A Guide To Ungating Brands on Amazon FBA

Selling restricted brands on Amazon FBA, like Nike/Versace/Clinique etc often requires sellers to go through an “ungating” process. This guide will walk you through the steps to ungate brands and expand your selling opportunities on Amazon.

1. Understand the Requirements

Before you begin, research the specific brand or category requirements. Amazon typically requires:

• Proof of purchase invoice of 10 units or more (50 or more if using Amazon to Amazon invoice). Some brands like Oral-B require 100 units. Check what is asked for on the ungate page for that particular brand.
• You don’t need to have all 10 units on a single invoice; multiple invoices can be combined as long as the total adds up to at least 10 units.
• You don’t need to purchase the exact item you’re trying to ungate; it just needs to be from the same brand. For example, you could buy 10 Nintendo-branded sticker packs to ungate Nintendo and sell a Nintendo Switch console.
• You must provide an invoice; receipts, order confirmations, or pro-forma invoices are not accepted. If you are unsure if a website offers a proper invoice, you can use tools like OA Hero will has an extensive database of websites that tell you if sites offer invoices etc.

2. Source Products from Authorized Distributors/Retailers

Purchase inventory from legitimate and recognised sources. Ensure your invoices meet Amazon’s requirements:

• Billing address must match the same business address you have on your seller account. Ideally, they should match identically, including spaces etc to bypass the Amazon bots that sometimes auto-decline you.
• Include the distributor’s name and address.
• Clearly list the product name and quantities.
• Be dated within the last 180 days.

3. Submit Your Application

1. Go to the Inventory Tab: In your Seller Central account, navigate to Inventory > Add a Product.
2. Search for the Product: Look up the product by name, ASIN, or UPC.
3. Apply to Sell: If the product is gated, you’ll see a prompt to “Request Approval.” Click this button.
4. Upload Documents: Follow the prompts to upload your invoices, authorisation letters, or certifications.

4. Follow Up with Amazon

• After submitting your application, monitor your email and Seller Central notifications for updates.
• If Amazon requests additional information, respond promptly and accurately.
• If you are rejected, reply to the same case and resubmit the documents.
• If you have no luck after 20 attempts, close the case, wait seven days, and try again on a different ASIN with that brand. Make sure that you are also meeting all the requirements mentioned in this article.

Tips for Success

• OA Hero: Tools like OA Hero tell you what sites you can use to ungate from, among other things. You can buy OA Hero here
• Ask Other Sellers: Before ungating a brand, ask other sellers which sites they use to ungate. Certain retailers are known for having a higher success rate on Amazon.
• Double-Check Documents: Ensure all details match your Amazon Seller Account information.
• Be Persistent: If your application is rejected, review Amazon’s feedback, address the issues, and reapply. It can sometimes take 5- 20+ attempts to get ungated. Oftentimes, you need to submit the same information over and over until it’s accepted.