A Seller’s Guide To Ungating Health And Beauty Amazon
The Amazon marketplace provides an excellent opportunity for people to make money selling items on the platform.
For many, it can be a lucrative side job to earn an extra income. For others, this could be a great way to start and operate a successful business online.
Signing up as a seller means you accept the rules and regulations of the platform. As part of practice, Amazon restricts some products from being sold freely on the site until the seller proves they satisfy all the Amazon beauty ungating requirements.
Restricted products, brands, sub-categories, or categories are said to be gated.
To be allowed to trade in these items you must apply for ungating.
Usually, the process is item, brand, or category-specific based on the different guidelines and requirements.
However, there is a basic framework that you are likely to find common among these different levels of approval. We’ll talk about how to get ungated in beauty on Amazon.
Ultimately, restrictions on Amazon are beneficial to both customers and sellers. To you the seller, you are likely to make more money with decreased competition and higher credibility among other notable benefits. On the other hand, buyers are protected from having to buy counterfeited, poisoned, faulty, or substandard items online.
This has reduced Amazon scamming considerably over the years.
Let’s discuss how you can go about ungating the beauty and health category on Amazon to start selling these products on amazon.
How To Get Ungated for Beauty and Health Products on Amazon
You can sell a wide range of items on Amazon, especially if you are a new seller. Unfortunately, some of the items you may want to trade are restricted.
As mentioned above, this move is aimed at protecting the parties involved.
Among these products you are not allowed to sell until you are approved include those listed under the beauty and personal care category. Most of these products are used by applying, spraying, or wearing on the human body.
This means that when used, they come in contact with human skin. Some of the products listed under this category include:
Skin Care ~ Cosmetics ~ Makeup ~ Hair Care ~ Oral Care ~ Fragrance ~ Tools & Brushes ~ Men’s Grooming ~ Luxury Beauty ~ Salon & Spa, ~ Professional Skin Care products
Any product used to alter one’s appearance is said to be cosmetic. Among other products, Amazon is particularly strict with such items to a point that you will need to provide evidence of authenticity to sell some of them on the platform. The journey towards getting ungated can be straightforward for seasoned sellers who may at times require little documentation to get ungated. To newbies, it may seem hectic and complicated, and most of all, it is not guaranteed that you will get ungated beauty and health products on amazon.
Steps to Ungating Beauty on Amazon
Basically, here’s what you need to do:
- Open your Amazon Seller Central account.
- Choose Inventory from the menu then click on Add a Product.
- Search for a product you want to sell from the search bar by typing the name, UPC or ASIN.
- The product appears tagged as Requires Approval.
- Click on Apply Listing Limitation, then Request Approval.
This is the point your journey starts toward you getting approved to sell under this category starts. You will be required to provide some documents (which may not be so easy to obtain) to help in the approval process. Some of the vital documents you need include:
- A certificate for Good Manufacturing Practices
- A distributor’s/Wholesaler’s invoice for at most 180 days old
- Certificate of Analysis
- FDA licenses
- Other special legal documentation
The application itself is not as tedious as trying to obtain these documents. This is why most people prefer third-party professional health and beauty ungating services. However, if you succeed in getting the necessary documentation for the application, proceed to submit your application for approval. The exact approval process varies from one brand to another, one seller to another, and category to another, or a product to another.
Examples of Beauty Brand Names
Estee Lauder | Neutrogena | Clinique | Turbie Twist | Olay
Why Amazon Restricts Some Products In Beauty And Health Category
We hinted earlier that Amazon’s policy to restrict some products for sale aims at protecting both the customers and sellers. Let’s explore other reasons why; Amazon needs to regulate this category more because most of the products sold usually come in contact with human skin. Without regulations, some products which could be harmful may find their way to the customers. This may be damaging to the company both financially and in reputation. Moreover, Amazon needs to enforce these rules if it wants sellers to adhere to high standards and safety policies. This is one way to reduce lawsuits. Also, regulations ensure that products sold on the site are approved by FDA and are produced by an accredited manufacturer.
