What Is Ungated on Amazon In 2023? (A Seller‘s Comprehensive Guide)

Amazon‘s Marketplace has grown massively over the years, with more than 5 million active sellers worldwide. With this growth comes increased competition to get approved or "ungated" in restricted product categories. As a seller since 2015, I‘ve been through the ungating process many times. So in this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share everything you need to know to understand what is ungated on Amazon in 2023 from a seller‘s perspective.

What Does It Mean To Be Ungated on Amazon?

Being "ungated" means getting approved by Amazon to sell products in categories that are normally restricted to new sellers or those without sales history. This includes popular categories like electronics, DVDs, health & beauty, and more.

Without ungating, we can only sell household items and books. With ungating, we open our businesses to higher sales potential. But getting ungated isn‘t always easy, especially as Amazon tightens restrictions to fight counterfeits.

Why Does Amazon Gate Product Categories?

Amazon gates certain categories to:

• Protect customers from unsafe, illegal or poor quality products
• Prevent intellectual property violations and counterfeits
• Limit low-quality sellers from damaging Amazon’s reputation
• Maintain compliance with regulations (ex. medical devices)

Typically gated categories have a higher risk of safety concerns, IP violations, or quality control issues.

As an example, Amazon heavily gates electronics because counterfeit phone chargers and batteries can seriously hurt customers. By approving sellers first, Amazon reduces this risk.

What are The Most Common Gated Categories?

Through my experience, these categories are most frequently gated for new sellers:

• Electronics
• Health & Beauty
• Automotive
• Media (DVDs, music, etc)
• Toys & Games
• Jewelry
• Clothing & Shoes

Amazon also restricts access to many major brands, even in open categories. Think Apple, Nike, L’Oreal — you’ll need approval to sell those too.

And within open categories, specific subcategories are often gated. For example, in “Health & Personal Care” sunscreens, supplements, and contraceptives require their own ungating process.

How Do I Check if My Products are Gated?

You can easily check if your products fall under gated categories or brands.

First, sign up for an Individual Selling Account. This grants the ability to sell most household goods ungated.

Next, under “Add a Product” in Seller Central, search for your items. If your main category is gated, you may see:

You are not approved to list in this product category

If it’s just a gated subcategory or brand, you may instead see:

Listing Limit Applied: Request Approval

This tells you exactly which areas need ungating approval before listing.

What Approval Documentation Does Amazon Require?

The required documentation varies based on product category. From my experience, here’s what Amazon typically wants to see:

• Electronics: Invoice from an authorized distributor or wholesaler

• Health & Beauty: Product safety reports, FDA registration, etc

• Media: Licenses and distribution agreements

• Automotive: Reseller authorization from the manufacturer

• Toys & Games: Safety testing reports

Brand-specific approval also requires authorization like a letter direct from the brand.

I recommend having all documents ready before applying. Applications with incomplete info take longer to review.

How to Get Ungated on Amazon: Step-by-Step

Here is the full process I follow to get ungated in a new category:

1. Enroll in the Amazon Professional Seller program for $39.99 a month. This unlocks the ability to submit ungating applications.

2. In Seller Central, browse products in the gated category and click “Request Approval” on a listing.

3. Select the applicable ungating application and submit all required documents.

4. Provide additional info if Amazon requests it during review. Respond quickly for best results.

5. Check emails daily – once approved, you can immediately start listing in the category!

Though individual approval times vary, here is the average I see for top categories:

Follow this guide, prepare your documents, and remain patient, and you‘ll have the best shot at getting approved! Let me know if you have any other questions.