On Dec. 13, there will be new GPSR requirements for Amazon sellers. Brush up on these new EU product safety requirements on Amazon and find out what they mean for your business in our latest Amazon product compliance guide.
All across the European Union, retailers are required to comply with stricter rules next year. With the introduction of the new General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), penalties are in store for non-compliant merchants. So, let’s look at these new Amazon EU product safety regulations and how they could affect your business.
In today’s Amazon product compliance guide, we talk about the importance of the new GPSR requirements for Amazon sellers. We outline key measures for Amazon GPSR compliance, documentation, deadlines, and penalties. Also, we reveal some handy tools like the Inventory Data Quality (IDQ) score.
But Amazon’s going one step further. Say hello to Amazon Haul, its own discount storefront. It comes with price tags under $20, 1-2 week delivery, and 15 days to return. For its thriftiest shoppers, it’s also dishing out non-returnable and non-refundable Final Sale items for $3 or less.
Key Requirements of the GPSR for Amazon Sellers
There’s a new General Product Safety Regulation Amazon sellers must abide by. First announced at the beginning of the year, GPSR comes into effect on Dec. 13, 2024. Unless you meet these updated standards, you can face penalties if you try to sell your products on Amazon’s European markets.
Some of the requirements are pretty standard for anyone trying to sell products within the EU. They are mostly to do with the way products are presented and identified. They ensure that dangerous products can be traced back to their source. For instance, you need to:
- The most popular search destination.
- The second most popular shopping app in the world.
- The fourth most valuable brand.
- The fifth largest employer.
Selling on a shopping platform of this scale isn’t easy if you don’t stand out from the competition. That’s where Amazon seller promotions come in. You need them to boost visibility, stimulate sales, reduce overstock, and satisfy shoppers in this bargain-hunting era.
But then there are also a few head-scratchers. These requirements pertain to the way you list your products online. Compliance with these EU product safety requirements on Amazon may involve editing your listings. For instance, if you plan to sell in Europe, Amazon expects you to:
Since April, when it announced the change on the Seller Forums, Amazon has aligned its policies with this regulation. That’s why it launched the Manage Your Compliance dashboard in Seller Central. The Amazon Account Health compliance tool enables:
- Amazon GPSR compliance tracking with compliance status displayed for every item.
- Ready-made complaints templates with all the ASINs that need attention.
- Easy access to the inventory’s compliance history.
- Quick and simple ways to personally address non-compliance issues for every ASIN.
- Real-time compliance alerts and out-of-date or missing document notifications.
- Positive impact on Account Health metrics, as the risk of penalties and account suspensions falls.
- More stable and reliable listings, as well as more eyes on the products.
How the IDQ Report Can Help with Amazon GPSR Compliance
Finding your Inventory Data Quality (IDQ) score is a popular solution for Amazon GPSR compliance. Amazon gives every listing one of these, and several credible sources claim that a score of 90 or above is necessary if you want your item included in the search algorithm.
You can’t get an IDQ (Inventory Data Quality) report from Amazon, but there are plenty of third-party data quality and data profiling agencies that can offer one. The report shows sub-par listings, which may be missing important information, have inaccurate descriptions, or display poor quality images.
However, IDQ reports focus more on listing optimization. So, they may prompt you to use more relevant sub-categories, switch from A+ to Premium A+ content, come up with at least 5 bullet points that are “short and sweet”, opt for high-res images, and boost overall product ratings to more than 3 stars.
So, once you have an IDQ report, you can then tweak your listings to not only comply with Amazon EU product safety regulations, but also improve conversion. But in terms of Amazon GPSR compliance, when it comes to the IDQ report Amazon sellers must zero-in on incomplete and incorrect product details.
10 Tips for GPSR Compliance on Amazon
To comply with these new Amazon EU product safety regulations, exercise due diligence when you list new items. But also check your existing listings to see if any information is missing. If everything’s in order, here is how to comply with Amazon EU product safety regulations in the long run:
- Update your product documentation regularly to show that the items continue to be safe.
- Keep up with the manufacturer’s latest test reports, certifications, and conformity assessments.
- Check GPSR standards regularly, so that you can maintain your Amazon GPSR compliance.
- Be sure to check compliance information on every EU marketplace, as the deadlines for GPSR. requirements for Amazon sellers in the EU may vary from one venue to another.
- As a brand owner, use Brand Registry to enforce product compliance.
- Try to generate a tailored IDQ report for Amazon sellers, as explained above.
- Regularly review reimbursement policy changes and eligibility requirements.
- Keep detailed records of product safety documentation and listing content.
- Use the Listings API to streamline product data management and automate updates.
- Automate data updates to maintain accuracy and minimize manual errors in larger inventories.
Amazon GPSR compliance doesn’t need to be a nuisance. If you apply the tips in our Amazon product compliance guide and spruce up your offers on EU marketplaces, that is. With the right tools and a bit of research, you can make sure that your listings are GPSR-ready and primed for the holiday sales season.
And don’t forget to subscribe to our blog for news, guest posts, and insider tips.
Melanie takes an active interest in all things Amazon. She keeps an eye on the latest developments and keeps Amazon sellers up to speed.