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Amazon Gated Categories: How to Get Approved in Restricted Categories

The Amazon market is not a free-for-all. Here's how gated categories work, and the procedure for getting approved to sell in them.

It is no secret that Amazon restricts sellers from offering products in sure categories. To sell products in these "gated" categories, sellers accept to go through an approval process. However, this process varies greatly depending on the category you are trying to get "ungated".

In this article, we explicate which categories are gated and the information y'all need to provide to become approved. We as well look at the big questions that many sellers accept about restricted categories and explain whether getting ungated is really worth the attempt.

• Why does Amazon restrict or "gate" sure categories?
• Which categories are gated?
• So are the other categories completely open?
• Exactly which categories are restricted? How do I get approved?
• What are the typical requirements for approval?
• Which categories take special requirements for approval?
• What are the requirements for invoices?
• If you are approved in a category can y'all sell anything there?
• What is an ungating service?
• What's the departure betwixt restricted categories, restricted brands and restricted products?
• How can yous tell which categories you lot are approved for?
• Is the Toys & Games category restricted or open?
• Are Health & Personal Care and Beauty gated categories?
• Is getting canonical actually worth the effort?

Why does Amazon restrict or "gate" certain categories?

Every bit the number of tertiary-party sellers on Amazon has grown, so has the risk to Amazon's reputation. If a customer receives a faulty, apocryphal or poor-quality item, it won't be the seller they'll blame, it'll be Amazon.

And so to protect customers, and themselves, Amazon restricts categories which are particularly susceptible to counterfeiting and quality issues.

To become approved, sellers have to submit information about their concern and their products. From this, Amazon can make sure that merely genuine sellers with accurate products are selling in these categories.

Which categories are gated?

At the nowadays time, Amazon restricts and requires approval for the following top-level categories:

• Automotive & Powersports
• Collectibles (e.yard. books, coins, sports and entertainment)
• Art
• Fine Jewelry
• Grocery & Gourmet Food
• Major Appliances
• Video, DVD & Blu-Ray
• Watches

The Toys & Games category is also gated during the holiday selling season.

So are the other categories completely open?

No, just because the category is not gated does not mean that other restrictions don't apply. Some of the nearly common things to look out for other than category restrictions are:

Gated subcategories

In some cases, Amazon does not restrict the whole category, merely specific subcategories.

For example, you don't demand blessing to sell in the Wellness and Dazzler categories, simply yous do to sell in the Topicals subcategory. It is not always obvious which subcategories are gated, and so it's always all-time to do your research and test the waters before buying a lot of stock.

Restricted brands

These are restricted brands that third-party sellers need approval for before they can sell them on Amazon.

The restriction tin can be on the unabridged brand, or just employ to certain products. Examples of restricted brands include Adidas, Apple, Bose, Levi's and MAC Cosmetics.

Restricted products

In that location are likewise restricted products that are either banned entirely, or demand prior approval to sell on Amazon.

Usually, these are products that could be harmful or take had serious product quality issues in the past. Pop items currently on the list of restricted products include streaming media players and light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation devices.

Condition restrictions

Some products on Amazon can simply be sold in sure conditions (new or used, for example). For example, in that location are many categories where sellers can only list new items, such as Clothing & Accessories, Watches and Babe Products.

It is also worth remembering that Amazon's restricted categories are constantly changing. Categories that are open right at present may not be in a few months' time. So information technology's besides worth checking regularly on whatsoever category you plan to sell in, or are selling in now, that doesn't currently require approval.

Exactly which categories are restricted? How practise I become approved?

The best way to see exactly which categories, products and brands are restricted, and find out the specific requirements for approval, is to try and listing a product for sale.

Simply that doesn't mean you should await until you lot have purchased stock. Instead just get-go walking through the process to detect if any restrictions are in place. Also check out Amazon's category overview and restricted products help pages, but use caution every bit they tin sometimes be field of study to estimation or merely out of appointment.

