Amazon Restricted Products – Complete Guide for Sellers

On Amazon, there are specific products you can't sell without approval. They are called restricted products. 

When you look for deals to sell on Amazon, it's important to check your products for restrictions and if you can sell them on your Amazon seller account. You must do that before you buy a product because Amazon won't let you sell restricted products if you haven't ungated them.

In this post, we'll provide you with a complete guide on Amazon restricted products, and a quick and simple way to check products for restrictions.

What Are Amazon Restricted Products ?

Restricted (gated) Amazon products are items that require sellers to get approval from Amazon before they can be listed. 

Examples: Alcohol, fine art, dangerous goods (hazmat), cosmetics, lithium batteries, etc. 

The list of restricted products may vary from country to country, therefore, you must check the relevant list in your Seller Central for a specific marketplace and destination country.

Additionally, some products can be sold on Amazon but are restricted from Fulfillment by Amazon, so make sure to review the FBA restricted products list. 

Reasons why a product may be restricted

There are two main reasons why a product might be restricted on Amazon.

Safety or regulatory reasons

These products may be dangerous, illegal, or age-restricted. Examples include hazmat products and adult items.

Product quality concerns

Amazon wants to make sure that the products sold on its platform are of high quality and meet customer expectations. Examples include collectibles, fine art, and watches. 

Note. There is a difference between prohibited and restricted items on Amazon. Prohibited products are those you can’t sell at all (Illicit and recreational drugs, firearms, fake items, etc.), while restricted products can be sold if you get approval from Amazon to sell them (ungate your products).

Product, Category, and Subcategory Restrictions

Amazon has different restriction types, and some of them can overlap. In addition to product restrictions, Amazon may restrict categories, sub-categories, and brands. There are also listing restrictions.

If a general category is restricted, that may not mean that all products are restricted. On the other hand, single products may be restricted due to their ingredients, content, or branding, even if the general category is ungated. Also, some brands may be gated in the ungated category.

Example. A lithium-ion battery hedge trimmer (tool for shaping and maintaining hedges and bushes) may be restricted because it contains a lithium battery, while the Home and Garden where it belongs, is ungated. 

Related: Amazon Restricted Brands

How to Sell Hazmat Products on Amazon - The Ultimate Guide

List of restricted Amazon products

You can find the list of restricted Amazon products below. However, you must remember that it doesn’t include all products and can change.

• Alcohol
• Animals & Animal-Related Products
• Art - Fine Art
• Art - Home Decor
• Automotive and powersports
• Composite Wood Products
• Cosmetics and Skin and hair care
• CPAP Cleaning and Disinfecting Devices
• Currency, Coins, Cash Equivalents, and Gift Cards
• Dietary supplements
• Drugs and drug paraphernalia
• Electronics
• Explosives, weapons, and related items
• Export Controls
• Food & Beverage
• Gambling & Lottery
• Hazardous and prohibited items
• Human Parts & Burial Artifacts
• Jewelry & Precious Gems
• Laser products
• Lighting
• Lock Picking & Theft Devices
• Medical devices and accessories
• Offensive and Controversial Materials
• Other restricted products
• Pest control products and pesticides
• Plant and Seed Products
• Postage meters and stamps
• Prohibited Product Claims
• Recalled products
• Recycling electronics
• Refrigerants: Ozone-Depleting Substances and Substitutes
• Strike anywhere matches
• Surveillance Equipment
• Tobacco & Tobacco-Related Products
• Warranties, Service Plans, Contracts, and Guarantees
• Upholstered Furniture, Bedding, & Other Quilted Products
• Federal Emissions – Products requiring EPA Certificate of Conformity
• Children's footwear
• Children's apparel
• Automotive tires, wheels, and rims

How Do Product Restrictions Work?

Amazon holds sellers responsible for checking product restrictions and complying with all applicable laws and safety regulations. That means you must check if your product is restricted before you buy it and get approval to sell it.

Additionally, restricted product lists constantly change, because of governmental authorities anticipating new health and safety regulations. Therefore, it can happen that a product not restricted yesterday, will become one tomorrow. In such a case, you will receive a warning from Amazon and must take corrective action.

Product restriction process steps

Step 1. Check products for restrictions

Verify your product restrictions. Use your Seller Central or more convenient product sourcing tools like Seller Assisstant’s Restrictions Checker to check your products for restrictions (see how to do it in one section below).

