Posted on

July 5, 2022

Amazon Restricted Products – Complete Guide for Sellers

Outbeating competitors on Amazon is outwitting. With that in mind, you make smart product research and – bingo! Here’s a million-dollar product idea. Ready to go and list it? Not that fast...

Note, that there are products you can’t buy and sell on Amazon. As a matter of fact, these are not only illegal or other prohibited items. Some products and categories are restricted from sales. This means that you can sell them only after getting Amazon’s approval. It’s some extra mile to go.

On the other hand, selling restricted products on Amazon can be one of the pillars of your marketing strategy. This is because the competition in the restricted categories is way lower. Hence, higher potential profit margins.

That said, when you do product research, one of the things you need to check before you proceed with sourcing an item is whether it is restricted or not. If you skip this step, you may end up with a suspended or even banned Amazon account. If you list a product in a gated category on Amazon without approval, there’s a good chance they will remove your product page or even selling privileges.

But what to do if you research tons of products daily to find your gold mine? It’ll take endlessly to check all the products. Well, we have an optimal solution to that.

In our guide, find everything you need to know about restricted products on Amazon and how to get approval to sell them.

What Are Restricted Products on Amazon?

Restricted products are those that Amazon either prohibits to sell or requires you to receive approval to list.

There are different types of restrictions. They can be due to legal limitations to selling goods. For example, there is an alcohol ban in Saudi Arabia. Others relate to safety or quality requirements. For instance, if you sell toys for children of up to 12 years of age in the U.S., they should be in line with certain federal safety standards. Another example is product page limitations that specify claim compliance. If you tell on your listing that the item is "Made in the USA", you should be able to provide evidence that it was mostly produced in the United States.

Also, the lists of restricted products on Amazon vary from country to country. This is because legislation is not the same in different parts of the world. Therefore, you’ll need to check the restrictions for each marketplace.

In addition, the lists of restricted products can change from time to time. This means that you have to occasionally update yourself on these changes.

Example of Amazon restricted products in Seller Assistant App

Difference between prohibited and restricted items

Prohibited products are those that you are not allowed to sell at all. These are illegal, hazardous, dangerous, and other similar types of products. Amazon has a restricted products policy and FBA-specific product restrictions. It regulates what merchants can sell, can’t sell, and need approvals to sell.

The restricted product doesn’t always mean prohibited. In some cases, restrictions imply that you need to obtain permission from Amazon before you start selling. This may mean that you’ll need to provide additional documents, performance proof, and other qualifications. Also, Amazon can ask you to include extra warranties. Some of the restrictions just imply extra commissions.

Why are products restricted on Amazon?

The first reason for restrictions is that Amazon wants to protect its customers from illegal, dangerous, and low-quality products. Therefore, Amazon Terms of Service specify that sellers are responsible for products’ compliance with all industry standards and safety regulations. They should have all the necessary permissions and warranties. This applies, for instance, to health and beauty products, toys, and more.

The second reason behind this is that the marketplace wants to keep its shoppers happy and the products that sellers list should raise no claims. Hazardous or unsafe products essentially grow this risk. To avoid that, Amazon wants to make sure that the products sellers offer will potentially generate positive feedback. For the same reason, restrictions concern trademarked products and items subject to intellectual property rights. Sellers can’t list, say, Dior watches without the brand's and Amazon’s permission.

What Are the Types of Amazon Restrictions?

There are a number of restrictions on Amazon. And even with that, they say that before selling a product, you need to check whether it’s legitimate to list it or not. Amazon advises checking this with a legal adviser since they assume that sellers bear responsibility for their products.

However, the most important of Amazon’s restrictions are the category, product, listing, and brand limitations.

What categories are restricted from sale on Amazon?

For select restricted categories and sub-categories, Amazon requires to get approval before you list these items.

What products are restricted to sell on Amazon?

Select types of restricted products require obtaining pre-approval from Amazon. For other products, Amazon will ask you to give supplemental information or an additional guarantee. FBA sellers need to look into the FBA list of restricted products on Amazon. Keep in mind that some of the products you may not be allowed to trade.

Amazon restricted products in the U.S.

Alcohol
Animals & Animal-Related Products
Art - Fine Art
Art - Home Decor
Automotive and Powersports
Composite Wood Products
Cosmetics & Skin/Hair Care
CPAP Cleaning and Disinfecting Devices
Currency, Coins, Cash Equivalents, and Gift Cards
Dietary Supplements
Drugs & 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
Pesticides and pesticide devices
Plant and Seed Products
Postage meters and stamps
Recalled products
Recycling electronics
Refrigerants: Ozone-Depleting Substances and Substitutes
Strike anywhere matches
Subscriptions and Periodicals
Surveillance Equipment
Tobacco & Tobacco-Related Products
Warranties, Service Plans, Contracts, and Guarantees
Upholstered Furniture, Bedding, & Other Quilted Products.

