You can get ungated on Amazon by applying for approval to sell gated products via your Amazon Seller Central, following all guidelines, and providing the requested documentation.
Amazon gates some products and categories to avoid unauthorized sales of counterfeit products. However, you can get in on those unique categories and products by completing a qualification process for approval.
This would give you access to products like branded electronics and alcohol that require special permissions to list on your Amazon FBA platform.
Let’s discuss it!
Key Takeaways
- Getting ungated on Amazon gives you access to profitable products with less competition.
- The restricted categories have different requirements for the ungating process.
- Amazon product gating helps protect buyers from scams and establish trust with sellers.
What Is Getting Ungated on Amazon?
Amazon sets strict brand registration regulations that help manufacturers, licensed sellers, and private label owners protect their intellectual property. This is referred to as Amazon gating.
Hence, ungating is the process you undergo to get verified as a valid seller of specific products restricted by Amazon.
The process may involve performance checks, additional fees, and other requirements for the specific category you want to sell in/the product itself.
If you fail to meet all the requirements or do not provide all the necessary documents, Amazon reserves the right to reject your application. Therefore, ensure you fulfill all the criteria and possess the required documentation to support your application before proceeding.
How to Check if a Product Is Gated on Amazon?
The best way to confirm whether a product, product category or subcategory is gated on Amazon is via your Seller Central dashboard.
Amazon constantly updates the gated, restricted, and free categories. Hence, your external resource might not have been updated to match the current Amazon specs.
I’ve attached a video below to help you find the gated categories faster on Amazon and via your Seller Central dashboard.
5 Key Reasons Amazon Gates Specific Products
Amazon’s stringent requirements are in place to maintain a high standard of customer experience and protect against counterfeit or low-quality products.
Here are five key reasons Amazon gates or restricts some products:
Quality Assurance
Amazon aims to maintain a reputation for providing high-quality products to its customers. Gating helps prevent the influx of subpar or counterfeit items that could harm customer trust and satisfaction.
Product Authenticity
Counterfeit and fake products can negatively impact customers and genuine sellers.
Gating specific categories allows Amazon to verify the authenticity of products and ensure that customers receive authentic items, fostering a more trustworthy marketplace environment.
Consumer Safety
Some products, particularly those in health and wellness, electronics, and food categories, have potential safety implications.
Gating these categories enables Amazon to regulate the sale of products that could pose risks to customers if they’re of inferior quality or lack proper safety certifications.
Regulatory Compliance
Many products are subject to specific regulations and certifications based on their nature or intended use. Gating such products/product categories ensures Amazon only has sellers selling trusted products that don’t violate laws or regulations.
Brand Protection
Gating specific product categories can also help protect the interests of brands and manufacturers.
Unauthorized reselling of branded products can dilute a brand’s reputation and lead to unauthorized distribution channels. Gating allows brands to control distribution and ensures products are sourced from authorized suppliers.
What Are the Gated Categories on Amazon?
Amazon is slowly moving away from gating entire categories to only specific products in those categories.
The following table shows you a list of gated products and the categories they belong to.
| Categories | Products |
|---|---|
| Fine Arts | Paintings, sculptures, and other works of art |
| Personal Safety and Household Products | Pepper spray, stun guns, home security systems, etc. |
| Music & DVD | Music, movies, and TV shows |
| Collectible Coins | Coins, currency, and stamps |
| Streaming Media Players | Devices such as Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast |
| Jewelry | Jewels, watches, and other personal accessories |
| Automotive and Powersports | Vehicles, parts, and accessories |
| Made in Italy | Products from Italy |
| Services | Services include travel, event tickets, and home improvement |
| Video, DVD, & Blu-ray | Movies, TV shows, and video games |
| Sports Collectibles | Sports memorabilia, such as trading cards, autographs, and jerseys |
Additionally, Amazon restricts access to specific subcategories within ungated categories.
For instance, the health and personal care products category remains ungated, but specific subcategories within this group are gated:
- Feminine Hygiene
- Contraceptives
- Dietary supplements
- Hair Care and Beauty Appliances
- OTC medication
- Topical treatments
- Sports Nutrition
Amazon also gates specific brands to protect them from counterfeiters and unauthorized resellers.
Furthermore, some gated brands like Apple already sell millions of products (iPhones, iPads, etc.) on their websites and stores. So, they’re not actively looking for resellers on Amazon.
Therefore, Amazon permits only a limited number of resellers who have successfully undergone a rigorous selection process to sell Apple products.
Below is a list of other gated brands on Amazon:
- Adidas
- Nike
- Fitbit
- Beats by Dre
- Aquafina
- Dolce & Gabbana
- Lancome
- New Balance
- Ralph Lauren Perfume
Amazon regularly updates the list, so you can expect new products and brands to be added or existing ones to move to the ungated products list.
