What is the Easiest Way To Become Ungated on Amazon?
If you have explored selling products on Amazon before, or have asked around how to get started, you probably are familiar with the concept of gating.
Being gated on the giant eCommerce platform means that you are restricted from selling certain products or listing items under specific categories or subcategories. Although gating is a strategic move by the company, it sometimes becomes a liability for some sellers.
Generally, it is beneficial for customers and sellers altogether. Are you tired of being limited in your ability to sell on Amazon?
Expert teams have extensive experience helping sellers become ungated on Amazon. They understand the ins and outs of the process and know what it takes to be successful.
Since most of the applicants don’t feel particularly thrilled to continue with the steps to becoming ungated, they give up on the way hence minimizing competition.
This means that a few sellers will get unrestricted access to list in some categories and subcategories which translates to even higher returns.
Let’s learn the best way how to become ungated on Amazon popular categories.
Summary On How to Become Ungated on Amazon
You could be asking why certain categories are restricted for sellers to list products until approval.
You could also be asking if it is worth it to go through the hurdles just to get access to gated categories.
Primarily, Amazon gates some categories, subcategories, and brands as a way of regulating the platform and preventing customer exploitation.
Sellers who take a step to unlock such categories or brands can gain numerous benefits, ranging from increased sales, less competition, and higher profit margins.
While each restricted category, brand, or subcategory can have specific ungating requirements, here is a summary of the most popular categories that are restricted in some way:
Ungating Toys And Games
Becoming an ungated seller on Amazon is a crucial step for any business looking to expand its product offerings such as selling in the toys and games category and increasing sales on the platform.
To become an ungated seller, you must satisfy certain requirements set by Amazon as well as provide necessary information to the Amazon review team.
Once you are approved to sell in the toys and games category, you are considered “ungated” and can list and sell products in that category.
It’s worth noting that Amazon can change the requirements for gating or ungating at any time and that it’s not guaranteed that you as the seller will be approved to sell in the toys and games category.
To learn more about ungating Toys and Games on Amazon, please read our guides:
How To Get Ungated in Toys and Games on Amazon
How To Get Approved to Sell Toys on Amazon
Toy Brand Ungating for FBA Sellers
What Does Hasbro Ungating Include?
How To Get Ungated and Sell Lego on Amazon
Learn about Unlocking Funko Pop New
Ungating Groceries
The groceries category consists of food items ingested by people. You’d expect such a sensitive shelf in your local store to observe some standards which would maintain the foodstuffs in pristine condition.
Amazon, as the storefront custodian knows this, that is why if you express interest in listing under this category, you must undergo a process that would lead to your approval.
Ungating groceries on Amazon may take a little while since there are more certificates to review. However, once this is done, nothing is holding you back. You will be able to sell your groceries on the Amazon marketplace without restrictions.
To learn more about ungating Groceries and Gourmet on Amazon, please read our guides:
Grocery Brand Approval
Amazon Grocery Seller Tips to Ungating Process
How To Get Ungated in Grocery on Amazon
Why Must I Get Ungated in Grocery on Amazon?
Ungating Health and Beauty
Health and beauty is another restricted category on the Amazon marketplace. Under this category, sellers can list cosmetics, oral and skin care products, men’s wear, makeup, and many other products.
Amazon has a policy of maintaining the safety of the customer, especially from the risk of consuming products obtained from its marketplace.
This is why on top of you having to undergo a screening exercise to get approved, you will be barred from selling certain items which are considered hazardous, unfit for consumption, or controlled by state and federal laws.
To learn more about ungating and selling Health and Beauty on Amazon, please read here.
Ungating Luxury Beauty
This is the home for manicurists, aestheticians, barbers, and cosmetologists in general. Sellers are expected to list products that you expect to find in spas, salons, and dermatology offices.
Due to the sensitive nature of such products, Amazon keeps this category restricted for third-party sellers and only admits sellers who qualify.
Up until recently, selling under this category was reserved for manufacturers through the “invite only” program. Amazon is now slowly allowing applications for those who want to list under this category.
That means, as expected, the rules and guidelines are different from other categories and could be even more punitive.
To learn more about ungating Luxury Beauty on Amazon, please read here.
Ungating Topicals
Essentially, topicals are any products that during usage come in direct contact with the skin. Amazon categorizes ointments, serums, lotions, creams, gels, and cosmetics as topicals.
Arguably, this is one market with a considerable turnover given the demand. So, it doesn’t hurt to expand your market base by dropping in your application to list under this category on Amazon.
As expected, Amazon has in place some strict regulations for this category based on the sensitivity of products sold under it. This is also in line with the laws of the land regulating the field.
Therefore, to ensure sellers deal in authentic and legal products Amazon restricts the topicals category such that only approved sellers are allowed to sell.
To learn more about ungating Topicals on Amazon, please read our guides:
What Are Topicals on Amazon?
How To Get Approved for Topicals on Amazon
Ungating OTC Medicines
Agreeably, if left unregulated, Over-the-Counter buying of medicine can be chaotic and sometimes result in unmitigated risks.
People are willing to pay any price to get well when they fall sick. However, without a considerable pool of finances, some don’t go to hospitals.
Instead, they buy medicines over the counter from pharmaceutical stores, and others order online.
Due to the far-reaching effects drugs can have on people, especially when self-prescribed and obtain from resellers without prior medical training, Amazon sought to restrict this sub-category.
For you to sign up to sell medicine on Amazon, you are expected to provide a range of documentation as proof of legitimacy and quality. This is a safety measure for buyers who are ready to go to any lengths to obtain drugs on Amazon.
