Learning How to Get Approval in 2021
Let’s be honest: Amazon is the easiest way to become an owner of a profitable business. That’s because it doesn’t have much requirements for a startup, and you should not invest much capital if you chose the right business model and do everything by the book.
For example, before launching your business on Amazon, we strictly recommend that you do a comprehensive research in order to figure out which categories of products are restricted by Amazon. Bear in mind that this process is quite time-consuming, and requires much effort on your part. However, it will help you figure out all the nuances with restricted categories in order to prevent any possible errors within your business.
Amazon is a very changeable platform, which means that you should always be aware of all the changes within this system. The same goes for restricted categories, and, in order to protect our customers from any unforeseen consequences, Oceanic Zoo has prepared a short guideline which will help you deal with restricted categories.
What Are Restricted Categories?
Only Amazon can decide which products are restricted to sell through its platform and which are not. Not so long ago, Amazon restricted its entire categories and anyone who intended to sell anything on the platform had to obtain permission first. However, nowadays, Amazon no longer restricts all categories, and applies restrictions on some niches of products instead. Keep in mind, that lots of products from restricted categories can be sold through other category of products. So, let’s try to understand the categories which are restricted, or commonly known as “gated” by Amazon.
Gated Categories
Before sourcing products from suppliers and listing them on your Amazon account, try to ensure that these products are not in this list of Amazon’s restricted categories.
Among Amazon’s gated categories are:
- Collectible Coins
- Jewelry
- Toys and Games
- Fine Art
- Personal Safety and Household
- Made in Italy
- Music& DVD
- Watches
- Sports Collectibles
- Video, DVD & Blu-ray
- Services
- Automotive & Powersports
- Streaming Media Player
- Join Amazon Handmade
- Join Amazon Subscription Boxes
If you want to find out which categories you are allowed to sell, go to your Seller Central Account and click on “Inventory” button; then, select “add a product” and click on the “selling application status” button.
What is the Point of Restricted Categories?
If you look at restricted categories list, you will realize that all the products are very profitable, which means that the probability of falsifying them is too high. In order to prevent counterfeit issues on its platform, Amazon controls selling these products and allows solely qualified sellers to sell them instead. Also, some of these items are considered high-risk, or “dangerous” items, which is probably why Amazon restricts them.
How to Get Approval for Selling Restricted Categories on Amazon?
If you want to get approval for selling in the gated category of products, then you should be ready for the fact that this process can take much time. However, there are some cases when a seller gets approval right after sending a request. If you are a reputable seller who is doing everything by the book, then you should not worry about getting approval. The main step that you have to implement, is to go to your Amazon Seller Central account and request approval. You should be ready for the fact that Amazon can ask you to provide more information concerning your operation on its platform, including invoices and supply chain information.
Additionally, try to ensure that your ODR metrics are in good condition, which should be under 1%, and that you have at least three months’ sales history.
Of course, getting Amazon’s approval for restricted products can cost you much effort; however, believe us, it is worth your time! That’s because you are provided with benefits to set your business apart from your competitors. Go out of your comfort zone and start acting!
If you want to start to selling through Amazon and don’t know how to implement the entire process, just contact Oceanic Zoo’s team and we will help you take the first step toward your successful future on Amazon.