Brand Gating and Authorizations

This page explains brand gating: which brands require authorization, the two ways to prove you may sell a gated brand, how approval and expiry work, and the mistakes that lead to suppression. This page summarizes the Brand Gating Policy (Sellers) (Brand Gating Policy (Sellers)), which governs.

What brand gating is

Some brands may be listed only by sellers who have proved they are authorized to sell them. There are two proof paths

1. Purchase order: a purchase order or invoice from the brand owner, the manufacturer, or a distributor the brand owner recognizes, showing that you legitimately sourced the goods.
2. Manufacturer authorization: a written authorization from the brand owner or manufacturer naming you as an authorized reseller.

You upload the evidence with your authorization request, and the Company reviews it.

Brand gating applies to marketplace sellers only. It does not apply to products sold by the Company itself, which are shown as "Sold by Pawz Shop." If you are a marketplace seller, the gate applies to you, with no exceptions.

How gating works

1. You prepare to list a product under a gated brand, or a brand you already list becomes gated.
2. The listing cannot go active without a current, approved authorization for that brand: approved, with today's date inside its validity window.
3. Submit your evidence: a purchase order or an authorization letter: through the brand authorization flow.
4. The Company reviews the request. Approval opens the gate for that brand. A denial states what is missing.

Authorizations expire. When the expiry date passes, your listings for that brand are suppressed. Track your renewal dates yourself; a lapsed authorization can suppress your best-selling brand's listings until it is renewed.

The purchase order path, done right

The purchase order must evidence legitimate sourcing: from the brand owner, the manufacturer, or a distributor the brand owner recognizes: not a wholesaler several steps removed from the brand. Quantities on the document should be consistent with what you list; a purchase order for 12 units does not support a listing showing 500 units in stock. Keep your purchase orders organized and current, because re-verification happens, and a statement that your supplier holds the evidence is not evidence.

The authorization path, done right

A manufacturer authorization must name you, specifically, as authorized to resell the brand. It must carry your business name and the brand, and a signature from a person at the brand owner or manufacturer with authority to grant it. A general letter about the brand's wholesale program, addressed to no one in particular, does not meet the standard. Check the expiry date on the authorization itself: some are annual: and make sure the expiry recorded with the Company matches it.

What gets sellers in trouble

• Listing first, authorizing later. The listing is suppressed, not activated, and the suppression is recorded on your account. Submit the authorization first.
• Sourcing that does not trace back to the brand. If your purchase order chain does not reach the brand owner or an authorized distributor, the authorization is denied. If the goods are counterfeit, the Counterfeit Policy for Sellers applies, which is at the severe end of enforcement under the Seller Enforcement Policy.
• Letting authorizations lapse. Set a renewal reminder for every authorization.
• Assuming the gate does not apply to you. It applies to every marketplace seller.

Related documents: the Brand Registry Policy (Sellers) (Brand Registry Policy (Sellers)) governs the registry of brands, the Trademark Policy governs use of brand marks, and listing obligations generally are stated in the Selling Terms of Service.