To learn more about ungating Over-the-Counter Medications on Amazon, please read here.
Ungating Supplements
Dietary supplements are listed under the health and personal care subcategory. Typically, these are mineral additives or macros used by diet followers and those who undertake heavy exercises. This market is huge.
Signing up to become an Amazon seller will earn your business considerable profits if you achieve a breakthrough. Amazon restricts this subcategory to maintain high standards and encourage good practices on the platform.
Don’t be left behind. Get ahead of other sellers by ungating and offering supplements.
To learn more about ungating and selling Supplements on Amazon, please read here.
Ungating Pet Care and Pet Food
The pet industry has in the recent past boomed considerably. It is projected that this industry will be worth a whopping $269 billion in 2025.
This is why many people are looking to venture into this lucrative market. It is estimated that the pet supply on Amazon is a massive $27.2 billion.
Who doesn’t want a piece of all this? The pet care and pet food category is also gated, requiring you to fill up some documentation and provide some information to the Amazon review team to be approved.
To learn more about ungating Pet Food and Pet Supplies on Amazon, please read our guides:
How To Get Approval to Sell Pet Supplies on Amazon
Are Pet Supplies A Gated Category on Amazon?
Why is Amazon so Strict with Selling Pet Supplies?
Ungating Baby and Toddler Supplies
Unlike your skin, a baby’s skin is super tender and sensitive, requiring parents to be extra careful with the baby products they use.
This class of products on Amazon is restricted to only approved sellers. Given that most people go out of their way to purchase baby and toddler supplies, this should be incentive enough to want to sell under this category on Amazon.
In addition to state and federal laws on the sale of baby and toddler products, Amazon has some strict guidelines on this subject.
For instance, Amazon spells out clear guidelines on the packaging, age restrictions, and sale-by-dates, among others. Once you adhere to these, you have nothing to worry about being axed out from the platform.
To learn more about ungating Baby and Toddler Supplies and Equipment on Amazon, please read our guides:
How To Sell Baby Products on Amazon
Why is Amazon so Strict with Selling Baby Supplies and Equipment?
Ungating Automotive
The automotive category is quite broad considering that here’s where you list resells, spare parts, new vehicles, etc. Automotive and Powersports can be lucrative ventures on Amazon regardless of the field you choose to deal with. Restrictions on this category are not that far-reaching. You could specialize in specific spares, for instance, tires.
To learn more about ungating and selling Automotive Parts and Supplies on Amazon, please read here.
Ungating DVDs
The CD and DVD industry has been here with us for time immemorial. Amazon restricts this category because of piracy and copyright infringement concerns. You will have an easy time listing your items if you observe the set rules and regulations.
To learn more about ungating and selling DVDs on Amazon, please read here.
What You Should Know about Amazon Music Ungating
Ungating Aromatherapy
Are you looking to sell aromatherapy on Amazon but don’t know how to start?
Foremost, you need to update yourself with some prerequisite information to help you navigate the vast Amazon marketplace for aromatherapy.
Essentially, aromatherapy is the usage of plant oils and other extracts for beauty, mental well-being, and other essential uses.
Since these products come in contact with the skin, Amazon considers these as dangerous products, thus the restrictions. According to Amazon, dangerous goods are those that pose danger in storage, transportation, or handling because they contain pressurized, corrosive, or flammable chemicals.
Based on this classification, you will have to go through various hurdles to be allowed to list aromatherapy either in the food and beverages category or the beauty and personal care category.
To learn more about ungating and selling Aromatherapy on Amazon, please read here.
Ungating Antiques
Antiques are items that have been around for at least a century or a considerable amount of time.
Otherwise, they are just considered used. Collectors from past years have an impeccable eye for quality, personality, and originality and would not mind paying a top price for an antique item.
Antiques can range from cameras, picture frames, books, cards, sportswear, etc. If you have any item that has been around for a couple of centuries, you can put a price on it and interested candidates will rush to collect.
Amazon has to maintain a reputation on its end and protect collectors. This is why selling these items is restricted pending your approval.
To learn more about ungating and selling Antiques on Amazon, please read here.
Ungating Jewelry
Jewelry is categorized either as fashion pieces or fine genuine items. Fashion jewelry is made without base metals while fine jewelry is made from metals. The jewelry industry is generally heavily regulated with federal and state laws coming forming the bigger chunk of the regulations.
In addition, Amazon also has a set of guidelines meant to make engaging in this business a hard affair. Apart from getting FTC approval, you will go through various processes to get approval to sell jewelry on Amazon.
To learn more about ungating and selling Jewelry on Amazon, please read here.
How To Know When A Category Becomes Ungated on Amazon
If you have completed all the requirements, and are waiting for approval in a category or sub-category, your account will show if and when you have been approved. At that point, you will be able to list your items.
You should also understand about Amazon restricted brands and how the system works.
Final Thought on How To Become Ungated On Amazon Categories
Going through all these categories and subcategories will show you that there is no standard procedure for getting ungated that works on all of them. Of course, you might come across some common steps in multiple categories.
However, a majority of these have unique requirements and procedures for application. For instance, while some categories can only require you to have a running site and enough inventory, others such as Toys and Games will ask for Child Product Certificate before you get ungated.
You will also note that none of these steps or procedures guarantee that you will be ungated once you meet every one of them.
Finally, this article is a summary of categories and sub-categories when referring to how to become ungated on Amazon. You may find that when you try to list items in another category, that for various reasons, you may not be automatically permitted to do so.
But with the ungating process, it moves you closer to your journey toward becoming a new Amazon seller in the category or subcategory of your choosing.