How to Set Up Amazon Brand Registry: Step by Step for UK and US Sellers

Why This Matters Before Anything Else

Over 800,000 brands are now enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry worldwide. Christurtonecommerce

That number keeps growing for a good reason.

Without Brand Registry, anyone can edit your listing. A competitor can change your title. A counterfeit seller can piggyback on your reviews. Your A plus Content does not exist. Your Brand Analytics data is invisible to you.

Brand Registry is no longer optional for serious sellers. It is your gateway to brand protection tools, enhanced content features, and competitive intelligence that can increase conversions by 5 to 10% while defending your listings from hijackers and counterfeiters. Nova Analytics

This guide walks you through exactly what you need, what the process looks like, and what to avoid so your application does not get rejected.

What Amazon Brand Registry Actually Gives You

Before going through the setup steps, understand what you are actually unlocking.

Brand Protection

Report and remove counterfeit listings
Block unauthorised listing edits with Brand Catalog Lock
File IP complaints against sellers misusing your brand
Access the Counterfeit Crimes Unit for serious violations

Enhanced Content

A plus Content on all your product listings
Premium A plus Content modules at no extra cost
Amazon Brand Storefront to house your full product range
Enhanced brand content that improves conversion rate

Data and Intelligence

Brand Analytics showing search term frequency data
Repeat purchase rate by ASIN
Customer demographics and purchase behaviour
Search query performance reports

Advertising

Sponsored Brands campaigns above search results
Sponsored Display retargeting
Amazon Posts for social-style content

Amazon has also strengthened its ecosystem with Project Zero, Transparency, the Counterfeit Crimes Unit, and a new Brand Catalog Lock system that stops unauthorised listing edits and content changes. Christurtonecommerce

All of this is locked behind Brand Registry. None of it is available to unregistered sellers.

What You Need Before You Apply

This is where most brand owners hit their first problem.

You cannot apply for Brand Registry without a trademark. There is no workaround. No amount of invoices, packaging images, or brand history substitutes for it.

Here is exactly what qualifies.

The Trademark Requirement

For US sellers:

Your trademark needs to be registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It must be either live and active on the principal register or have a live pending application filed on the principal register. B&Q

For UK sellers:

Your trademark must be registered with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). Post-Brexit, a UK trademark is separate from an EU trademark. If you previously relied on an EU trademark for UK Brand Registry, that no longer applies.

For both markets:

The trademark for your brand must be in the form of a text-based mark, known as a word mark, or an image-based mark with words, letters, or numbers, known as a design mark. SellerApp

A logo-only trademark with no text does not qualify.

The Brand Name Match Requirement

This one catches a lot of sellers off guard.

Your brand name must match the trademark text exactly. If your application says NorthPeak but the trademark says North Peak, Amazon flags that. Supplykick

Check the exact spelling, spacing, and capitalisation on your trademark certificate before submitting. It must be identical to what appears on your Amazon application.

The IP Accelerator Option

Do not have a registered trademark yet?

Amazon offers a route called IP Accelerator. This is a programme that connects brand owners with Amazon-approved law firms who can file trademark applications at reduced rates.

Once a pending trademark application is filed through IP Accelerator, you can apply for Brand Registry before the trademark is fully registered. The full protection features unlock once the trademark is granted, but you get access to some Brand Registry tools in the interim.

Trademark registration in the US typically takes 8 to 12 months. In the UK it typically takes 4 to 6 months. Starting your trademark application early is one of the most commercially sensible decisions a new brand can make.

Documents and Assets to Prepare

Before starting your application, gather everything on this list:

Required

Trademark registration number or application number
Country of trademark registration
Trademark registration date or application filing date
Brand name exactly as it appears on the trademark

Product Images

Upload photos showing permanent branding on product or packaging. Supplykick

The keyword here is permanent. Amazon will not accept:

Sticker labels that could be removed or replaced
Hang tags that are not physically attached to the product
Photoshop mockups or rendered product images
Images where the brand name is not clearly visible

What Amazon does accept:

Brand name printed directly onto product packaging
Embossed or stamped branding on the product itself
Printed labels that are permanently adhered to packaging
Clear photos of the actual physical product, not renders

Website or Distribution Information

Amazon may ask for a website URL or other evidence of commercial brand presence. A simple brand website showing the product and brand name helps.

Step by Step: How to Apply for Amazon Brand Registry

Step 1: Go to Brand Services

Visit brandservices.amazon.com and sign in with the Amazon account tied to the trademark owner. Supplykick

This is important. The account you use to sign in should be the account associated with the brand owner, not a third-party seller account or an agency account.

If you have a Seller Central account, use those credentials. If you do not have a Seller Central account yet, you can create a free account on the Brand Registry site.

Step 2: Start Your Brand Enrollment

Click “Enroll a Brand” on the Brand Registry dashboard.

You will be asked to select the trademark office where your trademark is registered.

