If youâre seeing a large number of books marked as âRequires Approvalâ after listing or sending them to Amazon FBA, donât panicâthis is more common than it seems, and you still have options.
Sometimes Amazon updates restrictions or flags items after theyâve already been listed or even shipped, so this isnât always something you could have caught beforehand.
Step 1: Confirm Which Items Were Actually Sent
Before taking action, make sure the affected books were actually included in your shipments.
Go to Shipping Queue / Manage Shipments
Open your shipments and review the items inside
đ Important: The approval list may include all listed items, not just what you sent to FBA.
Step 2: Check Item Status in Seller Central
Go to:
âInventory â Manage FBA Inventory
Look for items marked as:
Requires Approval
Stranded
Unfulfillable
This helps you understand which items are affected and what action is needed.
Step 3: Request Approval (If Possible)
For some items, you may still be able to sell them by getting approved.
Click âRequest Approvalâ on the listing
Follow Amazonâs requirements
đ In some cases, approval may be quick or automatic.
Step 4: Create a Removal Order (If Needed)
If you cannot get approval:
Go to Manage FBA Inventory
Select the affected items
Click Create Removal Order
Choose Return to Address (recommended)
â ď¸ This helps avoid automatic disposal and higher fees.
Step 5: Contact Amazon Support
If youâre concerned about fees:
Open a case in Seller Central
Explain that you were unaware the items required approval
đ Amazon may not always waive fees, but itâs worth askingâespecially if this is your first time experiencing this issue.
Additional Options
Once items are returned, you can:
Relist them as FBM (Merchant Fulfilled)
Sell them on other platforms like eBay or AbeBooks
Quick Reminder â
This issue is not uncommon
Always verify which items were actually sent to FBA
Act quickly to avoid unnecessary fees
Removal is usually better than disposal