect your true margins after costs.

This saves you from juggling spreadsheets and lets you see your financial health at a glance.

If you’d like a full step-by-step walkthrough of Sellerboard, I actually had Jenny Adams from Sellerboard on my YouTube channel.

Together, we went through every feature in detail.

You can watch that video below:

Or, if you prefer reading, check out this written version: How to Use Sellerboard Tutorial & Review.

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BY THE WAY - Sellerboard also works for Shopify and Walmart sellers, the tools are similar, somewhat. I have prepared tutorials for you for those platofrms too, and prices are kinda similar.

Sellerboard for Shopify tutorial (blog post, and inside there is a video too).

Sellerboard for Walmart tutorial (only video for now).

Sellerboard 2 months free trial is available for Walmart and Shopify as well, just find it via the resource links above.

New Updates to Sellerboard’s COGS Management

Recently, Sellerboard rolled out updates that make managing COGS even smoother.

Let’s look at two major ones:

Quick COGS Entry

You can now add a new price batch for your products directly from the product page.

Just click the “+” button next to the COGS value, set the start date, and enter your cost per unit.

Watch here: 

How to Enter COGS in Sellerboard

Credit: Sellerboard

This removes the older, more complicated steps and makes updating costs much quicker.

For sellers who deal with changing supplier prices, this is a huge time saver.

Bulk Import Enhancements

For sellers managing dozens (or even hundreds) of SKUs, updating costs one by one can feel endless.

Sellerboard’s bulk import now includes:

1. Drag & drop file upload - skip the old file search.

2. Data mapping - import files in any format and map them directly to Sellerboard’s fields.

3. Google Sheets & CSV support - pull data directly from these sources.

4. Import by batch - organize uploads by product batch for even more control.

Watch here: 

How to Bulk Import COGS in Sellerboard

Credit: Sellerboard

Common Mistakes Sellers Make With COGS

Even with a tool like Sellerboard, I see many sellers run into problems with their cost tracking.

Here are some of the most common mistakes:

1. Forgetting to Update Supplier Costs - Prices can change over time. If you don’t update your COGS when this happens, your profit reports will be misleading.

2. Not Including Hidden Costs - Things like freight forwarding, customs, or prep center fees are often overlooked but should be part of COGS.

3. Mixing Personal and Business Expenses - Some sellers mistakenly count things like laptops or office chairs as COGS. These are business expenses, but not directly tied to the unit cost.

4. Bulk Upload Errors - Uploading a big sheet without double-checking can lead to incorrect numbers across your catalog. Always review the error report Sellerboard provides.

By avoiding these mistakes, you’ll have a much clearer picture of your true profitability.

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Sellerboard vs. Alternatives for COGS Tracking

At this point, you might be thinking: “Okay, I get why COGS matters and how Sellerboard makes it easier… but is this the only way to track costs?”

That’s a fair question.

Sellers usually weigh a few options before committing to a tool.

Let’s look at the most common ones and how they compare:

1 - Spreadsheets - They’re free and flexible, but they rely on you to manually update numbers, formulas, and Amazon fees. One small mistake can throw off your entire profit picture.

Although recently we had a video tutorial of Hopted, which is a tool that allows you to connect your Amazon seller/vendor centrals (and ads account), to Google Sheets. This can be pretty awesome too!

2 - Other Tools - Platforms like Jungle Scout or Helium 10 have powerful research features, but when it comes to day-to-day profit tracking, they aren’t as detailed.

If you’d like to see a side-by-side breakdown, I’ve already written detailed reviews:

1. Sellerboard vs Jungle Scout Review (I Tried Both)

2. Sellerboard Vs Helium 10 Review (I Tried Both)

These comparisons give you a clearer sense of where Sellerboard fits into your toolkit.

We also have a review of Sellerboard Vs Profit Cyclops.

Wrapping It All Together

At the end of the day, your Cost of Goods Sold is more than just a number. 

It’s the foundation for every smart business decision you’ll make on Amazon.

Sellerboard makes that process easier with quick entries, flexible bulk imports, and clear dashboards that show where your business stands in real time.

If you’re curious to try it out, here’s the extended offer:

Get Sellerboard 2 Months Free Trial