Today Iâm going to show you the top tips I have on getting ungated in any category on Amazon. These are not guarantees youâll get ungated, but they do increase your chances greatly. Iâve had very strong success with both myself and my clients when using these.
Before you start - Sell as much as you possibly can on Amazon first.
Your chances of getting ungated will increase by 90%. Sometimes, if you have a lot of sales, youâll get ungated automatically, but it depends on the category. Personal healthcare, DVDs and CDs are very difficult categories to get approved in. To up your chances, start off by getting a ton of sales. You can even buy a bunch of cheap items and sell them off quickly to friends and family if you want. Getting a bunch of sales and keeping your account healthy will help a ton. Prove to Amazon you can make money, you know how to treat customers like royalty, and youâll succeed. Focus on whatâs important to Amazon.
Step #1 - Create a new business identity when you apply for ungating.
First, create a manufacturer name. Itâs just a name, as if it was a business, there is no need to incorporate it. If youâre selling tea, it might be called âThe English Tea Store.â Get a separate mailing address and email. Build a website and get a phone number (like a Google Voice phone number). You need to create a new identity as the manufacturer you are going to buy from. You will be the retailer selling it Amazon and also the manufacturer youâre buying from. This is a very standard procedure in the US.
This increases your chances. If Amazon realizes theyâre dealing with a Chinese supplier, they get really picky. Theyâre much more likely to shut you down. So after you create a new business identity, you build a manufacturer website. Hereâs an example of what one may look like.

Notice how at the bottom of the page it has the name of the store, their address, and their phone number. They donât have their email, but you should include one for your manufacturer website.

This site is a little more complicated than I would prefer for a manufacturer website, but the point is to show your manufacturer identity. It doesnât have to have your name on it, or the same email you use on Seller Central. Youâre going to use this to show Amazon you have a legitimate manufacturer. This gives you control over the whole process.
Make sure none of the contact information points back to you, keep it clean and simple, and make sure the information is on the main page of the website.
If you need help building a website, I encourage you to reach out to our team. We have people who can help you do just that for extremely reasonable rates. If youâd rather do it yourself, you can use Shopify. They have a great platform and itâs not hard to do. Donât overcomplicate it: just show the products youâre going to sell, relevant to the category youâre getting ungated in. You donât need a thousand pages of special photos: all Amazon cares about is if it is a legit manufacturer.
Step #2 - Create your own commercial invoice.
Youâll create this with the new manufacturer identity you just created as the manufacturer. It is different than a PI (proforma invoice): this is a commercial invoice. Hereâs an example of what one looks like.

Thereâs the name and contact information of the manufacturer on the top, and on the Bill To section, it has your contact information. Make sure you include an invoice number and a date, these are very important. PIA means paid in advance: there are different payment terms you can use; this one just means you paid for it before they shipped to you.
Youâll fill out the quantity, price per piece, and any shipping or tax rates, and itâll show the total. Since you already paid it, the amount paid should equal the total, and the balance due will be 0.
How do you create this? Use invoicegenerator.com. You can fill it all out very simply and download it, then send several to Amazon as they request.
Step #3 - Write out your brandâs mission
When you submit your application, Amazon will ask for several things. Theyâll ask for you to expound on your companyâs mission an purpose. Make sure you include these three things:
A - Your brandâs mission. Why do you exist? What makes you different?
B - Your commitment to your customers. How are you going to go above and beyond to get them second-to-none royalty treatment? Thatâs very important to Amazon.
C - Thank Amazon for the opportunity. Be respectful, this isnât a fight or war. They care about the experience for the customer, so prove to them you can bring that and youâre thankful, because they donât have to let you sell.
The founder of Amazon wasnât profitable for years. They sacrificed so much to get to where they are today, and for a very long time they earned nothing. Youâre sacrificing right now to get to where you want. They did this before you, so they have the right to set up those rules. Focus on what is valuable to Amazon.
These steps will not guarantee you get approved, only Amazon has that power. But the process has worked effectively many times over and I hope it works again for you. Have an awesome day.