For UK sellers: Select Intellectual Property Office (UK).
For US sellers: Select United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Step 3: Enter Your Trademark Details

Enter your active trademark registration number, the country where your trademark is registered, and the registration date. You will also need to upload an image with your registered trademark logo. B&Q

Fill in:

Brand name exactly as it appears on the trademark
Trademark registration number or application number
Trademark office that issued the trademark
Product categories your brand sells in

Be precise here. Any discrepancy between your application and the official trademark record will trigger a rejection.

Step 4: Upload Product Images

This is the step that gets the most applications rejected.

Amazon needs to see your brand name permanently displayed on a physical product or its packaging. Take clear, well-lit photographs of:

The front of your product packaging showing the brand name
The product itself if the brand name is printed or embossed on it
Multiple angles if the brand name appears on different surfaces

Do not use stock images. Do not use renders. Use real photographs of the actual physical product you sell.

Step 5: Complete Verification

Amazon may contact a public email or phone number associated with the trademark and send a verification code. Respond to complete enrollment. Supplykick

Amazon verifies that the person submitting the application has a legitimate connection to the trademark. This is done by sending a verification code to the contact details listed on the trademark registration.

This is why the contact information on your trademark registration needs to be current and accessible. If the email address on your USPTO or UKIPO filing is an old address you no longer access, update it before applying.

Step 6: Wait for Approval

Approval usually takes around two weeks, but timing can vary. Supplykick

During this period, Amazon reviews your application against the trademark record. You may receive follow-up requests for additional information or clarification. Respond to these promptly. Leaving a follow-up request unanswered delays the process significantly.

You will receive an email notification when your Brand Registry enrollment is approved.

UK-Specific Considerations

If you are a UK seller, there are a few things that apply specifically to your situation.

Post-Brexit Trademark

An EU trademark registered before Brexit covered the UK automatically. That is no longer the case. If you registered an EU trademark before 2020, you should have received an equivalent UK trademark automatically as part of the Brexit transition. If you are not sure whether you have a valid UK trademark, check the UKIPO trademark register before applying.

UKIPO Trademark Application Timeline

UK trademark applications typically take 4 to 6 months from filing to registration, assuming no objections are raised. If you need Brand Registry access sooner, use the IP Accelerator programme to file a pending application and access interim Brand Registry benefits while you wait for the trademark to be granted.

VAT Registration

Not directly related to Brand Registry but worth noting. UK Brand Registry enrolment is separate from VAT compliance. Both are required for UK marketplace operations. Do not confuse the two.

US-Specific Considerations

USPTO Application Timeline

US trademark registration takes 8 to 12 months in most cases, sometimes longer if an office action is issued by the USPTO requiring a response. Plan this timeline into your Amazon launch strategy rather than treating it as a parallel process.

Principal Register vs Supplemental Register

Your trademark must be on the principal register. A trademark on the supplemental register does not qualify for Amazon Brand Registry. B&Q

If your trademark attorney filed on the supplemental register as an interim step, your application will be rejected. Confirm which register your trademark is on before applying.

State Trademarks

Only federal USPTO trademarks qualify. State-level trademark registrations do not qualify for Brand Registry, regardless of the state.

What Brand Registry Does Not Do

This is important because many sellers enrol expecting protection that Brand Registry does not actually provide.

Many sellers assume Brand Registry prevents hijackers or gives total control over listings. That is not true. eGrowthPartners

Brand Registry does not:

Automatically remove all unauthorised sellers from your listings
Prevent competitors from creating listings for similar products
Give you the ability to remove sellers of genuine grey market products
Guarantee that all counterfeit listings are removed immediately

Brand Registry does:

Give you tools to report and request removal of counterfeit and inauthentic listings
Provide enhanced listing control that makes it harder for unauthorised sellers to change your content
Speed up the investigation process for IP violations compared to non-registered brands
Give access to the Brand Catalog Lock which prevents unauthorised content changes

The distinction matters. Brand Registry is a set of tools that require active use. It is not a passive shield.

Common Reasons Applications Get Rejected

Save yourself the delay of a rejected application by avoiding these mistakes.

Brand name mismatch

The name on your application does not match the trademark exactly. Check spacing, capitalisation, and punctuation character by character.

Wrong trademark type

A logo-only trademark without text does not qualify. The trademark must include text.

Unacceptable product images

Submitting photos of stickers, tags, or mockups instead of permanent branding is one of the most common rejection causes. Use real product photographs showing the brand name permanently on the product or packaging. Supplykick

Verification code not received

The email or phone number on the trademark registration is outdated. Update your trademark contact details before applying.

Supplemental register trademark (US)

Ensure your USPTO trademark is on the principal register, not the supplemental register.

Pending application without IP Accelerator

If your trademark is pending and was not filed through Amazon’s IP Accelerator programme, it will not qualify for Brand Registry until the trademark is fully registered.

After Approval: What to Do First

You have been approved. Here is what to prioritise immediately.

1. Set up A plus Content on your key listings

This is the most immediate conversion rate improvement available. Start with your top five selling ASINs and build enhanced content including comparison charts, lifestyle imagery, and detailed feature modules.

2. Build your Brand Storefront

Create a dedicated storefront page for your brand. This gives you a clean, branded destination to send advertising traffic to and provides a professional brand presence on Amazon.

