Top tips for getting ungated on Amazon FBA in 2023

In many cases, this can be as easy as sourcing an item, opening an Amazon seller account and making sales. Unfortunately it’s not always as simple as that, especially if the product you want to sell is in a gated category.

Amazon gated (also known as restricted) categories are something that new sellers tend to shy away from. However, tapping into these categories offers a fantastic opportunity to expand your product range and start increasing the profits of your online arbitrage business.

Luckily, at SourceMogul we have a team of experts that know a thing or two about selling on Amazon, so we’ve put together this handy guide, which tells you everything you need to know about Amazon gated categories, what they are, how you can access them and the best way to use them to your advantage.

Why do gated categories exist?

Amazon wants to ensure that certain types of products being sold on their platform are of good quality and are being sold by reliable sellers that are going to offer great customer service, therefore helping to give users confidence in Amazon and its brand. Because of this they place restrictions on certain types of products and prevent them from being sold unless until the seller meets a certain criteria.

On top of this there are also certain ‘brand’ categories which are restricted, such as Adidas, Beats by Dr Dre, and Levi’s. These brand categories are restricted because Amazon wants to ensure that the reputation of these brands is upheld and prevent counterfeit goods from being sold on their platform.

Which categories are gated on Amazon?

As of July 2023, the list of Amazon gated categories are as follows:

• Automotive & Powersports
• Collectible Coins
• Entertainment collectibles
• Fine art
• Grocery and gourmet foods
• Jewelry
• Music and DVD
• Personal safety and household products
• Services
• Sports collectibles
• Streaming media players
• Toys and games
• Video, DVD and Blu-ray
• Watches

These categories are not exhaustive and there are some subcategories of non-gated categories which may also be gated for one reason or another, so it’s important to know whether you can actually sell a product before you go and buy stock. After all, you don’t want to be left with a pile of inventory that you can’t get rid of!

As you can tell from this list, there’s several high value and specialist categories listed here, which can be very profitable if you pick the right product with enough margin. This is why it’s usually worth your while trying to get access to these gated categories, and this is something we show you how to do later in the article.

How can you tell if a product is gated?

Telling whether a product is restricted or not is fairly straightforward.

• Open your Amazon seller central account.
• Click on “Inventory”
• Select the option to “Add product”
• Find the product that you want to sell
• If your product is restricted you will see a message saying “Listing Limitations Apply”

If the product you want to sell is restricted, in some cases you can get approval immediately by clicking on the ‘Request approval’ button next to the product.

If you aren’t approved immediately, your request will be sent for manual approval. You should prepare for this before you apply just in case it happens. This may seem daunting, but we’ll show you exactly how to prepare and get approved to sell gated products.

How to get approval to sell gated products on Amazon

For every gated category, Amazon has different criteria that needs to be met before they give you permission to sell. These criteria will change depending on the category, and no two categories are exactly the same, so it’s important that you understand the requirements of your chosen category before you buy inventory.

Having said that, there are some simple things that you can do that will improve your chances of getting accepted to sell products from gated categories.

Get a Professional Sellers’ Account

In most cases you’re not going to get access to sell gated categories unless you have a professional sellers account. This proves to Amazon that you’re a serious business, and not just some fly-by-night operation. An Amazon Professional Sellers’ Account costs $39.99 per month, but it does come with a range of benefits, including access to Prime, more promotional offers and the option to choose your own shipping costs.

Build up a sales history

For some gated categories you’re required to have a sales history of at least three months before you’re allowed to sell in them. This shows Amazon that you’re a responsible, legitimate seller who ships out items on time and has good customer feedback.

Improve your seller rating

One very important thing to consider when trying to access gated categories is your seller rating. Remember – Amazon relies on good sellers to build their own brand, if you’re a bad seller it reflects poorly on them. Because of this Amazon will only let you sell gated categories if it knows you’ll sell them responsibly.

Get customer reviews

When assessing your seller rating, Amazon will look to see what your customers are saying about you and the service you’ve provided. Customer feedback is crucial, so ask your customers for reviews by using the “Request a Review” on every order in Amazon Seller Central. This will send an email to the buyer, asking them to leave a product review or seller feedback.

Get a supplier

For some gated categories, you will be required to prove that you have a legitimate supplier of the type of goods you’re reselling. Unfortunately a retail store receipt won’t cut it, and Amazon is likely to reject you if you provide them with something that isn’t a trade receipt from a legitimate supplier.

You may be asked to provide an invoice which shows that you’ve purchased at least 10 units of that product. If possible, you should try and submit this invoice in an uneditable format such as a PDF. Your details on this invoice should match the ones held on your Amazon seller account – otherwise it will be rejected.

Stay on top of your orders

For many gated categories you will have to have a good fullfillment history, by proving a low rate of defaulted or cancelled orders and a low late shipment rate. Remember, Amazon wants to build trust in its customers, so you need to prove to them that you can be a reliable and trustworthy seller.

