The Ultimate Amazon Ungating Tutorial

Get Approved. Unlock More Leads. Make More Sales.

Getting ungated on Amazon can feel like trying to crack a secret code — but once you know the steps, it’s honestly not that deep. This guide is your step-by-step blueprint to get ungated fast, using proven methods that real sellers use every day.

Whether you’re flipping leads from the list or building your own sourcing flow, ungating opens the doors to more profitable and less competitive products.

Summary

• Set up a wholesale account (Frontier, EE Distribution, etc.)
• Order 10+ units of a product in the gated category/brand
• Submit the invoice via Seller Central
• If rejected, tweak and resubmit (it might take 2–3 tries)
• Once ungated, you can sell tons more high-profit leads

🔓 What Does “Ungating” Mean?

Some categories and brands on Amazon are restricted, meaning you can’t sell them unless you get approved — aka “ungated.”

Amazon does this to protect customers and brands from bad sellers and counterfeits. But good news: as long as you’re sourcing from a real distributor and follow the process, you can absolutely get ungated.

Here’s the basic formula:

1. Buy from a legit wholesale supplier
2. Get an invoice with 10+ units of the same product
3. Submit it to Amazon for approval

Done right, this unlocks categories like Grocery, Beauty, Health, and brands like Lego, Nike, Hasbro, and more.

🛒 Step 1: Set Up a Wholesale Account

Amazon doesn’t accept receipts from retail stores like Walmart or Target. You need to order from a wholesale distributor or brand-authorized wholesaler.

Here are some solid go-to options:

✅ Frontier Co-op

• Free account, instant access
• Great for Grocery, Health, and Beauty
• Invoices work perfectly for ungating
• Easy to use, even for beginners

✅ EE Distribution

• Best for Toys, Lego, Hasbro, etc.
• May ask for resale cert
• Legit, works well for brand ungating

Other honorable mentions:

• KEHE (Grocery)
• HBA Wholesale (Beauty)
• AB Sound (Electronics)
• East Coast MMA (Sportswear)

Pro tip: Start with Frontier. It’s the easiest to set up and gets you into high-ROI categories fast.

📦 Step 2: Place an Order (At Least 10 Units)

Amazon wants to see you’re a real seller, so you’ll need to place an order for at least 10 units of ONE product. Make sure it’s:

• Authentic
• Matchable to an ASIN on Amazon
• From a known distributor (not retail)
• On an invoice that shows your business name and address, matching your Amazon account

Examples:

• To ungate Grocery: buy 10x bags of organic tea from Frontier
• To ungate Lego: buy 10x small Lego sets from EE Distribution
• To ungate Beauty: 10x shampoos or skincare from Frontier or HBA

You don’t have to sell these products (though you can)—this is about getting your foot in the door.

🧾 Step 3: Submit the Invoice to Amazon

Once your order ships and your invoice is available (usually PDF), go to:

Seller Central > Catalog > Add Products > Search the ASIN > Apply to Sell

Amazon will either:

• ✅ Auto-approve you
• 📥 Ask for invoice and documentation
• ❌ Deny your request (don’t panic)

If you get the invoice prompt:

1. Upload the invoice (PDF preferred)
2. Add a product photo if asked (just snap a pic of what you received)
3. Click submit

Amazon usually replies in 24–72 hours.

💡 What If You Get Rejected?

Don’t freak out. Even when you do everything right, Amazon might still reject your request. It’s frustrating but very normal.

The trick is to just keep trying. A lot of sellers get approved after the second or third submission—even with the exact same invoice.

Before you resubmit, double-check:

• ✅ Did you buy 10+ units of the same product?
• ✅ Is the supplier wholesale, not retail?
• ✅ Does the invoice match your Amazon business name/address?
• ✅ Is the product name clear and matchable to an ASIN?

Still getting denied? Try:

• Using a different ASIN (same brand/product, different variation)
• Calling Amazon Seller Support to ask for clarification
• Submitting another invoice from a different product

🗣️ Script for Seller Support:
“Hi, I submitted an invoice to get ungated in [brand or category], and I’d like to understand why it was rejected. Can you help me with that?”

Support agents sometimes approve it on the spot or give clear feedback to fix it.

⚡ Pro Tips

• 🛑 Don’t submit retail receipts. Amazon rejects those.
• 📝 Don’t edit invoices yourself. Ask the supplier to correct errors.
• 🧾 Always make sure the invoice has: date, supplier info, your business info, quantity, and product name.
• 🧠 You only need to do this once per category or brand. Once you’re in, you’re in.
• 🎯 Use Frontier for easy ungating in Grocery/Beauty—super beginner-friendly.

💰 Is It Worth It?

Absolutely.
Most profitable categories are gated—especially for Online Arbitrage.

Once you’re ungated:

• You’ll unlock 5–10x more lead opportunities
• Less competition
• Higher ROI
• Easier to scale

Even if you spend $100–200 on products just to ungate, the long-term ROI is massive.