Whether you are a new seller or a well-seasoned one, there is no denying that the brand gating Amazon regulations have been really tight for the last several years.
Overall, this makes it quite hard for third party sellers to branch into new brand selling territory, but it was established for good reasons.
In summary, brand gating on Amazon was the solution to fix the issue of counterfeit items and off label selling of brands on the platform.
And though this was a common issue going on for quite some time, the strive to remediate truly surfaced back in 2016 when Amazon lost Birkenstock due to so many counterfeit versions of their brand of shoes being sold on the online platform.
Now, as great as brand gating Amazon protocols are to protect both sellers and buyers and influence the authenticity of sales, it also means gaining Amazon brand gating access can be quite challenging to earn.
The vetting, screening, and verifying processes conducted to prove you are a legit seller with an authorized manufacture is rigorous and strict.
But the thing to remember here is that (brand registry) rigorous and strict does not equate to impossible.
As long as you are a genuine seller, you will be able to get there eventually, regardless if you choose the easy way to get gated brand approval or the hard way.
Amazon Gated Brands List
Before jumping into cracking the brand gating Amazon code so you can finally obtain the advanced engagement, exposure, and monetized benefits from it, let’s take a look at what the actual Amazon brand gating categories are.
Overall, Amazon has gated a variety of different brands, categories, and there are even some subcategories that are restricted until you can prove you have brand permission to sell on Amazon in the first place.
Because this can turn into an intertwining web rather quickly, below is an easily referenced list of the Amazon gated brands that require approval to begin offering as third party sellers.
(Click here if you want to find out what categories are ungated on amazon).
- Nike
- Original Adidas
- Adidas
- Under Armour
- Lego
- Samsung
- Microsoft
- Canon Sony
- Yeti
- Nintendo
- Disney
- Logitech
- Otterbox
- Bose
- Marvel
- Speck
- Michael Kors
- Lots more (contact us here or using the chat box at the bottom of this page for more information).
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How to Get Amazon Brand Approval the EASY Way
The EASY way to get ungated on restricted categories and brands is to use our service.
We can remove gating on any brand or niche that you need, all you need to do is (it only costs $1 to get things moving).
How to Get Amazon Brand Approval the HARD Way
Though the easy way mentioned above coincides with the “work smarter, not harder” mentality, it is not the only way to get Amazon brand approval.
Though this traditional step by step is considered the more challenging path, it is essential you know what it entails, even if you do opt for the ideal resource above.
Step 1: Ensure You Have the Right Prerequisites for the Brand
Before starting to solve brand gating, you will want to have all your documentation and prerequisite steps completed before applying for Amazon brand approval.
The key things to nail down here is to make sure that the brand you are trying to resell is brand registered, registered under BR 2.0, and trademarked under USPTO. You can do that by clicking here.
Understand that without owning a trademark, having contracted paperwork for reselling, or being a brand registered seller, you will be denied instantly for Amazon gated approval.
Fun Fact: Having a registered brand also gives you the ability to join Amazon Project Zero, which is an anti-counterfeiting program.
Step 2: Finding Out If Your Amazon ASINS Brand Is Gated
For starters, you will want to know for sure if you need to get brand gated approval or not.
After all, not every category or brand must be gated for selling. So, before you go through the steps, make sure you need to actually proceed with it.
Regardless, don’t worry too much about missing the red flags; Amazon makes it very apparent and clear when a brand is not approved. With that being said, to find out, click on the “Sell on Amazon” button to add your product.
If you see a warning, it means you need to get approval to list the brand. This is also where you will notice a “Request Approval” button to begin the process.
Step 3: Enroll In the Amazon Brand Registry
Next, you will need to enroll in the Amazon brand registry.
Here you will provide Amazon with brand owner information that supports them in taking the proper steps to identify any potential infringements.
It can also be used as a tool for you as the reseller as well because you can use image search technology to surface product listings that you did not authorize.
Step 4: Contact Amazon and Give Them A List of ASINs You Want Gated
Unfortunately, simply joining the brand registry program is not enough to get your particular brand gated.
What you need to do for this next step is begin the Amazon brand gating process itself by contacting seller support and sending them all the required information regarding your brand.
If you chose to go with an IP lawyer during this journey, let them handle this part instead because it shows Amazon that you are serious and not taking the brand protection steps lightly.
Keep in mind that step 4 can take up to 5 weeks to finalize from start to finish.
Want to Get Unrestricted on Brands Gated on Amazon? Our Team Can Help...
Step 5: Provide Amazon with A List of Your Brands and Authorized Third Parties
If you are a sole seller, then you can skip this one. But if you are not the only seller of your branded products, you will need to give Amazon a list of those other third parties.
This gives Amazon the green light to permit those parties to sell.
Generally, Amazon asks for third-party sellers to supply them with written invoices or permission, proving their collaboration with you to sell a branded product.
Again, not mandatory, but a good practice to prevent any future conflicts that could arise after your brand becomes gated.
Step 6: The Verdict
If you get approved, then congratulations! If not, then know that it is not the “end of the road.” There is a lot that Amazon takes into consideration when approving resellers, and sometimes it might not be up to their standards, like seller rating, for example.
Regardless, you have the option to reapply every few months for brand gated Amazon approval and work on the areas that they listed that resulted in your denial. It might feel frustrating, but whatever you do, never sell a gated brand item without actually being approved yet.
This can result in suspicion that you are selling counterfeit products, account suspension and potentially full-on legal investigative action taken against you.
Conclusion – Getting Amazon Brand Approval Is Worth It
After reading through the concept and processes that go into brand gating Amazon approval, it might feel like a reselling effort that is more trouble than it’s worth.
And if you choose to go the hard way instead of the easy one, that very well could be true to a degree.
However, though the path might be a challenging one that can take up to 5 weeks for Amazon to grant access, the benefits you can gain from getting brand approval are substantial.
Entering into the Amazon brand gating community opens the doors to reach more people on a global scale, increase your profits, protects your brand, and can grow your online business much faster than if you remained ungated.
So, if you are an authentic reseller looking to sell a branded product and achieve maximum returns, go ahead and begin the process of approval today.
Follow through the step by step above if you wish or take advantage of knowing that there is certainly an easier way to accomplish this objective.
Regardless of how you get there, once you become approved with a brand owner on this retail giant.
You are setting yourself up for optimal validation, bottom-line growth, and overall Amazon selling success.
