Rules for Amazon approval for selling supplements are notoriously stringent. Don’t be intimidated! That’s actually good news for brands committed to selling transparent, high-quality products! In this post, we’ll cover how to get approved to sell supplements on Amazon.
How to Get Approved to Sell Supplements on Amazon: Submitting Your Dietary Supplements Seller Application
The first thing to know in the process of getting Amazon approval for selling supplements is that Amazon considers the supplement industry to be a “gated category.” In Amazon’s marketplace ecosystem, gated products are high-end or sensitive products that require additional verification and documentation to prevent counterfeits. Buyers know they can have peace of mind about ordering supplements off of Amazon due to the extra diligence that goes into getting these products listed. As a brand or seller attempting to list a product under a gated category, you must satisfy all requirements for seller policies before getting approval to sell supplements on Amazon. That means you need to be ready to “bring your receipts” when it comes to the where, when, and how of your brand’s supplement manufacturing process.
1. Create a Professional Seller Account
Only sellers with paid seller accounts can apply for approval to sell supplements on Amazon. A seller account must also be in good standing. You can then move on to formally applying for Amazon approval for selling supplements. Keep in mind that the approval process can take anywhere from three to five weeks for most new sellers.
2. Submit an Invoice From Your Supplement Manufacturer
Like most supplement sellers, you’re probably planning to use white-label manufacturing to get your product formulated and packaged using a third-party company. Amazon wants you to submit an invoice to verify that you’re obtaining your ingredients from a reputable and certified manufacturer. This invoice must be dated within 90 days of when you’re applying for approval to sell supplements on Amazon. Verify that your invoice contains the name and address matching your Amazon seller account, the name and address of the manufacturer, and the number of units you purchased. A unit quantity of at least 10 is required for Amazon approval for selling supplements to ensure that sellers have adequate stock to begin fulfilling orders.
3. Submit Photos for Amazon Approval for Selling Supplements
Amazon wants to see visual proof that you have reputable products to sell. That’s why sellers are asked to submit product photos with very specific details. These must be “live” and original photos instead of stock photos of identical products. The hack for making sure that you’re taking the right photographs to satisfy requirements for approval to sell supplements on Amazon is to take six pictures of your packaging that cover the face, back, top, bottom, and both sides.
Amazon sellers are required to provide photographs of products that clearly show the name of the product manufacturer. Additionally, all branding, legal, and “batch” details must be clearly displayed. This can include:
- Product name.
- Product number.
- Trademark information.
While Amazon requires clear photos that show how information is displayed on the product, sellers are permitted to include additional photos with their applications. In fact, this may be preferred if the print is hard to read. For example, you can consider taking isolated photos of “just text” from a closer angle. However, these extra photos cannot be used as replacements for the full product photos required for Amazon approval.
4. Provide Final Documentation
There’s one last major step that can make or break the process of how to get approved to sell supplements on Amazon. You may already be aware of the fact that supplements don’t require approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the way that pharmaceutical products do before they can be legally sold. However, supplement safety and efficacy are both overseen by the FDA. As a result, you still need important pieces of documentation before you can legally sell your supplements on Amazon. Here’s what you’ll need to produce.
21 CFR 101.36: Nutritional Labeling of Dietary Supplements
This category dictates the type of information that needs to be placed on a label. It can include serving size, information on dietary ingredients that have a Reference Daily Intake (RDI) or Daily Reference Value (DRV), and information on dietary ingredients that don’t have established RDIs and DRVs. Here’s a link to the government page outlining all of the small details required by law.
21 CFR 111: Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)
This documentation confirms that the products you’re selling have been created using all of the best and accepted processes for manufacturing, packaging, labeling, and holding for dietary supplements. It is considered essential for verifying that you are selling safe, effective products. You can find the government’s full requirements for 21 CFR 111 here.
21 CFR 117: Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)
21 CFR 117 covers requirements related to hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls for human food. Documentation provides details on how a manufacturer handles processes and control, food safety plans, manufacturing operations, warehousing and distribution, defect action levels, validation, and more. With supplements falling under the food-grade category, supplement sellers are held to similar standards as food sellers. Full 21 CFR 117 requirements can be found here.
Beginning the Journey of Learning How to Get Approved to Sell Supplements on Amazon
While the task of assembling all of the verification needed to get Amazon approval for selling supplements can seem daunting at first, the reality is that most brands sail right through the process for one very simple reason. If you’re creating your products with a certified supplement manufacturer, nearly 100% of the documentation required for how to get approved to sell supplements on Amazon will be provided to you. Here at NutraPak USA, we create supplements for countless Amazon and in-store brands at our state-of-the-art facility located in Edison, New Jersey. We’ll be happy to walk you through the steps of how to get approved to sell supplements on Amazon.
We have a nearly limitless selection of ingredients and supplement forms to choose from when building your own brand. We even offer a streamlined, full-service process for helping our clients begin selling private label products on Amazon quickly. Contact us to learn more about having your supplement made at our FDA-approved, GMP-compliant nutritional supplement filling and packaging facility today!