Selling online: where to start and where to sell

Selling online does not necessarily begin with an online shop or dropshipping. For many, the first step is selling things they no longer need, their own handmade goods or a small batch of products on a marketplace or on social networks. The searches “kaip pradėti prekybą internetu” and “prekyba internetu nuo ko pradėti” show that many people are looking for exactly this first step.

This part of the guide covers where you can sell online, how marketplaces, social networks and your own shop differ, what you can sell without registering an activity and when registration becomes mandatory.

Where to sell online

What you can sell without registering an activity

The State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) states that a resident’s income from selling their own used other non-registrable property (clothing, furniture, appliances and the like) is not taxed if it does not exceed 2 500 € in the tax period. This is meant for personal belongings, not for goods bought in order to resell them.

If you regularly buy goods to resell, make and sell handmade goods or run dropshipping, that is already an economic activity. It has to be formalised – most often as self-employment (individuali veikla) under a registration certificate, or with a business certificate (verslo liudijimas) if one is issued for your activity. The differences are explained in the ACS.lt article “Self-employment: registration certificate or business certificate”.

Where to start: 5 steps

1. Start with what you already have. Sell a few of your own things – you will learn to photograph, describe, communicate with buyers and ship.
2. Choose one channel. One well-maintained marketplace is better than five neglected channels.
3. Good-quality photos and clear descriptions. Daylight, a neutral background, dimensions and condition.
4. Fast replies and shipping. Parcel lockers and a reply within a few hours increase trust and reviews.
5. Do the sums. How much you earn after commission, shipping and packaging – only then decide whether to expand the range.

Why buyers are cautious: real cases

A buyer who does not want to pay an advance to an unknown seller is behaving sensibly – the police daily incident reports contain such stories every day:

• Marijampolė County, October 2026. A woman found an advert on a social network for pellets being sold, transferred 620 € and did not receive the goods.
• Panevėžys, October 2026. A woman transferred a 550 € advance for a tiny house on wheels found in an advert – the seller could no longer be reached.
• Tauragė, October 2026. A man (born 2001) transferred 200 € for an air flow meter found on a social network and did not receive the item.

For an honest seller this means one thing: trust has to be earned. What helps is payment on collection or through a platform’s protected payment, clear seller details, real photos of the product and returns terms.

When to move to your own shop

Your own online shop is worthwhile once you have a permanent range and buyers who come back. Until then, marketplaces and social networks let you test demand without spending on a platform and advertising. Creating a shop is covered in a separate part of the guide.

Selling without products: affiliate marketing

If you like selling but do not want to deal with products, shipping and returns, you can recommend other people’s products for a commission. The buyer buys from the seller, and you are credited with a share of the amount for every sale made through your link.

Frequently asked questions