The Amazon authorization letter: what it contains, with a template
A letter of authorization is how a brand names the seller it trusts on Amazon. It is short, and every line in it should do a job. Below is what to include and a template to start from.
By Vance FerryUpdated 3 min read
Apply as a brandWhat is a letter of authorization for Amazon?
Short answer
It is a signed letter from the brand owner that names a specific seller as authorized to sell named products on Amazon. It records who granted the authorization, for which products and for how long. The seller keeps it on file, and the brand has one document to point to when other sellers appear.
The letter is not a supply contract. Price, payment terms and MAP sit in your dealer agreement and MAP policy. The letter only says who may sell, what and where, so it stays short and easy to check.
What should the letter contain?
Short answer
Your company's legal name and address, the seller's legal name and Amazon seller name, the brand and the products by model number, the channel and country, the start date and end or review date, the conditions such as following your MAP policy, and a signature from someone who can bind the company.
- Letterhead with the brand owner's legal name and business address.
- The seller's legal name and the seller name buyers see on Amazon.
- The brand name and the products covered, by model number or a referenced price list.
- The channel and marketplace, for example Amazon in the United States.
- A start date and either an end date or a review date.
- Conditions: sourcing only from you or your named distributor, and following your MAP policy.
- How either side can end the authorization, and how much notice it takes.
- Name, title, signature and date from an officer of the brand owner, plus a contact for verification.
Is there a template to start from?
Short answer
Yes. The template below covers the parts a seller and a brand both need. Replace every bracketed field, attach your current price list, and have your counsel read it before anyone signs. Keep the signed copy with your dealer records so you can confirm the authorization quickly if anyone asks about it.
[Brand owner legal name]
[Business address]
[Date]
Letter of authorization
[Brand owner legal name] ("Brand Owner") owns the [brand name] brand.
Brand Owner authorizes [seller legal name], selling on Amazon as [Amazon seller name] ("Seller"), to sell new [brand name] products listed in the attached price list dated [date] on Amazon in the United States.
Conditions:
1. Seller sources these products only from Brand Owner or from [authorized distributor name].
2. Seller follows Brand Owner's minimum advertised price policy dated [date].
3. Seller sells new product only, in original packaging.
This authorization starts on [start date] and continues until [end date or "either party ends it with [number] days written notice"].
Questions about this authorization: [contact name], [title], [email].
Signed for [brand owner legal name]:
____________________________
[Name], [Title]
[Date]What mistakes make a letter weak?
Short answer
A letter is weak when it names no products, has no dates, is signed by someone without authority, or authorizes a seller name that does not match the account on Amazon. Each gap makes the letter harder to rely on. A letter that never ends is also hard to withdraw cleanly if the relationship changes.
Pair the letter with a written MAP policy; the guide to MAP policy on Amazon covers what a brand can enforce. To decide whether one authorized seller is the right route at all, start with the guide to Amazon routes for equipment brands. This guide is general information, not legal advice.