Anyone could sell anything when it first became feasible and widespread to do so online a few decades ago. Without having a contract with the manufacturer and without being able to provide proof that the goods they were selling were authentic, savvy vendors could visit outlet malls, buy name-brand items, and sell them at a discount. But over time, significant e-commerce platforms, like Amazon, which did the same in 2016, started to implement restricted and gated categories. While there are still some products you can sell on Amazon without getting permission, the list gets smaller every year to make sure customers are getting high-quality goods for their money.

What can you then sell on Amazon without getting permission? We’ll discuss Amazon ungated categories in this guide to help you identify a market or niche you can target without needing permission to sell in.

 

What Exactly Is an Amazon Gated Category?

A group of products that you cannot sell without Amazon’s permission is known as an Amazon gated category. For selling specific gated products and categories, such approval could call for performance evaluations, additional charges, and other requirements. To safeguard buyers and sellers, in particular against forgeries and counterfeits, the categories are gated. It’s crucial to be aware that some name brands, referred to as brand gates, are restricted and cannot be sold without authorization, and that authorization is frequently difficult to obtain. The following are the categories that will be gated in 2022:

• Jewelry
• Entertainment Collectibles
• Gift Cards
• Collectible Coins
• Music & DVD
• Major Appliances
• Sports Collectibles
• Fine Art
• Automotive & Powersports
• Streaming Media Players
• Video, DVD, & Blu-ray
• Watches

These product categories may be offered on Amazon, but the company must first certify all sellers before they start selling gated goods.

Amazon’s Closed and Ungated Categories

What distinguishes ungated from gated categories, then? Ungated categories on Amazon don’t require preapproval, in contrast to gated categories that do, allowing any registered seller to start selling products in a particular category.

What Products on Amazon Can You Sell Without Permission?

Most e-commerce companies search for product categories that don’t demand pre-authorization while shopping for things to offer on Amazon in order to guarantee they can start selling straight away. Fortunately, there are a number of profitable ungated Amazon categories that you may sell in without getting approved. The majority of the most popular product categories, including books, toys, food, and home and kitchen goods, aren’t gated, making it possible for any registered Amazon seller to start selling goods in these open categories. Thirteen of the 33 main Amazon seller categories are unrestricted in their entirety. Ten more are unrestricted, but they might have subcategories or particular products that need clearance.
Starting off as a vendor of unrestricted goods enables you to open a store right immediately. Furthermore, should you choose to sell in gated categories in the future, how well you do as an ungated seller may affect your chances of becoming accepted?

Why Are Some Categories on Amazon Restricted?

As you can see, selling phony or fraudulent goods that pass for authentic products is a typical occurrence in several of Amazon’s closed categories. All valuables are easily forgerable, and copyright laws can be broken when gift cards, music, DVDs, and films are copied. These are gated by Amazon to safeguard genuine sellers and customers from fake goods.

Which Ungated Amazon Category Is Best for Selling?

You can sell in a variety of ungated categories on Amazon to help your business succeed. The following goods are unrestricted, but not all of their categories are. There may be limitations on some sales in the ungated categories that can be found on Amazon that are not included in this list. Check out a few of the top unrestricted Amazon categories below:

Amazon’s Kindle: Digital and audiobooks can be purchased on Amazon’s Kindle. Both traditionally published authors and self-published authors can write these books. You may get started using Kindle Direct Publishing in about 24 hours to publish and sell your own works.

Baby Products: Baby products might include anything from baby shampoo to car seats, except clothing.

Beauty: The beauty category on Amazon typically includes consumer makeup as well as professional-grade health and beauty products.

Books: You can sell both new and used books as well as Kindle books without getting prior approval. To sell rare and collectible books, nevertheless, you will require approval.

Cell Phones & Accessories: Items included in this unrestricted category include smartphones, cell phones, phone covers, batteries, and headsets.

Consumer electronics: Popular examples of consumer electronics you can sell include small kitchen equipment and items for personal grooming.

Grocery & Gourmet Foods: Baby food, prepared food, fresh meal kits, as well as special meals like vegan, keto, and calorie-based foods, are all examples of supermarket and gourmet foods.

Home & Garden: Rugs and lines used around the home are featured in the Home category, whilst garden planters and lights are included in the Garden category.

Industrial & Scientific: Items like printers and lab supplies that are particular to the industrial and scientific sector are included in this category.

Kindle Accessories and Amazon Fire TV Accessories: Amazon goods, like Kindles and Fire TVs, can have accessories sold for them without any restrictions.

Office Product: Office supplies, furniture, and equipment are all considered office items.

Pet Supplies: Pet supplies include things like food, toys, and furniture for all kinds of animals.

Some categories perform better than others on average. There are some Amazon categories that can help you make the most money, albeit they are not always lucrative, including:

Games & Toys: Although not completely unrestricted, selling well-liked toys can present business prospects.

Electronics: Computer mice, keyboards, and cables make up the majority of Amazon’s best-selling products.

Camera & Photo: This category, which is a part of electronics, comprises cameras, photographic gear, camera accessories, and more.

Video Games: Given that Amazon is extensively invested in game development and that game streaming is a substantial source of revenue for Amazon, video games are one of the company’s most lucrative product categories.

Books: Books can be a top-selling category in digital, hard copy, new, and used formats. Since its inception as an online bookstore, Amazon has been a major player in the publishing industry.

Clothing, Shoes, & Jewelry: As long as you’re not selling clothing from major companies, you may usually sell clothing, shoes, and jewelry on Amazon.

How Can You Apply for Amazon Approval?

Requests for Amazon category approval are typically not difficult, but they do take time. On sometimes, requests that you submit are automatically approved. If you’ve been selling for a time and have had success, this typically occurs.

Visit your Amazon Seller Central account to check for any limitations on the product you want to sell, and then complete the following steps to request approval:

 Sign in to your account and click on inventory
 Select the “Add a Product” button
 Search for the products or items you want to sell
 If it returns as restricted, click “Listing Limitations Apply”
 Click on the “Request Approval” button

It’s possible that you’ll learn right away whether or not your request has been granted. If not, the computer will prompt you for more details. The added details can be a little more challenging. You could be required to provide thorough wholesale invoices as well as details about your current company and its goods.
When evaluating whether or not to provide you access to the restricted category, Amazon takes into account the invoices you supply in addition to other aspects. Before making a decision, Amazon may want to check the following points again:
 An order defect rate of less than 1%
 A plan for pro-sellers
 A good-standing account
 A minimum of three months’ worth of sales history
 A return address in the country where you’re selling OR a guarantee of free delivery
 Support for customer assistance in the local language

Read More: What to Do If Your Amazon Seller Account Is Suspended