What Are Amazon Restricted Or Gated Categories
Amazon gated or restricted categories are those with strict selling rules that no seller is allowed to sell freely. These categories, brands, and ASINs have specific approval guidelines, and any seller who meets the standards can enjoy a vast market with less competition. That means Amazon only has the power to draw the rules, such as Amazon beauty ungating requirements and opening gates for more sellers to access the categories. The good news, however, is that Amazon does not always restrict the entire category, like in the previous gating practices. Instead, it gates subcategories, leaving some products open, even though they might be under gated categories. This explains why there is a short list of gated categories and a long list of restricted products or subcategories. Generally, any seller who wants to sell within the beauty category Amazon must apply for beauty ungating to be let in.
Why Does Amazon Gate Its Beauty and Health Categories?
Most multi-million investments are built on trust, customer satisfaction, and a healthy working environment, and Amazon is no exception. Being a huge marketplace with millions of users globally, Amazon strives to maintain a good relationship with both buyers and sellers by ensuring only high-quality products are in circulation. It achieves this by gating some categories, brands, and ASINs. Therefore, among others, here are the main reasons why Amazon gates its health and beauty categories:
1. To Monitor Product Standards
One of the first missions of the company is to ensure buyers are offered both high-quality and safe products. It does this by allowing only sellers whose products have undergone stringent quality assessment steps to access highly-demanded categories.
Since the platform is home to millions of brands and buyers, there are high chances of buyers getting counterfeit products.
Hence, it is Amazon’s responsibility to block such products by setting up strict selling rules and allowing only those who submit their beauty or health-related brand ungating requests.
2. To Protect A Brand’s Reputation
Amazon also works jointly with big cosmetic brands to ensure only authorized resellers can list products. Therefore, to protect the brand’s reputation, Amazon asks sellers to provide legit documentation from these brands to show they are allowed to list their products. Resellers who do not provide proof of authorization are locked out of certain categories. In fact, many large and well-known brands require pre-approval with them directly, before even applying to Amazon. This is true for both seasoned sellers, and individuals new to the platform.
3. To Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Besides ensuring buyers can get high-quality products, Amazon also restricts some categories to prevent sellers from exploiting buyers. That means only sellers with a positive track record can access the categories and reach buyers. This enhances customer satisfaction and a positive rating. The company may also limit or dictate maximum pricing to ensure buyers are not being fleeced.
4. Adherence to FDA Regulations
Many items require the approval of the Food and Drug Administration to sell in the US marketplace. No retail platform, website, or other selling venue is permitted to offer any product that is not previously rubber-stamped by the FDA. The obvious reason for this is safety because specific laws exist to ensure that end users are not harmed. Further, items from foreign countries may not be permitted, as they do not meet standard codes from other regulatory bodies. This is especially important for products that are applied to the skin or eaten.
Categories And Products That Require Amazon Approval
As stated earlier, Amazon has a long list of gated products and a short list of restricted categories. That is because one category can have more subcategories, which can add up to tens of products. Therefore, on Amazon applying for beauty ungating approval, sellers need to consider three ungating levels; category, brand, and product ungating. They should also differentiate between category and product unlocking. In this instance, the health and beauty ungating Amazon services.
General Guidelines to Get Ungated on Amazon in Beauty and Health
Whether you are a new reseller or an established FBA seller, utilizing the vast market space offered by Amazon should never be a challenge again. Amazon’s mission is to see its users grow, and thus, increase sales and profitability. And this does not matter if you are listing your products in a locked or unrestricted category. As a result, if you want to expand your selling portfolio by accessing restricted categories, here are the general guidelines to get your ungating beauty Amazon journey going:
Sign Up for A Professional Amazon Seller Account
Professional Amazon Seller Account is the backbone of any seller as it records all the activities conducted by the seller on the platform. It is through this account that Amazon can tell your business position and determine whether you meet all the quality standards or not.
