Eligibility Requirements to Run Ads on Amazon

Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce platforms that provides major business competition in the business environment with other e-commerce sites. As seen in the studies within the industry, Amazon is seen to possess 37.6 percent of the market share of the total online sales in the US. Therefore, the idea of marketing on Amazon is critical when a business seeks to grow in the business environment.

One may promote their products via Amazon Ads in such a way that their products appear on the first page of search results. But before one uses Amazon Ads to promote their products, it is necessary to understand the requirements of marketing their products.

Basic Eligibility Requirements for All Amazon Ads

Before launching any campaigns, many sellers rely on Amazon PPC services to ensure proper setup and strategy. Here are the basic eligibility requirements for all Amazon Ads.

1. Account for Professional Sellers

Amazon offers merchants two options:

• Individual Plan: Free plan allowing up to 40 listings/month.  Each listing costs $0.99.
• Does  NOT qualify for Amazon Ads.
• Professional Plan: Cost of subscription is $39.99 per month in US dollars. There is no limit to the number of items that can be posted; it also allows access to all functions in Seller Central, which includes Sponsorship.

This is one of the general policy requirements for sponsored ads across all types of sponsored ads.

2. Active Account in Good Standing

Your Seller Central account must be active and in good standing. This means:

• No active policy violations or account suspensions
• Your account must comply with all Amazon Seller Policies
• Products must be listed and available for sale
• Payment method must be valid and up to date

3. Nationwide Shipping Capability

To advertise on Amazon, you will need the capability to ship your products across all regions where you sell. This mainly applies to FBM sellers who use outside carriers to ship their goods. FBA sellers do not have to worry about meeting this condition because the shipping is done through Amazon.

Requirements for Amazon Sponsored Products Advertisements

Requirements for Amazon Sponsored Products Advertisements. Another common form of advertising is the sponsored products ad campaign. An effective way to run product advertising involves much more than simply choosing a product and setting a budget. Sellers need to pay attention to keyword analysis, bidding techniques, and optimization efforts to succeed. An Amazon PPC campaign strategy is an essential component that helps sellers achieve their goals.

1. Buy Box Requirement

A sponsored product listing needs to have the Buy Box (‘Add to Cart’). In case there is no buy box on your product listing page, here are some possible reasons:

• Your account health score must be strong
• Price must be competitive relative to other sellers
• Your listing must be active and in stock
• Contact Amazon Seller Support if the Buy Box doesn’t appear despite meeting criteria

2. Product Condition

For any Amazon Sponsored Product listing to be considered, it must be for a new item. Any product that is refurbished, used, or collectible cannot qualify for a Sponsored Product Listing.

3. Product Categories Available for Amazon Sponsored Products Ad Campaigns

The product categories offered for Sponsored Products Ad Campaigns include:

• Appliances
• Automotive
• Arts, Crafts, and Sewing
• Baby Products
• Beauty
• Consumer packaged goods 
• Mobile and accessories
• Clothing and accessories
• Collectibles
• Computer and electronics
• Fine art and Furniture
• Grocery and Gourmet Food
• Health and Personal Care Products
• Home and Kitchen
• Industrial and Scientific
• Luggage
• Movies and TV
• Music and Musical Instruments
• Office products
• Patio, Lawn, Home, and Garden
• Pet Supplies
• Shoes
• Sports and Collectibles
• Software
• Tools and Home Improvement
• Toys and Games
• Video Games
• Watches

Requirements for Amazon Sponsored Brands Advertising Campaign

If you want to create advertisements for sponsored brands, you should understand how different formats, such as Amazon Sponsored Products vs Sponsored Brand Ads, differ before choosing the right ad format for your business. After that, you need to register your brand with Amazon Brand Registry. These ads display the brand logo, custom headline, and products. Here are the criteria:

1. Brand Registry Requirement

To run Sponsored Brands Ads, you must enroll your brand in Amazon Brand Registry. This requires:

• A trademark for your brand that is either pending or registered
• An active trademark in the country where you want to advertise
• Your products must bear your brand name or logo

Once your brand is approved in Brand Registry, you can access the full suite of Sponsored Brands features.

2. At Least Three Active ASINs Needed

For launching an ad campaign for sponsored brands, you will need to have a minimum of three ASINs for the same. If you are planning to run ad videos for sponsored brands, then you will require just one ASIN.

3. Active Brand Store

To link your Sponsored Brands ad to a destination, you need an active Amazon Store (Brand Store). This is a free multi-page storefront available to Brand Registry sellers.

