What Can I Sell on Amazon As a New Seller [Without Approval]? 23 Ungated Categories

“What can I sell on Amazon without approval?” This exact question crosses every new Amazon seller's mind at some point.

If you want to start selling on Amazon right away, you need to pick top selling products in categories that don't require approval.

In this article, you'll find a list of 23 categories of products you can sell on Amazon that don't require approval.

You'll also find a list of the most popular open (ungated) categories, too.

What Can I Sell on Amazon As a New Seller Without Approval?

There are lots of products you can sell on the Amazon marketplace without approval. It often depends on the category. And there are tons of categories including Kindle, Beauty, Books, Camera & Photo, Cell Phones & Accessories, Home & Garden, Major Appliances, Musical Instruments, Tools & Home Improvement, and many more.

Each category is divided into subcategories that hold specific products.

There are some profitable categories where sellers don't need approval to sell on Amazon in both the main category and all subcategories. For others, the main category is generally open. However, sellers might need approval for certain subcategories or specific products.

So, as you can see, those new to selling items on Amazon have a ton of options for products you can sell on Amazon without approval.

Open/Ungated Amazon Seller Categories

Make sure to do some research on the guidelines for sellers of each category. But don't worry we got you covered down below – keep reading!

What Is an Ungated Category on Amazon?

To put it simply: ungated categories on Amazon are categories of items that don't require approval to sell, so you can start selling products straight away.

When you begin selling on Amazon, getting approval for gated products can range from being a hassle to downright impossible.

Some ungated categories feature popular and profitable products, too. Many of them are top-selling items.

In addition, good performance in ungated categories makes it easier for you to get approved for gated categories later on.

Find out more in our detailed guide on how to ungated on Amazon.

Gated vs Ungated Categories

To make it easy for you, Amazon has a broad list of categories. Each tells you which ones require approval, which have extra steps to start selling, and which ones require no special process at all.

Why Are Some Categories and Products Restricted?

The reason some products and categories are restricted on Amazon is simple: it's because they want to protect their customers.

As a new seller, Amazon has no idea who you are. Because of this, they don't know if you're trustworthy. Also, they don't know if your products are satisfactory.

As a result, Amazon has placed restrictions on certain product categories. Gated categories are typically categories where it's easier for scammers to sell faulty or fraudulent products.

For example, categories like collectibles and fine art require approval due to the valuable and rare nature of the items.

Here's a quote directly from Amazon:

“We want customers to be able to shop with confidence on Amazon. For certain products, brands, categories, and sub-categories, Amazon requires sellers to obtain approval before listing products for sale. The approval process may include document requests, performance checks, and other qualifications.”

The purpose of gated categories isn't to make it harder for you to have success as an Amazon seller. It's to protect their customers.

Most Profitable Open Categories to Sell on Amazon as a New Seller

There are a lot of great open categories on Amazon that have the potential for massive profits with top-selling items.

If you want to hit the ground running with some of the top Amazon categories, check out this list!

These categories feature some of Amazon's best-selling products and they don't require approval to sell.

The category popularity percentage is from Jungle Scout's 2021 State of the Amazon Seller Report. 

These are some of the most popular open categories.

Of these, which are the most profitable product market niche categories?

Most Profitable Open Amazon Categories

From another study by Jungle Scout, we see that Amazon business owners gain the most profit in the open categories below.

Profit margins are shown in percentages.

As you can see, there is plenty of room for profitability in Amazon's open categories for new sellers.

How to Find the Best Products to Sell on Amazon Without Approval

One of the most time-involved tasks as an Amazon seller is figuring out which products you want to sell.

That is, of course, if you aren't using tools like Jungle Scout to give you a hand.

This web-based app takes important metrics from Amazon. As a result, they help sellers make profitable product decisions. You can use it as a web app or a browser extension or both.

As a new Amazon eCommerce business owner, it's important for you to learn how to find profitable products. You want to be selling products that don't require approval but also haven't overly saturated the site. Finally, they should have consistent buyer demand.

And with Jungle Scout product research software you can do all of those things. Here are some of the top features:

• Opportunity Finder: use this for keyword research to uncover high-demand, low-competition keywords to find and sell products with maximum profit potential.
• Product Tracker: use this to save and monitor product ideas. Track them over time to understand the sales history, monthly sales volumes, whether there is consistent demand, and see how well they sell and perform seasonally.
• View real-time sales data to see how well a product is selling right now. See which products are the top-selling items and analyze their performance to determine strategies for future success.
• Jungle Scout Academy: use this to go beyond the basics and learn all the ins and outs of being a professional seller.

How Do You Get Ungated on Amazon?

So what do you do if you want to sell in the categories that are restricted or require approval?

There are plenty of open categories on Amazon with many top-selling items. However, you can find some of the highest profit margins in gated categories.

Whether you're doing retail arbitrage or own brand, private label selling, you may want to get into a gated category.

Open product categories are great places for those new to selling items on Amazon to start. But, eventually, some sellers will want to get into restricted categories, too.

The process for category and/or subcategory approval may be different. It all depends on which category or type of product it is.

Additionally, there isn't too much competition in restricted categories. This is because most people won't do the extra work to get access to gated products.

Categories that Require Approval

• Automotive & Powersports.
• Collectible Coins.
• Entertainment Collectibles.
• Fine Art.
• Sports Collectibles.
• Video, DVD, & Blu-ray.
• Music.
• Watches.
• Amazon Handmade.
• Gift Cards.

There are additional subcategories in some of the ungated categories that require approval, too.

Selling in Amazon Gated Categories

There is no “one size fits all” method to getting approval for Amazon's restricted categories.

Each restricted category and subcategory has different requirements for approval.

For some categories, it may be as easy as applying for approval. This is because some have automatic approval.

For others, you may have to hit certain metrics, be on a certain seller plan, or more.

Navigate to your desired product category and click on “Seller Guidelines”. Here you can find out how to get approval or who is eligible to sell in it.

How to Apply for Approval

To determine whether or not you are eligible to sell a certain product, log in to your Amazon Seller Account. Then, head to the Amazon Seller Central dashboard.

Next, click the “Inventory” drop-down menu and click “Add a Product”.

Search for the product you want to sell and then select “Listing limitations apply” to the right of the product.

If you see a “Request Approval” button, you can click the button to begin the application process.

Categories like Fine Art are extremely hard to get into because Amazon restricts the number of sellers in this category.

Amazon categories that are not accepting new sellers or applications will have a highlighted yellow note at the top of the page.

Final Thoughts

By now you know what you can sell on Amazon without approval – and the opportunities abound.

There are a handful of restricted categories on Amazon. However, the reality is that some of the most profitable products live in the ungated categories!

If product research in the open categories feels overwhelming, I highly recommend Jungle Scout.

Jungle Scout was made by Amazon sellers for Amazon sellers. It has so many tools, resources, and education for every step of your Amazon selling journey.

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