Analyze And Verify Your Account Health
Creating a professional Seller Account is not enough to succeed in beauty or health brand ungating.
You still need to maintain its health to maximize your chances of getting approved. Maintaining a healthy account includes meeting your customers’ expectations and adhering to Amazon’s business code.
That means you should have a timely shipping record, good customer relations, competitive pricing, and avoid violating Amazon’s policies.
To check your account health, go to the Account Health section on the Seller Central Account and click on the Performance menu.
Check Specific Beauty Brand Ungating Guidelines
Each category has specific ungating instructions, and you need to check them before requesting approval. Some categories are complicated, while others have simple instructions that even new sellers can unlock easily. For example, some categories require sellers to have at least three years of selling experience and running websites. Check the health and beauty ungating Amazon requirements.
Choose A Reputable Supplier
Getting a reliable supplier is also a vital step, especially as your demand curve grows. Amazon will also ask you to provide legitimate invoices from trusted suppliers whose products fall under gated categories.
Retailers are not considered suppliers. You cannot go down to your local store when you see a sale, and purchase a bunch of cosmetics and creams for resale. The products need to come from verified wholesalers and distributors, not discount chains.
Be sure to do your research before sourcing and paying for any potential products for selling online.
Prepare Your Documents
Before submitting your Amazon ungating request for beauty and health products, you need to prepare your documents, which include recent purchase invoices from reputable wholesalers. These scanned copies of individual invoices should have all the ASINs written next to the product name. Price and other confidential information should be locked for wholesaler privacy.
Request Approval
With all the documents and other requirements ready, you can proceed to submit your Amazon ungating request for beauty products using the following steps:
- Getting a Pro-Merchant Status. It is often easier if you already have a Professional Seller Account.
- Search for the item you want to list
- Go to the Listing Limitations Apply
- From the new menu, click on the Apply to Sale button
- Lastly, click on the Request Approval button
Guidelines To Ungate Specific Categories on Amazon
Succeeding in Amazon’s ungating beauty hustle goes a long way toward understanding what the category entails and how to ungate it on Amazon. For instance, the Grocery and Gourmet Food category requires sellers to have authorization from regulatory bodies like Food and Drug Administration. This is similar to ungating health and beauty Amazon. On the other hand, some categories require sellers to have more years of selling experience and a good online presence. Therefore, if you intend to sell in the cosmetic niche, you need to consider the following best tips to maximize your chances of ungating the beauty category Amazon:
- Open a Pro-Merchant Status.
- Maintaining your order defect rate below 1%. Since your items will have expiry dates, it is crucial to ensure your orders move as fast as possible to minimize cases of selling defective products. Plus, consumers don’t want to receive items that are close to the expiry date.
- Maintaining your pre-fulfillment cancel rate below 2.5%. A higher pre-fulfillment cancel rate can impact your account health negatively. Thus, you need to lower your order cancelation to maximize your health brand ungating approval chances.
- Lowering your late shipment rate to below 4%. Timely delivery is one way to get customer trust; hence, you should try as much as possible to avoid late shipment.
- Acquiring child product certificate. A Child Product Certificate is a must-have requirement if you want to sell in children’s categories such as Toys and Games. It also proves that you adhere to both local and federal product safety laws. This certificate may be required if you sell lip gloss, shampoos, lotions, and other cosmetically-related items geared toward children.
Final Note on How To Get Ungated in Beauty on Amazon
Cosmetics and other beauty products usually attract a wide range of restrictions for safety concerns.
Once you have proved that you deal in products that are of high quality and authentic, then Amazon may let you list your items under this category.
It is important to do lots of research first, and understand how to get ungated in beauty on Amazon.
If ungating from beauty and health products proves difficult, you can hire a professional ungating beauty Amazon service to help with the process. Click the orange button below to chat with us.
