
Was/Now Prices on Amazon: What the FTC Deceptive Pricing Guides Require
Under the FTC’s Guides Against Deceptive Pricing (16 CFR Part 233), a “was/now” price holds up only if the “was” price is one you actually offered openly, in good faith, for a reasonably substantial period of time. A “compare at” or list price holds up only if substantial sales really happen at that price in your trade area. A price raised just so it can be “cut,” a trivial reduction, or a “free” item paid for by a higher main price are the patterns the Guides call deceptive. ...

TM vs ® on an Amazon Listing: When You May Use the Registered Trademark Symbol
The TM vs registered trademark symbol question on an Amazon listing has a short answer: you may put “TM” next to your brand on packaging, images, or product copy at any time, with or without a filing, but you may use ® only after the USPTO has registered the mark, and only for the goods listed in that registration. A pending application does not unlock ®. Using a brand already gives you common-law rights, limited to the area where you trade; federal registration makes them nationwide and adds the legal tools that matter once you enroll in Brand Registry. ...

Reese's Law for Amazon Sellers: Button and Coin Battery Rules Under 16 CFR 1263
Reese’s Law requires any US consumer product that contains or is designed to use a button cell or coin battery to meet the product safety standard ANSI/UL 4200A, and it requires retail packages of those batteries to carry a set warning label. The rule is 16 CFR Part 1263, and it covers products whether the battery is built in, replaceable, included, or sold separately. Two dates apply to different things: October 23, 2023 is the effective date for the product requirement, and September 21, 2024 is the cutoff for battery packaging labels (packages manufactured or imported after that date must comply). ...

FDA Food Allergen Labeling Requirements for Amazon Food Sellers: The Nine Allergens, Two Label Formats, and What Is Exempt
FDA food allergen labeling requirements apply to most packaged foods sold in the US, including food sold on Amazon: if a product contains one of the nine major food allergens, the label must name the food source of that allergen. FDA’s Food Allergies page lists them in one sentence: “The major food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.” There are exactly two ways to make the declaration — a parenthetical after the ingredient name, or a “Contains” statement next to the ingredient list — and dietary supplements are covered, not exempt (FDA page content current as of 03/11/2026, data checked 2026-10-09). ...

CPSC STURDY Rule for Dressers: What Amazon Sellers of Clothing Storage Units Must Meet
The CPSC STURDY rule, codified at 16 CFR part 1261, is the mandatory federal tip-over standard for clothing storage units such as dressers, chests and armoires. A unit is covered when it is a free-standing furniture item with drawers and/or hinged doors for storing clothing and meets all three size criteria at once: at least 27 inches tall, at least 30 pounds, and at least 3.2 cubic feet of enclosed storage. Covered units manufactured after September 1, 2023 must pass three stability tests, ship with an anti-tip device that meets ASTM F3096, and carry the required warning label (CPSC, data checked 2026-10-09). ...

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act for Amazon Sellers: Full vs Limited Warranty, $10 and $15 Rules
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act for Amazon Sellers: Full vs Limited Warranty, $10 and $15 Rules Federal law does not make an Amazon seller offer a warranty, but once you put one in writing on a consumer product, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the FTC’s rules decide how it must be worded and shown. Per the FTC’s business guide (checked 2026-10-08), a written warranty on a product costing more than $10 must be titled “full” or “limited,” and the disclosure and pre-sale availability rules apply above $15. Clauses that void coverage when a buyer uses third-party parts were the subject of FTC warning letters in 2018 and 2024. ...

Home Office Deduction for Amazon Sellers: What the IRS Actually Requires
The home office deduction for Amazon sellers rests on two IRS tests: you must use a specific part of your home regularly and exclusively for the business, and your home must be your principal place of business. Sellers who store inventory at home have a separate route — IRS Publication 587 lets that storage space qualify without the exclusive-use test, as long as five conditions are met. Once a space qualifies, you choose between the simplified method ($5 per square foot, capped at 300 square feet, per the IRS as of data checked 2026-10-08) and the regular method, which uses actual expenses and Form 8829. ...

FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: What Amazon Sellers Need to Know
FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: What Amazon Sellers Need to Know The FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (16 CFR Part 465) took effect on October 21, 2024, and it applies to Amazon sellers the same way it applies to any business that sells to US consumers. It bans fake reviews, incentives tied to a positive or negative sentiment, undisclosed insider reviews, review suppression through threats or false accusations, and fake social media metrics. It does not ban asking buyers for reviews, or incentives that are not conditioned on what the review says. ...

Eco-Friendly and Recyclable Claims on Amazon Listings: What the FTC Green Guides Allow, Claim by Claim
Under the FTC Green Guides, a bare “eco-friendly” or “green” on an Amazon listing is the one eco claim sellers should not make unqualified; every other claim has its own threshold. “Recyclable” can go unqualified only if recycling facilities for the item reach at least 60 percent of consumers or communities where it is sold. “Biodegradable” unqualified means the whole item breaks down within one year after customary disposal, which landfills do not allow. “Recycled content” below 100 percent needs a percentage. ...

CPSC Section 15(b) Reporting for Amazon Sellers: Who Must Report, the 24-Hour Clock, and the 10-Working-Day Cap
CPSC Section 15(b) reporting is the federal duty of manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers of consumer products to tell the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) when they obtain information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product has a defect that could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with an applicable safety rule. The deadline is 24 hours from obtaining that information. If you are unsure whether it is reportable, CPSC allows a short investigation, which should not exceed 10 working days. Amazon sellers fall inside this duty in whichever of those four roles they occupy. ...

MoCRA for Amazon Sellers (2026): FDA Cosmetics Registration, Product Listing, and the Small Business Exemption
Selling cosmetics on Amazon in the US now sits on two layers: the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA), which FDA summarizes as facility registration, product listing, safety substantiation, and 15-business-day serious adverse event reporting, and Amazon’s own Beauty approval, which lists “Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) compliance documentation” among the documents a seller may need to provide (FDA MoCRA page, content current as of Aug 10, 2026; Amazon, How to sell beauty products, dated Feb 17, 2026; both checked 2026-10-07). ...

Made in USA on Amazon Listings: The FTC's 'All or Virtually All' Test, Qualified Claims, and a Pre-Listing Check
You can put an unqualified “Made in USA” on an Amazon listing or package only if the product is “all or virtually all” made in the U.S.: final assembly or processing in the U.S., all significant processing in the U.S., and all or virtually all ingredients or components made and sourced in the U.S. That is the Federal Trade Commission’s standard, and it covers online marketing as well as the box. Short of it, a qualified claim such as “Made in USA of U.S. and imported parts” works only if it is truthful, substantiated, and the product has significant U.S. content or processing. ...