3. Access Brand Analytics

Go to Brand Analytics under the Reports tab in Seller Central. Review your search term frequency data to understand which keywords are driving discovery in your category. This data directly informs your listing optimisation and advertising strategy.

4. Set up Brand Catalog Lock

The Brand Catalog Lock system stops unauthorised listing edits and content changes. Enable this for your key ASINs to prevent competitors or resellers from altering your listing content. Christurtonecommerce

5. Enrol in Transparency if relevant

Transparency lets you assign unique codes to each product unit and protects listings from counterfeiters. In 2025, Amazon requires active Transparency participation across all units. If your products arrive without Transparency codes, Amazon may block your listings or flag your account for inconsistent labelling. eGrowthPartners

If counterfeiting is a risk in your category, Transparency is worth implementing alongside Brand Registry.

A Note on Filing Invalid IP Claims

Amazon has enhanced its internal compliance monitoring. If you file invalid IP claims or takedowns, you could receive policy violation strikes or a suspension. Amazon requires a clear chain of IP ownership and often demands documentation. Sellers have been suspended for reporting counterfeiters without proper evidence or claiming infringement for generic content. eGrowthPartners

Brand Registry gives you reporting tools. Use them responsibly. File complaints only when you have genuine evidence of a violation. Filing complaints to remove legitimate competitors or to disrupt sellers without valid grounds is a policy violation with serious consequences.

Brand Registry Setup Checklist

Use this before starting your application.

Before You Apply

Active registered trademark or pending application through IP Accelerator confirmed
Trademark is a word mark or image mark with text, not logo only
Brand name on trademark checked character by character against intended application
Trademark is on the principal register (US) not supplemental register
Contact details on trademark registration are current and accessible
Verification code email address is one you actively monitor

Images Prepared

Real photographs of physical product or packaging, not mockups or renders
Brand name clearly visible and permanently applied in all images
Multiple angles photographed if brand name appears on different surfaces
Images clearly lit and in focus with no obscured brand text

Application Details Ready

Trademark registration number confirmed
Country of trademark registration confirmed
Registration date confirmed
Product categories selected that match your actual product range

After Approval

A plus Content created for top five ASINs
Brand Storefront built and published
Brand Analytics accessed and initial data reviewed
Brand Catalog Lock enabled on key ASINs
Transparency enrolment assessed for category risk level

How Primex Group Handles Brand Registry for Clients

Brand Registry setup sounds straightforward until you hit the trademark mismatch, the rejected product images, or the verification code that goes to an email address that no longer exists.

We manage the full Brand Registry enrolment process for brands we work with, including trademark verification, image preparation guidance, application submission, and follow-up with Amazon during the review period.

After approval, we manage A plus Content creation, Brand Storefront setup, Brand Analytics implementation, and ongoing IP monitoring as part of the broader account management operation.

For brands entering Amazon for the first time in the UK or US, getting Brand Registry right from the start is one of the most important early steps. It determines your content capability, your protection tools, and your data access for everything that follows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a trademark to enrol in Amazon Brand Registry?

Yes. You need either an active registered trademark or a pending trademark application filed through Amazon’s IP Accelerator programme. No other documentation substitutes for a trademark.

How long does Amazon Brand Registry approval take?

Approval typically takes around two weeks from the date of application submission, assuming all information is correct and verification is completed promptly. Incomplete applications or follow-up requests that are not answered quickly will extend this timeline.

Can I use an EU trademark for UK Brand Registry after Brexit?

No. Post-Brexit, UK and EU trademarks are separate. If you have an EU trademark and want Brand Registry on Amazon.co.uk, you need a UK trademark registered with the UKIPO. Brands that had EU trademarks before Brexit should have received an equivalent UK trademark automatically during the transition period.

What happens if my trademark is pending and not yet registered?

If your trademark was filed through Amazon’s IP Accelerator programme, you can apply for Brand Registry while the application is pending. You will get access to some Brand Registry features immediately with full access unlocking once the trademark is granted. Pending trademarks filed outside of IP Accelerator do not qualify until registration is complete.

Can I enrol in Brand Registry on multiple Amazon marketplaces?

Yes. Brand Registry operates globally and enrolment in one marketplace gives you access to Brand Registry tools across all Amazon marketplaces where your trademark is registered. Each country requires a trademark registered in that country’s trademark office to unlock full protection in that market.

What is the difference between Brand Registry and Transparency?

Brand Registry is Amazon’s programme for trademark holders providing brand protection tools, enhanced content, and analytics. Transparency is a separate product serialisation programme that assigns unique codes to individual product units to verify authenticity. They are complementary and many brands use both, but they are separate programmes with separate enrolment processes.

Hamza Rafiq

Hamza Rafiq is Head of Ecommerce and Operations at Primex Group, with 7 years of hands-on experience in marketplace management, brand distribution, and B2B trade across the UK, USA, and UAE. He writes about what he works with daily including Amazon operations, channel expansion, and scalable commercial growth for brands and investors.