4. Relevant Product Categories for Sponsored Brands

Your products should belong to one or more of the following categories:

• Apparel & Accessories
• Automotive Parts & Accessories
• Baby
• Beauty
• Books
• Electronics
• Grocery & Gourmet Food
• Health & Beauty
• Home & Garden
• Jewelry
• Luggage & Travel
• Music
• Office Supplies
• Pet Supplies
• Shoes
• Sports & Outdoors
• Toys
• Video Games
• Watches

Amazon Sponsored Display Ad Eligibility Requirements

Sponsored Display Ads allow sellers to retarget customers both on and off Amazon. This ad type has more flexible eligibility compared to Sponsored Brands.

Who Can Run Sponsored Display Ads?

• Professional sellers enrolled in Amazon’s Seller Central
• Vendors (1P sellers) using Vendor Central
• Enrollment in the Brand Registry is not necessary.
• Non-endemic brands (brands not selling on Amazon) can also use Sponsored Display via Amazon DSP

Key Requirements

• Your product must be in stock and active at the time of running ads
• Products have to fall within the appropriate categories
• FBA and FBM sellers both qualify

Targeting Options Available

Sponsored Display offers two targeting strategies:

• Product Targeting: Target specific products or categories on Amazon.
• Audience Targeting: Re-engage shoppers who viewed your product but did not purchase.

Eligibility Criteria for Amazon Sponsored TV Ads

Sponsored TV is one of Amazon’s newest ad formats, allowing brands to run streaming video ads on Amazon’s owned-and-operated channels.

Requirements

• Enrollment in the Amazon Brand Registry is required
• Only available in the US market at this time
• Requires a Professional Seller or Vendor account
• Must have a video creative (15–30 seconds recommended)
• No minimum spend self-serve via the Amazon Ads console

Where Ads Appear

• Amazon Freevee is a free streaming service
• Twitch (Amazon-owned gaming/streaming platform)
• Fire TV apps and channels
• IMDb TV

Eligibility and Description of Amazon DSP (Demand Side Platform)

Amazon DSP is defined as a system for placing programmatic ads and allows you to purchase both display and online and offline video advertisements. It is Amazon’s best advertising method.

Who is Eligible for Amazon DSP?

• Sellers on Amazon (first-party sellers, third-party sellers)
• Non-endemic advertisers (advertisers whose products are not found on Amazon, like the automobile sector, telecommunications brands, etc.)
• Ad agencies that place ads on Amazon for their clients

Two Methods for Utilizing Amazon DSP

• Self-Service DSP: In this scenario, your campaign will be placed on Amazon through the Amazon Ads interface.
• Managed Service DSP: In this case, your campaigns will be placed directly by Amazon. The only thing you need here is a minimum budget of around $10,000 USD.

Important Amazon DSP Features

• Usage of Amazon’s customer data
• Target people who have seen or bought your item
• Find customers on numerous third-party websites and mobile apps
• Audience metrics and reporting

Quick Comparison: Amazon Ad Types at a Glance

Promoting your products on Amazon is one of the simplest ways to maximize your profits from the platform. However, selecting the right advertising methods is crucial for achieving successful marketing results. Every type of advertisement plays an important role, as each serves a specific purpose. For example, certain forms of advertising may focus on promotion, while others may be more geared toward lead generation.

AD Type	Brand Registry	Seller Type	Minimum Products
Sponsored Products	Not Required	Professional Seller	1 ASIN
Sponsored Brands	Required	Professional Seller	3 ASIN
Sponsored Display	Not Required	Seller / Vendor	1 ASIN
Sponsored TV	Required	Seller / Vendor	1 Video AD
Amazon DSP	Not Required	Any / Non- Endemic	N/A

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Low conversion rates may not only be attributed to ineffective advertisements but may also be due to the poor optimization of product listings. Improving the quality of product listings by incorporating Amazon A+ content design will help create trust and convert leads into customers.

Buy Box Not Showing on Your Listing?

That’s the reason why you cannot advertise your Sponsored Products ad. Solutions to this problem include:

• Ensure you have an attractive price (Amazon always considers the product that offers a lower price)
• Check your Seller Metrics, make sure your Order Defect Rate is below 1%
• Make sure your listing is not suppressed or incomplete
• Contact Seller Support via Seller Central > Help > Contact Us

What If Amazon Brand Registry Is Rejected?

• Make sure your trademark is active and hasn’t expired yet
• The trademark should match your brand name
• Reapply after addressing the rejection reason from Amazon’s Brand Registry team

Can Ads Run When My Account is Suspended?

No, because when an account is suspended, any running ads will be automatically turned off. An advertiser has to go through the Plan of Action procedure to have the account restored.

Conclusion

There is no shortage of ways in which Amazon Advertising can help you get more exposure, traffic, and sales. The first thing to do is to check if you are eligible in accordance with the eligibility requirements. It might be that to get advanced forms of advertising, such as sponsored brands and Amazon DSP, you have to qualify by becoming a professional seller or meeting the other requirements. With this knowledge, you can learn what not to do while making your ads.