Third-party sellers are a big part of Amazon, but they also carry some big risks for a company as customer-centric as Amazon. If a customer bought something from Amazon and receives a product that is poor quality, then the customer will blame Amazon — not the third-party seller. In orIn order to prevent these types of quality issues, and to protect the customer experience, Amazon has created an approval process that third-party sellers must follow in order to sell in certain categories.
Amazon Restricted Categories
Let’s look at the specific categories that require approval to sell on Amazon. The list is ever-changing, so there may be some product categories that haven’t been captured. The restricted categories include:
- Personal safety and household products
- Holiday selling requirements in toys and games
- Jewelry
- Grocery and gourmet food
- Organic food, organic feed, and organic pet food
- Beer, wine, and spirits
- Clothing
- Streaming media players
- Selling books, music, video, and DVD products
- Watch
What is a Gated Brand on Amazon?
Some brands on Amazon are gated, so reselling such brand items will need to go through an additional permission process. You will be informed when listing your products if a brand is gated. It helps sellers prevent unauthorized sales of counterfeit or knockoff products. By getting selling approval, you can sell certain branded products.
How to Submit a Selling Application on Amazon
Amazon category approval requests aren’t usually too complicated but can take a little time to process. In some instances, when you send an approval request, you may be automatically approved. This can happen if you have been selling on Amazon for a while and have a good reputation rather than being a complete newbie. For submitting a selling application, follow the given steps:
Step 1: Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account.
Step 2: Go to the Catalog tab in the menu bar and select Add Products.
Step 3: Enter the category of products you want to sell in the search field, such as wine, coffee, or protein powder. Or you can also enter the ASIN of any particular product.
Step 4: You’ll be taken to a different screen with one of two choices.
Select one of them. Sell this product or Apply to sell.
- Sell this product: Permits an instant start to product setup without requiring approval.
- Apply to sell: Requires category permission for the product type for gated brands.
Step 5: Select the condition New from the drop-down menu.
Step 6: Click on Apply to sell. Then it will redirect you to the selling application page.
Step 7: Click on Request approval. Before clicking that option please read the information carefully.
Step 8: You will get a Selling application for Brand page. Here you are requesting approval to sell items of a particular brand.
Choose one option from Submit documents here.
If you choose this option, which is, At least 1 purchase invoice for products from a manufacturer or distributor –
Then your document must be:
- Dated within 180 days.
- Includes your name and address, matching the information in your selling account.
- Include the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor.
- Show the combined purchase of at least 10 units.
- Omit pricing information though it is optional.
After submitting these, Amazon may verify your submitted documentation by contacting product vendors you identify in your application.
Or, if you choose this one 1 letter from the Brand authorizing you to sell their products –
Then your document must be:
- Dated within 180 days.
- Includes your name and address, matching the information in your selling account.
- Includes the name and address of the Brand.
You can choose only one option. So make sure that you are submitting the correct file for those options. You can also add comments while submitting your files.
Step 9: After that, you must provide Email addresses or phone numbers to contact you. Use commas to separate addresses. You can also add Phone numbers.
Step 10: Click on the Submit button and complete the process.
If you want to check the status of your selling application, go to the Catalog tab in the menu bar and choose View Selling Applications.
Here you can see which applications have been approved and which are declined.
Final Thoughts
Selling restricted category products on Amazon can get difficult sometimes. When setting up new products on Amazon, have your important documents close at hand and double-check the company information provided. Make sure the papers you upload are formatted correctly, such as in PDF format, facing the correct direction, and accurately reflecting your company’s details. Any inconsistencies in the data could result in rejection.
For more information on category and product approvals don’t hesitate to contact us for more details. If you have any queries about selling on Amazon, feel free to comment below.