Amazon listing restrictions

General listing restrictions concern the information you publish on your product detail page. For example, if you claim that your product is antimicrobial or antibacterial, you should be able to provide Amazon with documents supporting such a claim. If you don’t have them – ask your supplier or manufacturer.

Amazon restricted brands

A lot of brands fall under Amazon’s restrictions. The reasons may range from the platform’s exclusive agreements with these brands to an excessive number of counterfeits.

On the other hand, if a brand is restricted, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the restriction applies to every single item in a brand.

Related: Read how to go around Amazon brand restrictions in our blog.

How to Check Product Restrictions?

As said, it’s important to check whether the product is restricted or not in the process of product research. It’s no use for you to proceed with the product sourcing if you’re not ready to spend time on getting permission from Amazon to sell it. Moreover, if the product is prohibited on Amazon, they will not allow you to sell it at all.

If you start selling a product without Amazon’s approval and despite its restriction, they may suspend your account.

On the other hand, Amazon doesn’t provide sellers with restriction checker features. They delegate this procedure to the sellers. According to Amazon, no matter how detailed their lists of restricted products are, sellers are responsible for observing all related to restrictions.

Extract from Amazon restricted products policies

However, there are sellers' tools that can help you bridge the gap. With Seller Assistant’s Restriction checker, you can see product restrictions both on the Amazon Search Pages and Amazon Product pages.

Also, there is a possibility to check products in bulk. The Seller Assistant’s Bulk restriction checker identifies products from your ASIN list you can and can’t sell on Amazon. It allows for uploading up to 1000 ASINs.

Checking Amazon product restrictions step by step

Step 1. Connect Seller Assistant App to your Amazon Seller Account.

Step 2. To do that, make sure that your Seller account is:

active;
on the Professional plan;
fully configured.

Step 3. Log in to your Amazon Seller Account using your primary email.

Step 4. Go to the “Integration” section in Seller Assistant App’s Account Settings.

Step 5. Choose the marketplace you are selling on.

Step 6. Click the “Connect Amazon Account” button. You will be redirected to Seller Central. Select a marketplace.

Step 7. Mark the access authorization checkbox at the bottom and click the “Confirm” button.

Step 8. Authorize the app. You will be redirected back to your Seller Assistant App account. Now your Amazon Seller Account is connected.

Step 9. 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

Step 1. Log in to your Seller Assistant App or connect Seller Assistant App to your Amazon Seller Account (steps 1-8 above).

Step 2. Upload up to 1000 ASINs to Seller Assistant’s Bulk restriction checker.

Uploading up to 1000 ASINs to Seller Assistant’s Bulk restriction checker

Step 3. Download a report.

Downloading a report from Seller Assistant’s Bulk restriction checker

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

How to Sell Restricted Products on Amazon?

Getting approval to sell restricted categories or products takes time. It may also involve additional fees. However, in certain cases putting your efforts into approval is worth it. This is because restricted products oftentimes have less competition, thus providing for increased sales and profits.

Since permission to sell in a restricted category is an exception, there is no standard procedure. There are different requirements in each case. Typically, to get approval, you should have a professional seller account, have good performance metrics, and be ready to provide Amazon with any supporting documents about the product they’ll ask for.

How to get approval for restricted products on Amazon step by step

Step 1. Log in to your Seller Central account.

Step 2. Select ‘Inventory’.

Step 3. Click ‘Add a Product’.

Getting approval for restricted products on Amazon. Steps 1-3

Step 4. Find your product.

Step 5. If it returns as restricted, select ‘Listing Limitations Apply’.

Step 6. Click ‘Request Approval’.

Getting approval for restricted products on Amazon. Step 6

If you get your approval immediately, your luck. If not, Amazon can ask for additional information or invoices.

Final Thoughts

While doing your product research, you should remember to check if you are allowed to sell it on Amazon. Not only will you spend your time and effort in vain if you forget to do it since Amazon will remove your listing. Chances are that they’ll suspend your account. Reinstating it is a tough task, though.

If you browse hundreds of products daily in your product research, it’s inconvenient and time-consuming to check each product manually. In addition, Amazon doesn’t offer sellers any restriction checker tools.

Knowing this, we created a restriction checker to make your life easier. With the Seller Assistant app, you can see product restrictions right on the Amazon Search Pages or Amazon Product pages. You can also check up to 1000 ASINs in bulk.

In addition, the Seller Assistant app 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 the Seller Assistant Аpp now.

Register for our 14-day trial. Grow your Amazon business with confidence.