Amazon Brand Registry: Complete Guide to Getting A+ Content Access

What Is Amazon Brand Registry?

Amazon Brand Registry is Amazon's program for brand owners to protect their intellectual property, gain access to enhanced selling tools, and build their brand presence on the platform. Launched in its current form (Brand Registry 2.0) in 2017, it has become an essential step for any serious Amazon seller.

For most sellers, the primary motivation for enrolling in Brand Registry is simple: it unlocks A+ Content. Without Brand Registry, your product descriptions are limited to plain text — no images, no comparison charts, no brand story modules. In a marketplace where competitors are using rich visual content, plain text descriptions put you at a measurable disadvantage.

But Brand Registry provides much more than A+ Content access. Here is what you get:

• A+ Content (Enhanced Brand Content) — Rich media product descriptions
• Amazon Stores — Free multi-page branded storefronts
• Sponsored Brands ads — Headline search ads featuring your brand
• Brand Analytics — Customer search and purchase behavior data
• Project Zero — Automated counterfeit removal
• Transparency — Item-level authentication codes
• Virtual Bundles — Create multi-ASIN bundles without repackaging
• Manage Your Experiments — A/B test A+ Content and titles
• Brand Referral Bonus — 10% rebate on off-Amazon traffic

Brand Registry Requirements

The Trademark Requirement

The most significant requirement — and often the biggest hurdle — is having a registered trademark. Amazon requires:

An active registered trademark in the country where you want to enroll. This means:

• United States: Registered with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office)
• European Union: Registered with EUIPO or a national IP office
• United Kingdom: Registered with UKIPO
• India: Registered with the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks
• Other countries: Registered with the equivalent national trademark authority

Important distinctions:

• Pending trademarks are now accepted through Amazon's IP Accelerator program (more on this below), but a fully registered mark provides the smoothest enrollment path
• The trademark must be text-based (a word mark) or image-based (a design mark) — Amazon accepts both
• The trademark must be active — expired, cancelled, or abandoned trademarks are not accepted
• The trademark must match your brand name as it appears on your products and packaging

Additional Requirements

Beyond the trademark, you need:

• An Amazon Seller Central or Vendor Central account — You must be actively selling or planning to sell on Amazon
• Brand ownership verification — You must be the trademark owner or an authorized agent
• Product images showing your brand name — Photos of your product or packaging clearly displaying the trademarked brand name
• Manufacturing or distribution information — Details about where your products are made and how they are distributed

What If You Do Not Have a Trademark?

If you do not have a registered trademark yet, you have several paths:

Option 1: File for a trademark directly

Filing with the USPTO costs approximately $250-$350 per class through TEAS (Trademark Electronic Application System). The process typically takes:

• Filing to examination: 3-4 months
• Examination to publication: 1-2 months if no issues
• Publication to registration: 3 months (opposition period)
• Total timeline: 8-12 months for a straightforward application

Many sellers use a trademark attorney, which adds $500-$1500 in legal fees but significantly reduces the risk of filing errors or objections.

Option 2: Use Amazon IP Accelerator

Amazon's IP Accelerator program connects you with Amazon-vetted law firms that file your trademark and provide you with Brand Registry access before the trademark is fully registered. This shortcut can get you A+ Content access within weeks rather than months.

Costs: IP Accelerator law firms charge their standard trademark filing fees, typically $600-$2000 depending on the firm and the complexity of your application. There is no additional Amazon fee for the program.

Timeline: You receive Brand Registry access within approximately 2 weeks of filing through an IP Accelerator firm, even though the trademark itself takes months to fully register.

Option 3: Use a pending trademark (limited access)

Amazon has expanded access for sellers with pending trademark applications filed through standard channels. You may receive provisional Brand Registry access, but the full feature set (including A+ Content) may not be available until the trademark registers.

Step-by-Step Enrollment Process

Step 1: Verify Your Trademark Status

Before starting the enrollment, confirm your trademark is registered and active:

• USPTO (US): Search at tsdr.uspto.gov
• EUIPO (EU): Search at euipo.europa.eu
• UKIPO (UK): Search at trademarks.ipo.gov.uk

Note down your trademark registration number — you will need it during enrollment.

Step 2: Access Brand Registry

Go to brandregistry.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon Seller Central credentials. If you have a Vendor Central account, use those credentials instead.

Click Enroll a new brand to start the process.

