You have done your research, have found the ideal product to sell on Amazon, and you are now ready to start your business… only to find that it falls into one of the platform’s restricted categories. While this does not mean that your dreams are over, it does mean you will need pre-approval in order to start retailing.

As the world’s leading e-commerce marketplace, Amazon’s focus is on ensuring that its customers are always able to enjoy high-quality, genuine items. This means that for certain high-risk categories, such as jewelry, collectibles, and fine art, they have implemented tough restrictions in order to guarantee that its sellers are not trying to flog counterfeit or dangerous items. 

Getting ungated so that you can sell a product can be a confusing process, but luckily Review Sparks knows exactly what it takes and is here to help you go through the process step-by-step. If you ask him what his top tips are, he will tell you that patience and preparation are the keys to successfully ungating your dream category.

What you will need in advance…

In order to apply for ungating, you will need a number of key documents – here’s what Review Sparks recommends:

• Purchase invoice for your products (this will need to be dated within 180 days, feature your name and address and be at least ten units)
• The Amazon Standard Identification Number for the product
• Image of product label or packaging
• Children’s Product Certificate
• Upload FDA Registration
• Good Manufacturing practices certificate
• Certificate of Analysis

The four steps to requesting ungating…

In your Seller Central area, click your inventory link and add a new product

1. Find the item you want to sell
2. Click on the ‘Show Limitations’ button
3. Click the ‘Request Approval’ button to begin the process
4. Just four steps? Sounds easy we hear you say! However, without the right preparation you will likely be finding yourself declined.