Wondering “What Can I Sell On Amazon Without Approval”? This guide on “What Can I Sell on Amazon Without Approval” will clear all the doubts, so keep on reading.
Amazon, the biggest online marketplace in the world, has been one of the most trusted brands among buyers. The reason is simple – The wide range of products and the quality of products and services. No wonder the website registers millions of new users every month.
But to maintain the quality of products, Amazon has implemented several restrictions for the sellers that include Gated and Ungated product categories. While gated products require approval from Amazon and go through certain checks, products from the ungated category are relatively easier to sell.
In this article, I am going to talk about the products that you can sell without approval. We will also discuss the gated category and why Amazon wants you to take permission to sell certain products.
Let’s start with What Can I Sell On Amazon Without Approval Guide.
What Is Amazon Gated Product? & Amazon Gated Product Category
The gated category on Amazon includes the products that you can’t sell without Amazon’s approval. But why does Amazon have such a mechanism? Let’s try to understand that first.
Over the years, Amazon had very lenient policies as far as selling is concerned. Basically, anyone could sell anything without any period checks. As a result, many sellers tried to take advantage and started selling cheap goods under brand names. Amazon, known for its quality products, devices to implement some restrictions to avoid the situation.
In 2016, Amazon introduced the gated product category. When sellers require to take permission to sell the items, this permission includes quality/performance checks, additional costs, and a bunch of other requirements to fulfill.
Every year, Amazon keeps adding more and more products to the gated category, simply to ensure that the customers only receive the highest quality products.
Under this category, there are restricted brand names that you can sell that can’t be sold without permission as well. These are referred to as Brand gated. Usually. It’s very tricky to get approval to sell those products.
According to 2023 Amazon guidelines, here are the gated product categories:
- Entertainment Collectibles, Sports Collectibles, and Collectible coins
- Fine Art Products
- Music & DVDs, Videos, Blu-Ray
- Jewellery
- Wrist Watches
- Streaming Media Players
- Major Appliances
- Gift Cards
- Postage Stamps
Products You Can Sell Without Approval: Items That Don’t Require Approval On Amazon
Although the gated product category on Amazon keeps getting bigger every year, there are still a handful of products you can sell without any kind of approval. These are the products from the ungated category.
Basically, the products that have less chance of being forged, such as smartphones, Amazon accessories, home appliances, etc, have been included in the ungated category.
Mentioned below are the items from the ungated category that don’t require any permission to sell. But remember, not every item will be profitable, particularly in the beginning.
- Automotive & Powersports
- Beauty Products
- Mobile Phones and Accessories
- Home Appliances
- Home Tools
- Non-Collectable Books
- Amazon Device Accessories
- Music Instruments
- Sports Items
- Camera and Photos
- Home and Garden Supply
- Pet Supplies
- Stationery Items
When you choose the ungated products to start your business on Amazon, it gives you 2 benefits. One is that you can start selling right away without paying additional selling costs.
The second one is that your performance as an ungated seller may help you get permission for the gated products quicker. That’s why It’s clever to start with the ungated products while keeping an eye on the gated category and when the time feels right, simply apply for approval for a product you want to sell.
Ungated Product Categories: What Can I Sell On Amazon Without Approval
As a beginner, you may want to look for products from the ungated category that you can start selling right away. Once you register yourself as an Amazon seller, your first goal is to find profitable products to sell so you can survive the initial competitive phase on the Amazon marketplace. You simply can’t afford to wait for the approval for the gated products.
Currently, Amazon has nearly 33 product categories, out of which 13 are totally ungated. Also, there are 10 gated categories but their sub-category items may or may not require approval to sell.
