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Brand Gating: Protect Your Brand on Amazon

Scaling Your Amazon Business

Posted on February 16, 2022
by Benedict Dohmen

All marketplaces have always been prone to counterfeit, misrepresented, and sub-standard products. That includes Amazon. Amazon gating or brand gating is a measure introduced by the online retail giant to curb this trend and help manufacturers regain control over their products.

Amazon brand gating is one of the most important services available to Amazon FBA sellers. Simply put, it helps Amazon FBA business owners protect their products, their reputation, and customers.

But what is brand gating and why do you need it? Today, we’re taking a deep dive into what brand gating Amazon products entail, why you should do it, and more.

Amazon gating and brand gating

What is gating on Amazon and what does it mean for you as a seller?

Amazon gating is a feature that allows you to prevent unauthorized sellers from listing your products on Amazon. After a simple application process, brand gating on Amazon means that Amazon will screen any retailers who want to sell your products so that they cannot do so without your permission.

Who can apply for brand gating?

Amazon brand gating is a great solution for those who own large brands that are prone to counterfeit products and unauthorized sellers.

While Amazon doesn’t explicitly prohibit certain groups of retailers, you’re more likely to benefit from this feature if you own or operate a well-recognized brand or are a sole distributor of a unique product.

Why do you need to gate your brand on Amazon?

If you don’t set up brand gating on Amazon, customers can end up buying from unofficial retailers and may even receive counterfeit products of poor quality. Furthermore, unofficial third-party resellers can drive your prices down, provide unnecessary competition for your products, and can negatively affect your product ratings.

As you can imagine, this can severely damage your brand’s reputation and potential for future sales.

Being part of Amazon’s list of gated products also gives you complete control over your product listings. This includes the images of your product, the logo, and the description—all essential elements for maintaining brand integrity.

Ultimately, Amazon gated products provide assurance that all the products on the platform, that bear your label or brand, were legitimately made or processed by your manufacturers and meet your minimum quality standards.

How does Amazon brand gating work?

Amazon has a standard enrollment process for brands that want to have their products gated. Once your brand has been approved for brand gating, all resellers who are interested in selling your products on Amazon will have to follow an application process.

This process entails a $1,500 non-refundable fee, written approval from the manufacturer (that’s you), and at least 3 invoices from the last 90 days proving they bought products from you.

It’s a lot to go through and pay for but it’s meant to be that way to discourage unscrupulous resellers and individuals who aren’t serious about doing business with you. Plus, if you’re the brand owner, the $1,500 goes to your pocket—not a bad way to make extra money.

Another great thing about Amazon’s Brand Gating service is that the online platform takes care of screening and reviewing applications. Once you’re enrolled, you don’t have to check Amazon for unauthorized sellers because the new process is meant to protect your brand.

How to gate your brand on Amazon

Interested in becoming one of the Amazon gated brands? Let’s take a look at what it takes:

Pre-requisites

If you’re already a registered Amazon FBA brand, it’s safe to assume that you have a unique ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) and a brand registry URL. You’ll need both for the application process. It also helps if your product ratings are high.

You should also ensure that your brand:

Is registered with the Amazon Brand Registry (one registration per marketplace)
Has a registered trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

DIY application

You can apply to be one of many Amazon gated brands by doing it yourself or with the assistance of a lawyer. Here are the steps if you want to do the application yourself:

Step 1: Get your documents in order

Make sure all your requirements are in order. Here’s a list of the documents you’ll need:

Brand name
Seller ID
Priority ASINs that you want Amazon to gate
Brand website
Cease and desist documentation
Product photography
List of authorized resellers (if any)

Step 2: Submit your documents

To submit your documents, you’ll need to open a case with Amazon. To do this, go to “Brand Registry Support,” then “Report A Marketplace Policy Violation,” then “Other.”

Another way to do this is through Seller Central. Go to “Seller Central Help,” “Get Support,” “Your Account,” then “Other Account Issues.”

Step 3: Wait for the verification process

It can take Amazon up to 2 weeks to complete verification and up to 5 weeks for approval. Not having a complete set of documents can lengthen the process and entail more back-and-forths.

Lawyer-assisted application

You can also tap your legal department to handle the brand gating process. Legal professionals who are well-versed with Amazon brand gating can get you set up quickly and with less hassle.

Depending on your lawyer, this can mean shelling out around $1,000 for their assistance.

How to check if your listings are gated

You’ve gone through the application process and have been approved by Amazon. How do you confirm if your listings have indeed been gated?

Check if your listings reflect a unique identifier like a universal product code (UPC), a European article number (EAN), or a global catalog identifier (GCI). If such identifiers are absent and you instead see an ASIN, it means that your application has yet to be approved.

If you need assistance, you can directly contact Amazon Brand Registry’s help department. Their personnel can update you and can provide reasons if your application has been rejected.

How to increase your chances of getting approved

Since your rating plays a part in the approval process, make sure that your brand is positioned to earn high ratings and impressive sales. Here are a few measures you can undertake:

Check if your listings are optimized

Are your products searchable? Have they been optimized to work with Amazon’s A9 search engine algorithm? The online retail giant provides a powerful way for users to find the products they’re looking for through their search bar.

However, this can only work to your advantage if your listings are optimized across a range of factors that include pricing, product availability, the types of images you use if your listing mentions the brand name and manufacturer, and more.

Learn more about Amazon listing optimization to ensure that you have the best chances of being approved and enjoy profitable listings.

Address quality control issues

Quality control issues are one of the biggest influencers of a product’s rating. If your product receives consistently low ratings for having subpar quality, then you aren’t likely to be approved for brand gating.

Help your ratings to climb higher by listening to your customers, working with your suppliers, and possibly even improving shipping policies to ensure that your product lives up to your customers’ expectations.

Key takeaway

Combating counterfeit and unauthorized selling is a tough and arduous journey for any platform. Amazon has responded by providing a convenient way for original manufacturers to regain control over their products.

If you’re a well-known brand or a small to medium enterprise with unique products, Amazon’s Brand Gating service may just be the answer to your problems. With brand gating, you can control who sells your products and how they’re sold online. More importantly, you can prevent unauthorized sellers from using your brand to sell substandard products that aren’t yours, eliminate unnecessary competition, and boost sales.

Though worth it, brand gating can be a long and complicated process. If you need help with brand gating, listing optimization, and other Amazon-related issues, make sure to contact Amazon and get first-hand information and assistance.

Amazon brand gating is one of the many ways to increase your Amazon FBA brand value and score a higher valuation when you decide to exit your business.

Benitago offers a free business evaluation for businesses who are ready to exit – What is my Business Worth?

Now it is your turn – do you have a question for the Benitago team? Or maybe you want to start a conversation with like-minded individuals? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below!