Amazon's Ungating Requirements
Requirements for getting ungated on Amazon vary from one restricted category to another.
This is because some categories carry more risks than others. Hence, you’ll need more documentation before you’re given the green light.
Nevertheless, there are essential requirements to meet that cut across all the categories.
- A valid business address
- Proof of vendor/wholesale distributor relationship
- Business tax information
- Certified documents showing that the product was tested and meets the required safety guidelines
- Copy of a valid government-issued photo ID from either a seller or authorized representative
- Photos of products to ensure packaging is compliant
- Invoices showing that you purchased ten items (allowed minimum) of the product/from the brand you’re interested in ungating (the next section goes deeper into the invoice requirements)
- A letter from the brand owners showing you’re authorized to sell the product
- A healthy professional Amazon seller account with an order defect rate below 1%, a late shipment rate below 4%, and a pre-fulfillment cancel rate below 1.75%.
Amazon Invoice Requirement
Amazon requests proof of at least ten purchases of the gated products, which signifies that you have good relationships with the distributor.
In the past, Amazon sellers used to visit retailers like Walmart to purchase clearance receipts to submit towards facilitating the ungating process.
This approach no longer proves effective, as Amazon has tightened the ungating procedures.
Thankfully, its new invoice requirement isn’t shrouded in mystery:
- The invoice must be less than 180 days from the date of the purchase.
- The shopping address and business information on your Amazon Seller Central should match the information on the invoice.
- The invoice should have the product ASIN. (You’re allowed to handwrite it.)
- Information on the supplier, including business name, phone number, email, and address, should feature on the invoice.
- Details of the product order showing itemized details with a minimum purchase quantity of 10 products.
- The invoice’s product information must contain a model number or UPC.
In the next section, I’ll show the credentials you must meet for the most popular gated categories.
Amazon Ungating Criteria for Specific Categories
Besides the general ungating requirements, some categories require extra documents/setups/information to boost your chances of getting ungated.
The table below summarizes some core requirements, but checking with Amazon before submitting your request is reasonable.
| Category | Special Requirements |
|---|---|
| Fine Arts |
|
| Wine Category |
|
| Grocery And Gourmet Categories |
|
| Jewelry Category |
|
| Collectible Coins Category |
|
| DVD Video and Blue Rays Category |
|
How to Get Ungated on Amazon Step-By-Step
Amazon ungating requires that you already have an Amazon seller account.
You should also remember that the ungating processes vary depending on the category you want to venture into.
Here’s a video guide on the steps to get ungated on Amazon.
Can My Application for Amazon Ungating Get Rejected?
Amazon may reject your ungating application, which often happens when you don’t follow the required procedures or submit all the requested documents.
However, Amazon sometimes denies approving the application without explanation.
If that happens, repeat the process. But this time, you might want to take these actions to boost your approval chances.
- Subscribe to the professional plan. It costs more ($39.99 per month), but it’s the only plan that gives you access to the restricted categories.
- Ensure your invoice is as detailed as possible with the ASIN for each product.
- Don’t change anything in the standard invoice.
- Ensure that your store has lots of positive reviews from customers. Amazon is customer-centric and will likely ignore the opportunity to sell gated products if your store has negative reviews of late shipments and product defects.
- Amazon has a track record of approving applications from established sellers. While it’s not a requirement, it improves your chances of getting approved. If you’re new to the platform, you can start by selling ungated products before applying to sell products in the gated categories.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take to Get Ungated on Amazon?
There’s no definite duration of how long the ungating process may take.
However, it generally takes a few days to several weeks to discover whether your application has been approved or denied. The verdict may come back quicker in Q4 and busy months for seasonal products.
Can a Seller Be Automatically Ungated?
No. Any seller wanting to sell gated products must apply for approval by providing all the required documents.
How Much Should You Pay to Get Ungated on Amazon?
The cost of getting ungated on Amazon can vary widely depending on the category or brand you seek approval for. In many cases, there may not be a direct fee from Amazon for ungating. However, you may incur expenses related to meeting the requirements for approval, such as purchasing stock to get an invoice.
Are Gated Products on Amazon Worth Selling?
Risks are worth taking as an entrepreneur. Besides, most of your competitors don’t want to take the risk of selling gated products. This gives you an advantage as you’ll face less competition.
The only thing to do is to ensure you’ve followed all the procedures outlined in this guide to boost your chances of success.
And if you’re still managing your Amazon FBA manually, check how tools like Helium 10 or ZonGuru could simplify your processes and ensure positive ROI from your ungated products!