Step 2. Ungate a product you want to sell

Get pre-approval to sell your product. Submit an application to get approval and attach the documents specified by Amazon. Wait for approval. You can check your application status on the View Selling Applications page in your Seller Central.

Step 3. List products on Amazon

After your product application status in the View Selling Applications page changes to Approved, you can list your product by clicking the List Products button.

Step 4. Monitor your Account Health Dasboard 

Constantly check your Account Health Dasboard > Policy Compliance. If there are zeros in all lines, you don’t have any violations. If you’ve listed a restricted product, you will see a number in the Restricted Product Policy Violations line. Also, Amazon will send you a restricted product policy violation notification to your e-mail. 

Step 5. Address restricted product policy violations, if any

If you listed an ungated restricted product, Amazon will remove the listing. If that happens repeatedly, they may deactivate your account. To prevent that, check removed ASINs and reasons for removal in Restricted Product Policy Violations, and submit all requested documents.

Step 6. If Amazon made a mistake, appeal

If you think that Amazon removed your listing by mistake, appeal in the Account Health Dashboard.

Related: Amazon Account Health: A Guide for FBA Sellers

What is Amazon Seller Account Health Rating?

How to Check Amazon Product Restrictions?

Checking products for restrictions is vital because if you sell restricted products without Amazon’s approval, they will deactivate your listing and you will lose money. You must do that before you buy a product.

Due to Amazon's frequent updates to their restricted products list, checking for product restrictions can be difficult and time-intensive. Additionally, certain products may have multiple levels of restrictions, such as being restricted in both a subcategory and a brand. 

If you need to check the restrictions for the products you're selling on Amazon, you'll have to manually search for each product in the "Add a Product" section of your Amazon Seller Central account and then click on "Show limitations". This process can be inconvenient and time-consuming, especially if you're researching multiple products at once.

Luckily there are seller tools that can do it in a more convenient way.

How to Check Product Restrictions with Seller Assistant?

The best option to quickly and reliably verify Amazon restrictions is Seller Assistant, which is one of the most widely used product-sourcing platforms available. This extension can identify all the issues that a product may have, including product restrictions, selling eligibility, product flags, and IP alerts.

Restrictions

Restrictions Checker feature of Seller Assistant enables you to see all product restrictions directly on the Amazon product and search pages. If the app alerts you with a red closed lock icon, the product is restricted. On the other hand, a green open lock indicates that the product is ungated.

Bulk restrictions

With Bulk Restrictions Checker tool, you can check the restrictions of multiple products simultaneously. Simply upload a file with up to 5000 ASINs, and the app will generate a report showing which products are restricted and which are not.

Selling eligibility

It's essential to check if you can sell a product on your Amazon account, as Amazon may have specific requirements for selling certain products that differ depending on the account type, seller performance, and other criteria. If the app displays a green open lock, it means you can sell a product on your Amazon account.

Product flags

The Product Notifications feature of the Seller Assistant alerts you to any sales limitations that a product may have, such as being oversize or fragile. These alerts are beneficial in preventing unnecessary costs and shipping delays. You'll see a corresponding icon if a product has any of the following flags. 

Seller Assistant flags

• Intellectual property (IP) complaints;
• Hazmat;
• Oversize;
• Meltable;
• Adult product;
• Amazon is a seller;
• Generic brand.

Checking Amazon product restrictions step-by-step

To verify product restrictions with Seller Assistant, you must download the extension and connect Seller Assistant to your Amazon Seller Account.

Step 1. Log in to your Seller Assistant.

Step 2. See product restrictions on the Amazon Search Pages or Amazon Product pages. A Green open lock indicates that you are free to sell a product. A Red closed lock shows that you need approval or are not eligible to sell the product.

Checking Amazon product restrictions in bulk step-by-step

Seller Assistant’s unique Bulk Restrictions Checker

Step 1. Log in to your Seller Assistant.

Step 2. Upload up to 5000 ASINs to Seller Assistant’s Bulk Restriction Checker.

Step 3. Download a report.

Step 4. Get the results of the restriction check in your email inbox and Seller Assistant account.

Related: How to Check Product Restrictions on Amazon?

How to Ungate Restricted Products on Amazon?

Getting permission to sell in a restricted category has category-specific requirements in each case. That may involve submitting additional documents, invoices, sometimes warranties, or additional fees. 

However, in certain cases putting your efforts into approval is worth it. That is because restricted products oftentimes have less competition, thus providing for increased sales and profits.

Steps to ungating a product

Step 1. Log in to your Seller Assistant account.