The Best Ungated Amazon Category: Items That Don’t Require Approval On Amazon
| Sr. No. | Amazon Categories |
| 1. | Amazon Kindle |
| 2. | Baby Products (Excluding Apparel) |
| 3. | Beauty |
| 4. | Books |
| 5. | Cell Phones & Accessories |
| 6. | Consumer Electronics |
| 7. | Grocery & Gourmet Foods |
| 8. | Home & Garden |
| 9. | Industrial & Scientific |
| 10. | Pet Supplies |
Why Is There A Restriction on Some Products?: What Can I Sell On Amazon Without Approval
The main reason behind these restrictions is to prevent the selling of fake products or the use of unlawful ways to sell. As you can clearly see in the gates category, those items can be easily forged and sold as genuine ones.
Collectable items such as coins can be faked easily and 99% of the common people can’t tell the difference. The same goes with Music DVDs, and videos that can be copied and sold easily, violating the copyright rules of the original creator.
These categories not only help buyers to get the original and genuine items but also protect the genuine sellers from being duplicated.
That’s why, for the gated categories, you need to apply for approval and your items will go under quality and performance checks. You may also be asked to provide certain documents for proof of originality.
How to Apply for the Approval: What Can I Sell On Amazon Without Approval
The longer you are selling, the higher chances you have to get the approval to sell a product from the gated category. It’s straightforward to apply for approval but the result might take a while. Let’s check out how to apply for approval:
- Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account.
- Click on the Request Approval.
- Go to Inventory and click on Add a Product.
- Browse for the product you are willing to sell and check whether there is a restriction on it or not.
- If yes, click on Listing Limitation Apply.
- Click on the Request Approval.
Once your request is approved, you will get notified. It may happen immediately or after a few days depending on the category. Amazon may also ask you to provide more information regarding the product such as the invoices from the supplier, existing products you are selling, etc. After assessing the entire information, Amazon may or may not grant you permission to sell the item.
Be very careful while submitting the details. One little mistake may cost you dearly and you may lose the chance to sell the product entirely. Yes, you can apply for approval again, but it will only get tougher.
What are the Most Profitable Ungated Product Categories?: What Can I Sell On Amazon Without Approval
Even in the ungated category, it’s tricky to find profitable products to sell in the beginning. The obvious choice is to go for trending products, but. the product in demand will always have higher competition. For example, books, smartphones, and appliances are tricker to sell in the beginning and you simply can’t compete with the big brands.
You can use a product research tool to find out more about the product categories and the most profitable items in them. Currently, there are several product research tools available in the market. These tools extract real-time product data directly from the marketplace and let you know about product performance. You can also find past trends, price fluctuations, or even the potential profit you are likely to make with a particular product.
During your initial days on Amazon, it’s smarter to go with less competitive products with a reasonable profit margin. These products don’t require any approval, have rather low selling costs, and are relatively easier to sell. For example, pet supplies, home & garden equipment, handicraft items, stationary, and so on.
Here are some profitable ungated products:
Home & Garden – Everyday household items such as cleaning rugs, wardrobes, cleaning equipment, decoration items, and so on. Garden items such as plants, seeds, fertilizers, and other gardening equipment.
Office Supplies – Office furniture, stationary, file folders, and other accessories you use in an office.
Pet Supplies – This includes pet food, bird seeds, pet furniture, supplements, and everything you use to take care of your pets and birds.
Beauty Products – Makeup items, skincare, hair care, supplements, oils, shampoos, creams, and so on.
Groceries – All kinds of food items, raw food such as flour, rice, spices, cooking oils, etc. Also, ready-to-eat meals, baby food, meal kits, packaged food, etc.
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Conclusion: What Can I Sell On Amazon Without Approval
There we go. The main difference between the gated and ungated product categories is just the permission you need to get.
Amazon is full of opportunities and it’s crucial to start on the right note. Once you settle down and cross the initial phase, the road is slightly less bumpy later on. The ungated products will give you the freedom to sell from the get-go and will also help you create a brand and reputation as a seller. Once you feel you’re going in the right direction, you can start targeting the products from the ungated category.
As I mentioned, there are several product research tools you can use to locate the perfect product to sell, based on your requirements and personal goals. Some popular tools are:
- Black Box Product Research Tool by Helium 10
- Product Tracker by Jungle Scout
- AMZ Scout Pro Extension
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