Step 3: Provide Brand Information

You will be asked for:

• Brand name — Must match your trademark exactly
• Trademark registration number — The number issued by your trademark office
• Trademark office — Select the country where your trademark is registered
• Product categories — The categories where your branded products are listed
• Countries of manufacture and distribution — Where your products are made and sold

Step 4: Submit Verification Materials

Amazon requires images that prove you own and use the brand:

• Product images showing your brand name clearly visible on the product or packaging
• Packaging images with the brand name printed on the actual packaging (not just a sticker)
• Additional materials may be requested, such as invoices, authorization letters, or manufacturing documentation

Tips for verification images:

• Use high-resolution, well-lit photos
• Ensure the brand name is clearly readable
• Show the brand on the actual product, not just marketing materials
• Include multiple angles if the brand name appears in different places

Step 5: Complete Verification

After submission, Amazon sends a verification code to the trademark contact (the person listed as the correspondence contact on the trademark registration). This code must be entered in the Brand Registry enrollment portal.

This step trips up many sellers. The verification code goes to the trademark contact's address on file with the trademark office, not to your Amazon email. If you used a trademark attorney, the code may go to their office. Coordinate with your attorney to obtain this code promptly.

Step 6: Enrollment Confirmation

Once verification is complete, you will receive confirmation of Brand Registry enrollment. A+ Content access is typically activated within 24-48 hours of enrollment confirmation.

Enrollment Timeline: What to Expect

Here is a realistic timeline from start to finish:

For sellers with an existing registered trademark, the entire Brand Registry enrollment process can be completed in as little as one week.

Costs Breakdown

Direct Costs

Ongoing Costs

• Trademark maintenance: US trademarks require maintenance filings between the 5th and 6th year after registration, and then every 10 years. Costs range from $225-$425 per class per filing.
• Brand Registry maintenance: None. Once enrolled, there are no recurring fees for Brand Registry itself.

After Enrollment: Accessing A+ Content

Once your Brand Registry enrollment is confirmed, here is how to access A+ Content:

• Log in to Seller Central
• Navigate to Advertising > A+ Content Manager
• Click Start creating A+ content
• Select the ASIN you want to add A+ Content to
• Choose your modules and begin designing

For a detailed guide on creating effective A+ Content, see our complete A+ Content guide. If you want professional results without the time investment, tools like zonfy generate complete A+ image sets from your product photos in about 90 seconds.

Understanding Your A+ Content Tier

After enrollment, you will have access to Basic A+ Content immediately. This includes:

• 7 content modules per listing
• Standard image and text modules
• Comparison charts
• Brand story module

Premium A+ Content access requires additional qualifications — typically a history of high-quality A+ Content submissions and Brand Story usage. Amazon evaluates sellers for Premium access on a rolling basis. For more details on the differences, see our Premium vs Basic A+ Content comparison.

Common Enrollment Issues and Solutions

"Trademark Not Found" Error

Cause: The trademark registration number you entered does not match Amazon's trademark database.

Fix: Verify you are entering the registration number, not the serial number or application number. In the US, the registration number starts with a number and is issued after the trademark is fully registered. The serial number (starting with 85, 86, 87, 88, 90, or 97) is assigned at filing and is not the registration number.

Verification Code Not Received

Cause: The verification code is sent to the trademark contact on file with the trademark office, which may not be your email.

Fix: Check with your trademark attorney if one was used. If the contact information on your trademark registration is outdated, you may need to update it with the trademark office before reattempting verification. This update process varies by country.

Enrollment Rejected

Cause: Various — inconsistent brand name, unverifiable trademark, or documentation issues.

Fix: Read the rejection reason carefully. The most common fix is ensuring that the brand name in Brand Registry exactly matches the trademark as registered. Even minor differences (capitalization, spacing, punctuation) can cause rejection.

Multiple Trademarks or Brand Names

If you sell under multiple brand names, you can enroll each brand separately in Brand Registry, provided each has its own registered trademark. Each brand enrollment provides independent A+ Content access for products sold under that brand.

Maximizing Your Brand Registry Benefits

Once enrolled, do not stop at A+ Content. Take advantage of the full suite of tools:

Create an Amazon Store. Your free multi-page storefront acts as a brand hub on Amazon. Drive external traffic here to earn the 10% Brand Referral Bonus.

Run Sponsored Brands campaigns. These headline ads feature your brand logo and multiple products, driving traffic to your Store or listings.

Use Brand Analytics. Study search term reports and demographics data to optimize your listings, A+ Content, and advertising strategy.

Enable A/B testing. Once you have A+ Content live, use Manage Your Experiments to test different versions and identify what drives the highest conversion rates.

Brand Registry is the foundation. A+ Content is one of its most impactful features, but the combination of all Brand Registry tools creates a competitive advantage that compounds over time.