The Amazon logo depicts their brand message: the online giant retailer sells everything from A to Z. While Amazon sells every product that you can imagine, you can’t just sell any item on the platform. That’s because the online retailer takes preventive measures to protect its consumers from harmful and fraudulent products.
Amazon has several categories restricted to most sellers. These categories are also popular as Amazon Gated Categories. Amazon restricts certain categories because the platform wants to ensure the seller is legitimate. Sellers must get approval before selling in these somewhat risky categories. In other words, sellers must undergo a rigorous verification process to sell Amazon gated products. Some ungated categories include Clothing & Accessories, Beauty products, Camera & Photo, Consumer Electronics, Baby products, Home & Garden, etc.
So, how do you get category approval on Amazon? In this post, we will review the gated categories and explore the Amazon category approval process.
Amazon Restricted Categories
Here is a list of the currently gated categories on Amazon.
- Jewelry
- Personal Safety and Household Products
- Entertainment Collectibles
- Automotive & Powersports
- Fine Art
- Collectible Coins
- Join Amazon Handmade
- Toys and Games
- Join Amazon Subscription Boxes
- Made in Italy
- Services
- Music & DVD
- Video, DVD, & Blu-ray
- Streaming Media Players
- Watches
- Sports Collectibles
- Topical
- Grocery
- Pesticides
- Toys
- Dietary Supplements
- Brands
- Product ASINs
How to Get Category Approval on Amazon
Although the Amazon category approval process is not complicated, it can take some time. If you are a professional seller on Amazon and enjoy a good reputation, you have better chances of automatically getting an approval when you send in a request. But that might not be the case if you are a newbie. As a professional seller, you have to pay a monthly subscription fee of $39.99 plus additional selling fees. Apart from that, you must prove the product’s authenticity by proving that the products you are selling are from either a licensed dealer or the manufacturer.
Check for product restrictions or Amazon category restrictions to request for approval through your Amazon Seller Central Account. Here is what you need to do.
- Go to your Seller Central account dashboard and click on ‘inventory.’
- Choose ‘Add a Product.’
- Look up the name of the product you wish to sell.
- If your search results return as restricted, choose ‘Listing Limitations Apply.’
- Click the ‘Request Approval’ button.
In case you get immediate approval, start selling immediately!
What happens if you don’t Get an Approval?
Otherwise, you will need to provide further information about your business, products, and wholesale invoices. Amazon will review your request and make an informed decision after assessing your invoices along with additional criteria, including:
- A minimum of 3-month sales history
- Pro-seller plan
- Provision for free delivery or a return address in the country you are selling
- An order defect rate of below 1%
- Customer service support in local language
In case a seller is currently selling a product that meets the restricted category elsewhere, he will already possess this information. However, if you were sourcing a new product and worried about purchasing stock before knowing if you will make it to the gated category, don’t’ worry. The invoice you submit does not necessarily have to be for the product you wish to sell. All you need to do is submit a wholesale invoice (original not printed) for any product falling into the Amazon restricted categories.
Final Thoughts
If you want to know more about how you can get category approval on Amazon, get in touch with Rank AMZ to help you go through the process step-by-step. If your account complies with Amazon’s all policies, Rank AMZ guarantees your request’s timely approval.
