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Amazon can request sellers to provide a Certificate of Compliance (COC) as part of product compliance checks, or if they need third-party confirmation that a product complies with a certain standard or other requirement.
That said, many different types of documents can be considered Certificates of Compliance. This guide explains what these certificates are and what you can do to obtain one.
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What is a Certificate of Compliance?
A Certificate of Compliance can be a self-issued or third-party issued document that indicates if a product is compliant. There are essentially two types of such certificates:
1. Compliance certificates that are required by legislation
2. Voluntary certificates issued by a third-party (indicating compliance with regulations, standards, or other requirements).
Certificate of Compliance Examples
The table below lists various types of documents that may fall within the definition of a Certificate of Compliance.
| Title | Description |
| Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) | Mandatory certificate that must be issued by manufacturers and importers of children’s products in the US |
| General Certificate of Conformity (GCC) | Mandatory certificate that must be issued by manufacturers and importers of general-use products in the US |
| Declaration of Conformity (DoC) | Mandatory declaration that must be issued by manufacturers for CE marked products in the EU |
| EC-Type Examination Certificate | Mandatory certificate issued by a notified body for certain products in the EU |
| Voluntary Certificate | Third-party entities can issue so-called “voluntary certificates” declaring a product compliant with certain regulations, standards, or other requirements |
| Ingredient Certificate | Third-party issued certificate stating that a product contains certain ingredients, or that the ingredient label is compliant |
| Label Review Certificate | Third-party-issued certificate indicating if a product label is compliant |
| Letter of Compliance | A letter declaring that a product is compliant with certain requirements and referencing supporting documentation |
Why does Amazon require Certificates of Compliance?
Amazon can request certificates of compliance as part of a regular compliance check when products are listed, or when it investigates a particular product.
For example, issuing a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC) is mandatory when selling children’s products in the United States. As such, Amazon reviews CPCs as part of the compliance check.
There are also instances when Amazon needs a certificate issued by a trusted third-party that declares a certain product or label as compliant. However, there are two issues facing Amazon:
a. It would be risky to trust sellers to declare their own products and labels as compliant
b. Reviewing all products and labels in-house would be very expensive for Amazon
Amazon can thus reduce the risk of non-compliant products being sold on their marketplaces by requesting a certificate that is issued based on a third-party assessment.
Which products require a Certificate of Compliance?
We have not seen a definitive list of products for which Amazon requires a Certificate of Compliance. That said, we’ve received reports from our readers involving the following products and categories:
- Children’s products
- General use products
- Electronics
- Food products
- Cosmetics
Why does Amazon reject Certificates of Compliance?
Amazon may reject a certificate for several reasons:
1. The certificate does not contain the required information
2. The company name does not match
3. The model/SKU does not match your product
4. It does not cover all relevant regulations or standards
5. Supporting documents (i.e., test reports) are missing or incorrect
How do I get a Certificate of Compliance?
When it comes to third-party certificates, you may generally have the following options:
- Testing and certification companies (i.e., TUV Rheinland)
- Law firms and consultants
- Other service providers
They normally provide a PDF certificate that you can then submit to Amazon.
Can I get a Certificate of Compliance from my supplier?
No, it is unlikely that Amazon would accept a supplier-issued certificate. That said, there are instances where Amazon may request a Letter of Compliance from a supplier.
How much does a Certificate of Compliance cost?
The cost depends on the scope of the certificate. Here are some cost examples:
- Label review: 100 to 500 USD
- Ingredients review: 100 to 200 USD
hi Fredrik,
I need a EC Certificate of Conformity for a board game aimed at teenagers and adults for Amazon UK.. The game is just a board, question cards and dice. It has the CE mark and was manufactured by a company in Hong Kong. can you recommend a UK firm who can help me.
Many thanks, Jessica
Hi Jessica,
Well in that case you will need to contact a Notified Body. My guess is that the CE marking is based on the Toy Safety Directive in this case (if not you need to clarify).
You can find notified bodies here:
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/nando/index.cfm?fuseaction=directive.pdf&refe_cd=2009%2F48%2FEC&requesttimeout=900
I am not sure if the EU accepts notified bodies in the UK though.
Hello Fedrick, I am trying to sell jewellery on Amazon and I have received notification from amazon stating the following:
REACH compliance: Heavy metals in articles
Declaration of REACH Conformity OR REACH heavy metals test reports
Please can you shed some light how I can go about resolving the issue. The supplier confirms it meats all requirements but unable to provide anything. Thankyou.
Hello and thank you for this Helpful Information.
I am in need of a list of a few companies that can issue a COC for pet supplements, for my US amazon products qualifications, can you please provide a few other companies that offer the Label COC in the US? ( the first link to Food Label cheack is not safe and its US based, I need a USA based company)
Thank you!
Once you receive the product compliance certification, what is the process for Amazon to know that we have the proper certification?
Hi Carlo,
They can either require submission when listing a new product or request compliance documents after a product has been listed.
Hi Dan,
I sell silver jewellery on Amazon for 5+ years and today they have changed the status of my inventory to “Detail Page Missing”, and are asking for a “Letter of Compliance”.
I am trademarked in the UK / EU and am also the manufacturer of jewellery I sell on Amazon, hence I don’t have any supplier.
Can you please help with the template of the letter of compliance, not sure what information is required. I have been struggling to close this for a month now
Hi Manjari,
I need to know what exactly they want. Did they give you any other details?
Hello. I need the COC and CPSC for an ASIN. Do you provide the service?
Hi Jenn,
CPSC? Are you referring to a CPC perhaps?
Hi Fredrik
Will You Please Suggest any Third Party in UK who can give us Certificate of Compliance for a food Product Label.
Kind Regards
Mukesh
Hi Mukesh,
What exactly did Amazon ask you to provide?
Hoping you can help me. I sell
Xmas nesting dolls. They are not toys and I state this on the boxes, according to the uk government website an item which is a decorative seasonal item, is not classed as a toy. Unfortunately Amazon keep
Saying it’s a toy and they are asking me for compliance document. I only sell in the uk. I don’t know who to go to? Can you help.
Hi Charis,
If Amazon classifies this product type as a toy then I don’t think there’s any way around it.
Keep in mind that the importer/manufacturer cannot decide what is a toy or not entirely on their own. There are definitions.
Which documents are they asking for? EN 71 test reports and DoC?
Hi,
I found your website is helpful to sort out my issue. I have Amazon product that need to get approval for certificate of compliance (COC) and requesting for CPSC documentation. My product is Car seat cover with Pregnancy seat belt adjuster. As supplier is constantly saying product is just seat cover so have not done test report. Hence I cannot get these documentation from the supplier. How and what you recommend for this situation.
Very much appreciated for your advice.
Thanks
Cheers
Dan
Hello Dan,
First of all, don’t take advice from your supplier. They have no clue, and they will not compensate you in case you face a product recall.
You could start by contacting the CPSC small business ombudsman and then a testing company like QIMA or TUV.
Hi Dan,
I’m trying to list a similar product but my ASIN got removed because Amazon thinks it’s a restricted item although it’s not listed as a restricted product.
Have you had any success yet? I desperately need advice.
Thanks
Albert