What are Amazon Restricted Categories: Everything Sellers Should Know

Selling your products on one of the most popular e-commerce platforms is supposed to be easy, right? Well, for the most part, it is. However, a huge marketplace like Amazon is heavily invested in maintaining its credibility and integrity. As such, Amazon has established rules that sellers must play by. 

Although you might want to channel your energy into doing product research and finding strategies for bringing traffic to your listings, you must also know about Amazon's restricted categories and products. 

What Exactly Are Amazon Restricted Categories?

To address the elephant in the room, Amazon restricted categories refer to product categories within the Amazon marketplace that are either limited for specific reasons or require that sellers meet particular criteria before they can list such products. 

To put things simply, when a particular category is gated by Amazon, it means sellers have to take extra actions by going through a special approval process before they are allowed to list such products on the Amazon marketplace. 

A look at Amazon’s policies shows that sellers interested in listing restricted products must get approval. This approval may include quality checks, copyright checks, performance checks, and even additional fees. 

If you’re curious and want to know some of the restricted categories on Amazon, we have compiled a list for you. Check it out below: 

• Collectible Coins
• Personal Safety and Household products
• Fine Art
• Holiday Selling Requirements in Toys & Games
• Jewelry
• Join Amazon Subscription Boxes
• Made in Italy
• Music & DVD
• Requirements for selling Automotive & Powersports products
• Services
• Sports Collectibles
• Streaming Media Players
• Video, DVD, & Blu-ray
• Watches

Besides these gated categories we have just listed, you might also need to get pre-approval for the following restricted categories on Amazon: 

• Specific kinds of software
• Hoverboards and other unique e-mobility devices
• Laser products 

Note: Once approved to list products within these gated categories, Amazon will require you to upgrade your account to a higher-tier seller plan, which typically means additional fees. 

Restricted Products on Amazon

Besides the gated category you already know, Amazon takes things up a notch by restricting certain products. 

Here is a list of products that are currently restricted on the Amazon marketplace: 

• Alcohol
• Animals & Animal-Related Products
• Art – Fine Art
• Art – Home Decor
• Automotive and Power sports
• Composite Wood Products
• Cosmetics & Skin/Hair Care
• CPAP Cleaning and Disinfecting Devices
• Currency, Coins, Cash Equivalents, and Gift Cards
• Dietary Supplements
• Drugs & drug paraphernalia
• Explosives, Weapons, and Related Items
• Export Controls
• Food & Beverage
• Gambling & Lottery
• Hazardous and Dangerous Items
• Human Parts & Burial Artifacts
• Jewelry & Precious Gems
• Laser products
• Lock Picking & Theft Devices
• Offensive and Controversial Materials
• Other Restricted Products
• Pesticides and Pesticide Devices
• Plant and Seed Products
• Postage meters and stamps
• Recalled Products
• Recycling electronics
• Refrigerants: Ozone-depleting substances and Substitutes
• Subscriptions and Periodicals
• Surveillance Equipment
• Tobacco & Tobacco-Related Products
• Warranties, Service Plans, Contracts, and Guarantees
• Upholstered Furniture, Bedding, & Other Quilted Products

Why Amazon Restricts Specific Categories

It's true that a global marketplace like Amazon wants to make it easy for business owners to get their business started. Nevertheless, their number one priority has always remained: maintaining the credibility and safety of their marketplace. 

Besides safety and credibility, Amazon is aware of the legal implications and regulatory concerns that might come from allowing sellers to list just about any product on their marketplace. To this end, they put checks in place to protect buyers and sellers from safety risks. 

Listing Restricted Products: What Seller Should Know

Each of the products classified as restricted by Amazon has specific limitations you must know if you plan to list such products. Failing to do so is akin to calling the Amazon hammer on your business; we are sure you wouldn’t want to do that. 

For instance, Amazon has a restricted category for products listed on its marketplace as “Lock picking and theft devices.” For this particular category, Amazon prohibits listing items that are not blank keys. 

Another example of Amazon’s gated categories is for Dietary Supplements. This category has a comprehensive list of requirements and a list of prohibited products you are not allowed to sell. 

To remain on Amazon’s good books, we strongly recommend you get familiar with Amazon’s policies and category restrictions, regardless of the products you plan to sell on the marketplace. 

When it comes to being successful on Amazon, your best course of action is remaining proactive. 

Are Amazon Restricted Categories the Same as Gated Categories

Absolutely. Amazon restricted categories are also called gated categories. So, in case you come across gated categories instead of Amazon-restricted categories, remember they mean the same thing. 

Selling Gated Products on Amazon: Should You Abandon The Product?

Just because a product you plan to sell falls under Amazon-restricted categories doesn’t mean you should give up easily. 

Instead of throwing in the towel, you can try to list the product and apply for approval. If you meet all the requirements, you shouldn’t have any issues. 

Final Thoughts 

Making sales on the Amazon marketplace isn’t rocket science. However, since making sales and earning more drew you into this business at first, you need to be familiar with all of the intricacies of Amazon's policies, especially as it pertains to restricted categories and products. 

While many sellers see Amazon’s restricted category as a no-go area, it is a gold mine with tremendous potential. From higher demands to low competition and better credibility, sellers in these categories are making a fortune for themselves. 

So, instead of just abandoning your product because it falls under an Amazon-restricted category, you can try to get approval. Getting approved will make a whole world of difference for your business.