For example, to sell in the Video category you must be able to prove the following:

• An order defect rate of less than 1%
• A late shipment rate of less than 4%
• An order cancellation rate of less than 2.5%

If you can demonstrate all of the above, you’re more than likely to be able to sell in the gated categories on Amazon. However, you won’t be able to get approved for them all – some categories have significant restrictions, such as Fine Art, where you need at least 3 years’ history and have a website. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to meet this criteria if you’re doing online arbitrage – but if you can, there’s money to be made.

How long does it take to get ungated?

It depends. For some categories you may get a response immediately, especially if you’re a reliable seller with a good seller rating.  For other categories it might take longer, particularly if you’re trying to sell within a competitive category such as toys and games, where Amazon agents will be reviewing hundreds of requests every day, or a branded products, as in this case you’ll have to provide additional documentation with your request that will need to be reviewed by an agent.

In some cases this approval process may take several weeks, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’ve got everything you need before you submit your request and reach out to Amazon if you’ve not received a decision within 24 hours.

If your request is declined, you can still reapply, but it’s important to understand the reason your application was rejected in the first place, and try to fix that issue before you reapply. For example if you were rejected because of poor fullfillment rates, you should work on addressing these as quickly as possible before reapplying.

Here’s some of our top tips about how to speed up your approval:

Use known wholesalers

If you have to demonstrate that you’re sourcing products from a wholesaler, it’s easier if you do this from one who is well established in that particular category. A quick Google search can help you identify reputable wholesalers for your chosen product. SourceMogul’s online arbitrage software can also help you quickly and easily find reputable wholesalers making it much simpler for you to get ungated.

Apply during US business hours

Most Amazon agents are US based, so will only review applications during that time. If you apply outside of business hours, you could find that your application gets lost or pushed to the back of a list by other current applications.

Use recent invoices

Sending an invoice over 3 months old doesn’t show you have a current relationship with a supplier, which can slow down the application process.

Keep on top of your seller stats

As we mentioned above you really need to make sure you keep your seller rating high – a significant number of late shipments or order defects is likely to cause you issues when getting approved for gated categories.

Message Amazon directly

When you make your application, it’s a good idea to message Amazon support directly and tell them that you’re waiting for approval. This might help you get bumped up the line.

What categories aren’t gated on Amazon?

If you’re just starting your Amazon arbitrage business, it’s a good idea to start building up some sales history. The perfect way to do this is by selling in some of the ungated categories. You can start selling these straight away – Amazon doesn’t require you to apply.

Although these categories are ungated, you may find certain individual products within these categories are restricted, so it’s important to check the status of each product before you buy stock.

The current list of ungated categories is as follows:

• Amazon Device Accessories
• Automotive & Powersports
• Beauty
• Books (Non-Collectibles)
• Camera & Photo
• Cell Phones & Accessories
• Home & Garden
• Industrial & Scientific
• Major Appliances
• Musical Instruments
• Sports
• Tools & Home Improvement

There’s several very profitable categories to choose from here, but it’s important to remember that because they’re ungated there’s more competition. You might find it harder to win the buy box and sell your products, because lots of other people are trying to sell the same products too.

How can SourceMogul help you get ungated on Amazon?

SourceMogul is an online arbitrage platform that can help you quickly and efficiently find profitable products that you can then resell on Amazon. But how does this help you get ungated?

As we mentioned before, to sell some categories of products, you may need to engage a reliable wholesaler supplier so you can purchase a set amount of stock to prove to Amazon that you’re not dropshipping products.

SourceMogul has a handy Wholesale search functionality which allows you to find the most profitable products across a range of well-established wholesalers and compare prices immediately, meaning you don’t need to waste time searching for a suitable wholesaler and can instead focus on selling products and growing your business.

SourceMogul can also help you grow your online arbitrage business in other non-gated categories as well. It can search the inventories of hundreds of US retailers across and find the best prices for products that you can sell immediately in the ungated categories.

You can start a free 7-day trial by clicking on the button below.

Summing up

Despite there being some extra steps to go through before you can get access to Amazon gated categories, this can be a profitable way to grow your arbitrage business by giving you access to a wider range of products to sell.

Providing you have a good seller reputation and find the right type of product, Amazon gated categories could give you the advantage you need to succeed at retail arbitrage.

FAQ’s about Amazon gated categories

Does it cost any money to get ungated on Amazon?

Not exactly. Although there isn’t a specific fee to access individual gated categories on Amazon, you do need to have a Professional Sellers’ Account which costs $39.99 per month.

Do I have to sell gated categories?

No, you don’t need to sell gated categories on Amazon. However, you may find that competition to sell ungated categories is considerably higher, which might mean that growing your business takes a little longer. You also get a greater product selection to choose from if you sell within the gated categories, so it can be worth it in the long run.

Is selling Amazon gated categories worth it?

Yes, selling Amazon gated categories is a great way to tap into a wider range of products. Because of this, there is less competition, meaning you have more control over the prices you can set for your products, which in turn can help increase your overall profit.