Step 2. Go to Add a Product, and find a product you want to ungate by ASIN, title, or ISBN. Click the Submit button.

Step 3. If you need approval to sell the product, you will see the Apply to sell button.  Specify the condition you want to sell and click Apply to sell.

Step 4. You will get to the Selling Application page. Click the Request approval button and follow the steps specified by Amazon.

Related: How To Get Ungated On Amazon

What If I Sell Restricted Products Without Approval?

It's not advisable to sell restricted products on Amazon without approval. Doing so can have negative consequences for your Amazon business, and can even trigger your account ban. 

Listing removal

If Amazon identifies restricted product listings without approval, they will remove them immediately. This can leave you with gaps in your inventory and potentially confuse customers who are interested in those products. Amazon will send you a restricted product policy violation notification in your Account Health dashboard and to your e-mail with instructions to take corrective actions. You must react to that message ASAP.

Account Health Rating “At Risk”

if you seriously violate Amazon’s restrictions policy, your AHR will be changed to “At Risk” (yellow color), and your score will go down to 100—199 points. That means, your account is at risk of deactivation.

Account suspension

Amazon takes violations of their policies seriously. If you repeatedly list restricted products without approval, they might not only deactivate your listings but also suspend your seller account. This can significantly disrupt your business. Reinstating your account takes much time and significant effort.

Destroying inventory

If you are an FBA seller, Amazon may destroy your unapproved restricted inventory in their fulfillment centers without reimbursement, or return inventory at your cost. This can be a significant financial loss, depending on the product and the amount of stock you have.

Withholding payments

Amazon may withhold your payments if they discover violations of their policies, including selling restricted products. This can create cash flow problems for your business and make it difficult to operate. 

Account deactivation

If Amazon considers your violation serious, they will terminate your selling privileges. That may mean a permanent ban on your account and funds without the possibility of reinstatement.

Note. Selling illegal or unsafe products can result in legal action, including civil and criminal penalties.

Who Is Eligible for Selling Restricted Products?

To be eligible to sell gated products, sellers must meet specific criteria. When Amazon restricts a category, they want to ensure that you, as a seller, and your products meet all of their requirements. 

Establish a positive selling history

If you're a new seller on Amazon, you may not be able to sell gated products until you establish a track record.

Enroll in a Professional selling plan

To sell gated products on Amazon, you must have a Professional Selling Plan, which requires a monthly subscription fee of $39.99.

Maintain good performance metrics

To qualify for selling gated products, you must meet Amazon's seller performance metrics. This entails maintaining an Order Defect Rate (ODR) below 1%, a Pre-fulfillment Cancel Rate below 2.5%, and a Late Shipment Rate (LSR) below 4%. You can review your seller metrics in your Account Health Dashboard.

FAQ

What are the restricted products in Amazon?

Restricted (gated) Amazon products are items that require sellers to get approval from Amazon before they can be listed. Examples include alcohol, fine art, dangerous goods (hazmat), cosmetics, lithium batteries, etc. 

How do I know if my Amazon product is restricted?

The best option to quickly and reliably verify Amazon restrictions is Seller Assistant, which is one of the most widely used product-sourcing platforms available. This extension can identify all the issues that a product may have, including product restrictions, selling eligibility, product flags, and IP alerts.

What does restrict mean on Amazon?

On Amazon, "restricted" means a product requires special permission to be listed. This is done for safety, legal reasons, or to ensure product quality.

What products cannot be sold on Amazon?

Some products are prohibited on Amazon and you can’t sell them at all. Examples include Illicit and recreational drugs, firearms, fake items, etc. You can find the full list here.

Final Thoughts

While doing your product research, you should remember to check if you are eligible to sell your products on Amazon. If you forget to do so, you will spend your time and effort in vain because Amazon will not allow you to sell restricted products without approval. 

If you browse hundreds of products daily in your product research, it’s inconvenient and time-consuming to check each product manually. Knowing this, Seller Assistant created an efficient Restrictions Checker to make your life easier. With Seller Assistant, you can see product restrictions right on the Amazon product and search pages and in the Side View Panel. You can also check up to 5000 ASINs in bulk. 

In addition, Seller Assistant is a powerful tool that combines product research features, an FBM&FBA profit calculator, and a lot of other useful options. With it, you’ll get access to Advanced IP Alerts, Quick View, Stock Checker, and Restrictions Checker in one tool.

Try Seller Assistant now. Register for our 14-day trial. Grow your Amazon business with confidence.