Getting started on Merch by Amazon is not as simple as creating an account. Sellers submit an application, and depending on demand, approval can take time or not happen at all on a given attempt. Once accepted, a new account starts in an entry tier with a limited number of live design slots, expanding only as sales accumulate. Bear Grips Pro Shops takes a different approach entirely: no application, no tier to earn into, and a live shop the same day a design is uploaded.
A prospective seller applies through Amazon's own application flow, providing basic business and tax information. Amazon reviews applications against its own criteria and demand at the time, which means approval timing and outcomes can vary. There is no guaranteed acceptance date, and a rejected application does not always come with a detailed explanation.
New Merch by Amazon accounts typically start with a modest number of design slots available, often in the single or low double digits, and move up through higher tiers as sales accumulate over time. The tier a seller sits in determines how many live designs the account can carry at once, which means a new seller cannot simply upload a large catalog on day one even after approval.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.| Category | Merch by Amazon | Bear Grips Pro Shops |
|---|---|---|
| Getting started | Application required, approval not guaranteed | Free signup, no application |
| Design capacity on day one | Limited by entry tier | 3 live products on Free plan, up to 250 on Done-For-You VIP |
| Growing capacity | Requires sales history to move up a tier | Upgrade a plan anytime, no sales history required |
| Time to first live design | Depends on approval timeline | Same day as signup |
A secondary market exists for pre-approved Merch by Amazon accounts, sometimes advertised by tier level. Buying, selling, or renting an Amazon seller account this way violates Amazon's terms of service and puts the account at risk of suspension or termination, along with any pending royalty balance. There is no way to buy past the actual application and tier-growth process without that risk.
Bear Grips Pro Shops has no equivalent gate. A vendor signs up, uploads a design, and picks products from the 63-item catalog, with a live shop the same day, no waiting period and no tier to unlock more products beyond simply choosing a higher plan. See where the marketplace model still fits for a fuller picture of the tradeoff.
Free plan, live the same day, no design-slot tier to earn into. Upgrade whenever you want more products live.
Start FreeTimelines vary and are not guaranteed. Some sellers are approved quickly, others wait longer or reapply.
It violates Amazon's terms of service and risks the account being suspended or terminated, along with any royalty balance tied to it.
Live product count is tied to the plan (3 on Free, 200 on Self-Service VIP, 250 on Done-For-You VIP), not a sales-history tier the vendor has to earn into.
Yes. Plan changes are not gated behind a sales history requirement.
Bear Grips Pro Shops