You can request approval to sell in any of Amazon's restricted categories through Seller Key. One time you've logged in:

1. Click on the Inventory tab and select "Add a Product"
2. Discover the production that y'all desire to sell
3. Click the link that says "List limitations use"
4. Click the "Request Approval" button

The application form is pretty straightforward. Information technology starts past request you to select the markets that you want to sell in. You will then be asked for information about the products that you desire to sell, including the number of units you accept and their condition.

Finally, y'all demand to specify whether your images meet Amazon's requirements. If they practise, you tin can upload them and submit your application.

What are the typical requirements for approval?

Each category has its own specific rules, merely requirements that apply to many categories include:

• Being on the professional selling programme
• Completion of the awarding form
• Proficient operation metrics, which generally means:
  • Order Defect Rate less than one%
  • Pre-Fulfillment Cancellation rate less than two.5%
  • Belatedly Shipment Rate less than 4%
• Testify of authenticity (such every bit proof that your suppliers are licensed dealers)
• Acceptable invoices for your inventory
• A company website

Which categories have special requirements for approval?

Alongside the typical requirements to a higher place, Amazon requires additional information from sellers for approval in sure gated categories. These include:

Automotive & Powersports

To sell in the Automotive & Powersports category, sellers must also:

• Have compliant product images hosted on an independent website or paradigm hosting site
• Provide either a manufacturer or re-manufacturer warranty for all certified refurbished products

Fine Fine art

To sell in the Fine Art category, sellers must:

• Have been selling fine fine art for a minimum of iii years
• Have a stiff online presence either on their own site or a tertiary-political party site

Fine Jewelry

This is the hardest of all Amazon's gated categories to interruption into, including an ungating fee in the thousands of dollars. Boosted requirements include:

• Having at least 12 months feel of selling on Amazon with annual revenue of $50,000 or more
• At to the lowest degree one brick-and-mortar store, with an average revenue of $50,000 or more than

Wine

To sell wine on Amazon, sellers have to exist a licensed winery or importer, or a wholesaler with retail sales privileges.

What are the requirements for invoices?

Invoices are a crucial office of the blessing process. They assistance Amazon decipher where your stock is coming from and, most importantly, whether it's accurate. Go this step incorrect and it is going to destroy your chances of getting approved.

Earlier y'all submit invoices, assess for yourself whether they volition pass Amazon's invoice verification process. Some of the key factors are:

• The invoices demand to be legible, so make sure they are scanned or photographed in high quality with no smears or blurs.
• Make sure that the invoices are recent. Invoices for certain categories, including grocery, need to be from the last 180 days or Amazon won't accept them.
• The invoices must name the products you lot purchased and clearly evidence where you sourced them from.
• Both your physical address and telephone number and your supplier's physical address and telephone number should be on the invoices.
• Make sure that your address on the invoices matches your address in Seller Fundamental.
• Never submit a handwritten invoice.

It is also worth noting that when information technology comes to seeking approval in gated categories, retail receipts and purchase orders aren't going to cutting it. Simply detailed business invoices that meet all the criteria will be adept enough.

If y'all are approved in a category can you sell anything there?

This is a mutual fault that sellers make. Just because you have been canonical for the top-level category, does non mean that you lot tin sell any product within that category.

To recap:

• Gated subcategories: subcategories tin be gated and accept their own approving process.
• Restricted brands: certain brands likewise have their own approval process. Be aware of these and don't go stuck with stock that yous aren't allowed to sell.
• Restricted products: you need blessing to sell products that Amazon sees as existence potentially dangerous. Some are banned entirely.
• Condition restrictions: in many categories y'all can't sell used or refurbished goods. So, make sure you know the restrictions for the categories that y'all sell in.

For more information see above So are the other categories completely open up?

What is an ungating service?

Amazon category ungating services help sellers apply to sell in restricted categories.

They handle the application process, from making sure you lot've got the right documentation and invoices, to filling out the application form. Many boast 100% success rates or guarantee that they tin can get you approved in whatsoever of Amazon's restricted categories.

