Users always expect to shop on Amazon with maximum security. Because of this, the platform has implemented some restrictions that all sellers must take into account when listing their products.
Products in categories that require approval can only be listed after certain approvals have been obtained from Amazon. Therefore, if you are considering selling on this great marketplace, you must be aware of all the platform’s laws, regulations, and permitting policies.
Before listing your products on Amazon, we recommend that you read Amazon’s restriction policy carefully and ensure that your product meets all requirements. Next, we explain the approval process and which categories require approval from Amazon.
What categories are restricted on Amazon?
All products, offers and categories must comply with Amazon laws. Suppose the platform discovers that a product’s detail page contains content that has been deemed prohibited, inappropriate, or compromising for legal reasons. In this case, the marketplace has the right to remove or change it without prior notice.
On the other hand, if you list a product that violates the law or any of Amazon’s policies, the platform may immediately cancel the listing, revoke or suspend your selling privileges, eliminate the inventory you have in Amazon fulfillment centers without refund, and the Return stock and end the business relationship.
The sale of illegal or dangerous products can also result in civil and criminal penalties. Because you are legally responsible for your actions and transactions, you must be aware of the relevant legal framework relating to the products you offer for sale on Amazon.
There are many restricted categories, subcategories and brands on Amazon. Here are the main restricted categories you need permission for:
- Automotive & Powersports
- Videos, DVDs and Blu-rays
- Personal security and household products
- entertainment collectibles
- watches
- Sporting collectibles
- made in Italy
- art
- Holiday Sale Requirements for Toys and Games
- jewelry
- collectible coins
- Join Amazon Handmade
- Join the Amazon subscription boxes
- Music & DVD
- streaming media player
To see the full list of restricted categories on Amazon and learn more about them, you can read the Ungating on Amazon article on the OABeans website.
How do I get permission to sell on Amazon?
After long hours of researching and sourcing products, you realize that the product you want to sell on Amazon is restricted. Should you give up and look for another profitable product? Absolutely not! There are two ways you can get approval to sell restricted products on Amazon, which we explain in detail below:
1) Free path
The first method is completely free and you can do it yourself, but you need patience and perseverance. How to do it:
Check if you are restricted
Before listing an item for sale, first check if you are restricted or eligible to sell it. You can skip this step if you already know your product is restricted.
Use the Amazon Seller App to scan the item’s barcode or enter the barcode under “Add a product”. If it’s restricted, you’ll see the “Approval Required” item.
Request approval to sell the item on Amazon
Once you know you’re prohibited from selling an item, you can request approval on the Amazon Seller Central website.
Sometimes the approval process is quick and easy: click “Request Approval” and you’ll be automatically approved based on your current seller metrics, e.g. E.g. sales, ratings, prices, etc. In other cases, Amazon will not automatically approve you, but will ask you to provide additional information or documentation as part of the approval process.
This information may include one or more of the following documents:
- Purchase/Wholesale Invoices
- A letter from the manufacturer/authorized dealer/brand owner
- A monetary fee.
- Other types of documentation
Some documents are easier to obtain. In general, you don’t want to pay a lot of money for a brand registration unless you have an ongoing relationship with a specific supplier who is both reputable and you’re sure you’ll have a good source of inventory over the long term.
If you apply for a permit but are denied, don’t worry: the story doesn’t end there. Refusing or requesting further information does not mean that you cannot request it again in the future. As you sell more and more on Amazon, your seller metrics improve to the point where you’re eligible for approval in more categories, subcategories, and brands. Amazon just needs time to realize that you are a solid and reliable FBA seller.
3. If you are rejected, request again later
If Amazon denies you approval, make sure to reapply within the next 3-6 months.
Make a habit of going to Amazon’s seller center regularly and reviewing your active requests to see if you can reapply and get quick approval. We recommend setting a reminder on your calendar every 3-6 months to check the status of your applications and re-apply if necessary.
2) Paid Ways
While the first method explained above is free, it takes a lot of time and effort to collect the documents, get the invoices, and keep your seller metrics above a certain level for Amazon to consider you a reliable seller. After doing all of this, you may get rejected and find yourself in a loop of reapplying to get Amazon’s approval to sell restricted products month after month.
So you might be interested to know that some companies offer entgating services for a reasonable amount of money! These companies usually have teams of experts who are familiar with the entire process and can get you approved and ready to sell restricted products in no time.
Remember to choose a reliable company that you can trust with your information. OABeans is one of the best companies offering ungating services on multiple marketplaces. If you’re interested, visit their website and select your ungate package, give them some basic info, and relax while you ungate in your desired categories!
How long does it take to get approval on Amazon?
It takes time to approve if you meet the requirements and submit your application without gates. There is no set time for the process and it is entirely dependent on Amazon. The application process for some categories can take two weeks. But there are other categories for which this process will take up to 12 weeks. Experience has shown that in some categories, such as B. Sexual Wellness, faster and easier to be gateless. In comparison, other categories like fine jewelry have a long process.
Final Thoughts
Now, if you follow these general steps, you should be able to start the application process for the most restricted categories on Amazon.
Becoming a freelancer at Amazon takes months of patience, consistency in building your sales metrics and developing a good track record at Amazon, and the discipline to review your applications regularly. But if you stick with it, you should be able to allow more and more products to sell on Amazon, and you’ll see increasing sales and profits as your inventory grows.
Even if you don’t want to go through the process yourself, there are other ways. You can find reliable companies that offer gating services and leave everything to them while you focus on more important things like advertising. Whichever path you choose will lead to increased sales and profits in a short period of time, so why not start today?
