What does “Approval needed” on Amazon mean?

[Shaun David]

Hi everyone,

I recently started selling products on Amazon and ran into something I don’t quite get. When I tried to list a product, it said “Approval needed,” and honestly, I’m not sure what that means. Does it mean I’m restricted from selling that item? Or is there some kind of process I need to follow first to get access? I looked around but couldn’t find a simple answer. Has anyone else dealt with this before? If so, could you explain what steps I need to take to get approved? would appreciate some help.

Thanks!

[Anita Kumari]

Hi,

Yeah, so I got that “Approval needed” thing too when I tried to list a product a while back — didn’t really know what it meant at the time. figured maybe something was wrong with my account, or like I wasn’t allowed to sell it. But, nah, it just means Amazon has some stuff locked behind extra checks, like, not every category or brand is open to everyone.

They call it “gated,” I think? So basically, you need permission to sell in those. Amazon wants to keep certain things clean, like stuff with high return rates, or brands that’ve had counterfeit issues. It’s not personal or anything, just their rules.

What I did was go back to the product, and there was a button that said “request approval” or something close. clicked it, and it asked for a few things — i think they wanted an invoice from a supplier, or in some cases a letter from the brand (which i didn’t have). sometimes they’ll ask for like your business docs too.

Not gonna lie, kinda annoying the first time. felt like a dead end. But I tried with another product later and actually got approved instantly. So yeah, it depends. It’s not always a hard no. Just gotta go through their steps. If your account’s in good standing and the docs look real, you got a decent shot,
you’ll probably hit this again if you keep selling — happens in a few categories. Not fun but once you get how it works, it’s manageable

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