If you are struggling with the approval process, it might exist worth considering one of these services. But be enlightened that they don't do anything that you can't do yourself. They are not official Amazon service providers and have no special status or priority admission to Amazon. They likewise tin can't actually guarantee that you lot volition be approved, as the conclusion is out of their hands.

Selling on Amazon and other marketplaces involves a lot of policies, processes and rules, and gated categories are only another affiliate in that rule book. If reading, comprehending and following detailed rules is not your strength then your Amazon selling career is going to exist tough!

What's the divergence between restricted categories, restricted brands and restricted products?

Amazon is a complex marketplace and it's easy for sellers to confuse the different types of restrictions. Here's a uncomplicated breakdown:

• Restricted categories: these are entire categories of products, such every bit Grocery & Gourmet Food. Sellers demand approval to sell whatever production that falls within that category.
• Restricted brands: these are brands (makes or manufacturers), e.g. Adidas, that third-party sellers are restricted from selling on Amazon.
• Restricted products: these are narrow product types, such every bit children'southward toys containing lasers, that sellers need approval to sell.

How can you lot tell which categories you lot are approved for?

To check which categories y'all have been approved to sell in, you need to log in to Seller Central. Then:

1. Click on the "Inventory" tab
2. Select "Add together a Production"
3. Click the link "Selling application status"

This brings up a table showing you all the different categories that you have been approved to sell in.

Y'all can also employ the filters to come across the categories where yous're still awaiting approval or where you've been denied access.

Is the Toys & Games category restricted or open?

The Toys & Games category is just subject area to restrictions during the vacation flavour. These restrictions begin on October 17th each year and run through to the offset week of Jan the following year.

Amazon put restrictions in place in other categories to address product quality issues. The holiday restrictions in Toys & Games, however, are there to help make sure sellers can keep upwardly with increased Q4 demand.

To sell in Toys & Games during the holiday flavour, sellers must meet the following criteria:

• Your first sale on Amazon must be prior to August 18 of the current yr. This doesn't have to exist in the Toys & Games category.
• You lot must have processed and shipped at to the lowest degree 25 orders from August 1st to October 1st of the current year. This can be in any category.
• A pre-fulfillment cancellation rate no higher than i.75% from September 1st to September 30th of the current year.
• A late shipment rate no higher than 4% from September 1st to September 30th of the electric current year
• An gild defect charge per unit no college than 1% (curt term) as of October 1st of the electric current yr.

Annotation that the vacation selling restriction in Toys & Games is for merchant-fulfilled products. Items fulfilled using FBA are not affected.

Are Health & Personal Care and Beauty gated categories?

The Health and Dazzler categories used to be restricted as a whole, merely this is no longer the case.

However, specific subcategories are now gated instead. These include, but may not exist limited to:

• Contraceptives
• Dietary Supplements
• Feminine Hygiene
• OTC Medication
• Sports Nutrition
• Topical

Just like with gated categories, you tin apply to sell in gated subcategories through Seller Key. The process is merely the aforementioned, although the specific requirements will vary and might include a fee.

Is getting approved actually worth the effort?

There is no doubt that Amazon'south category restrictions tin can be confusing. They change ofttimes and can be difficult to decipher.

But at the same fourth dimension, information technology'southward definitely worth persevering and trying to gain approving. Category restrictions are a barrier to entry and if you can hurdle them, you'll have a clear advantage over sellers that don't go approved, or don't fifty-fifty effort.

Ultimately, there are some elements of selling on Amazon that are easier than others. But the parts that are harder, like getting canonical in restricted categories, are the most powerful. By accessing them, you lot set yourself autonomously and face less competition.

The rewards tin can exist not bad for sellers who are willing to take the fourth dimension, learn Amazon'due south processes and get beyond the basics.

This article is an updated version of a post first published in August 2015.

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Source: https://www.webretailer.com/b/amazon-gated-categories/