This Post will cover the topic of 889 Certification on Amazon Seller Central. The 889 certification can boost your visibility and increase sales for selling on Amazon. Some buyers, especially government agencies, may be required to only purchase products from sellers who have certain certifications, including the 889 Certification listed on their account. Even if you have the 889 Certification, buyers may not know, or your products may get filtered out on their searches if it has not been submitted to Amazon and verified to be displayed. This post will cover what the 889 Certification is and why it is important to consumers and buyers, and how to upload it to your Amazon selling account.
What is an 889 Certification
Section 889 is an attestation form that confirms your commitment to not selling or utilizing telecommunications equipment from specific manufacturers: Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, Huawei Technologies Company, ZTE Corporation and Dahua Technology Company, including their subsidiaries and affiliates. The certification is part of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and consists of two core parts, Part A and Part B. Part A states that the government is prohibited from obtaining certain telecommunications equipment or services produced by certain entities, their subsidiaries, and affiliates, such as the People's Republic of China. Part B of the certification prohibits the government from contracting with any entity that uses telecommunications equipment or services as key components in any of its systems or critical technology parts that are included in high-value systems. The Department of Defense can continually add additional companies and affiliates to this list, so it is important to stay up to date. The 889 Certification is an attestation that verifies your company and its products are compliant with section 889 of this act and that federal businesses and other companies can trust the products they are purchasing from you.
Why is the 889 Certification Important to Buyers and Sellers
Amazon has continued to see growth in the number of B2B sellers and consumers that sell and shop within their marketplace. All 50 states are Amazon Business Customers, and over 100K+ Federal Amazon users are registered with Amazon Business. The B2B marketplace has become key for sellers to take advantage of to maximize visibility of their products and overall sales for their business. These consumers from Amazon Business can vary from small businesses to federal and government-registered buyers. These buyers often have to follow strict purchasing guidelines to ensure that the products they buy and intend to use are compliant with all related regulations. Not only will buyers look for this certification, but they may have created rules within their account to only see listings that have the certification listed. Even if a seller has this certification, they may be losing out on visibility and potential sales by not having it submitted and listed on their selling account. By adding the 889 certification, you can ensure that your products are visible to all businesses and government buyers, and they can trust that the products they purchase are compliant and eligible for use.
How to Get Certified and Upload Your 889 Certification
There are two different ways you can get 889 certified. However, you must not provide or use telecommunication equipment or services from the companies or affiliates listed to be eligible for the certification. You can register for the certification at SAM.gov, which is the official government portal for vendor registration. Or you can complete an 889 self-certification form, which is a downloadable PDF that can be completed digitally or printed out and filled out manually.
You can fill out the downloaded form and upload it to your seller profile under B2B > Certifications for the initial submission. Any changes or renewals will be directly pulled from the platform, so no further action will be required from the seller. If you completed the 889 self-certification, the form will need to be uploaded to your seller profile under B2B > Certifications. The form will automatically be placed under review by Amazon and will either be rejected or approved within 48 hours. Most attestations are valid for a year from the signed date on the form, and a new attestation must be submitted every year.
What to do if my 889 Form Is Rejected
Your 889 form could be rejected for a variety of reasons, such as certain sections being empty or incorrectly filled out, and Legal Business Names or Entities not matching what is listed on the selling account. Whatever the reason may be, sellers are able to correct or update their forms and resubmit the properly filled-out form for approval. Update with the correct information and resubmit the certification.
FAQ - 889 Certification on Amazon Seller Central
What is an 889 Certification?
The 889 Certification is an attestation that verifies your company and its products are compliant with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and that federal businesses and other companies can trust the products they are purchasing from you
Why do buyers want an 889 Certification?
Buyers often have to follow strict purchasing guidelines to ensure that the products they buy and intend to use are compliant with all related regulations. Not only will buyers look for this certification, but they may have created rules within their account to only see listings that have the certification listed.
How do I get an 889 Certification?
There are two different ways you can get 889 certified. You can register for the certification at SAM.gov, which is the official government portal for vendor registration. Or you can complete an 889 self-certification form, which is a downloadable PDF that can be completed digitally or printed out and filled out manually.
How do I add my 889 Certification?
The certification can be uploaded to your seller profile under B2B>Certifications.
What if my certification gets rejected?
Your 889 form could be rejected for a variety of reasons. Whatever the reason may be, sellers are able to correct or update their forms and resubmit the properly filled-out form for approval
How long does a certification last?
Most attestations are valid for a year from the signed date on the form, and a new attestation must be submitted every year.
Conclusion - 889 Certification on Amazon Seller Central
Having your 889 Certification is a great way for sellers to build trust with their consumers and increase visibility to a wider range of B2B buyers, including government agencies. Even if a seller is registered and compliant with section 889, they may be missing out on additional traffic by not having it uploaded to their Seller Central Account. Amazon has provided an easy way for sellers to understand if they are eligible for the 889 Certification, how to get verified, and how to upload their certifications. Once their certification is verified, it unlocks another world of federal and government shoppers that can potentially purchase products from sellers' businesses. At Goat Consulting, we continue to learn about any opportunities sellers may have when selling on Amazon and how they can use these tools to stand out and build trust with consumers. If you have any questions about the certification and other certifications you can list on Amazon, reach out through our Contact Form.
About the Author - Matt McGinty
This post was written by Matt McGinty, an Account Manager at Goat Consulting. Matt helps his clients sell on Amazon by increasing sales, mitigating risk, reducing costs, solving problems, and sharing best practices around merchandising and B2B selling on Amazon. He has developed experience and expertise in guiding clients in merchandising best practices by servicing a wide variety of Goat Consulting clients. If you want help with setting up your Amazon Business Certifications or assistance with other aspects of selling on Amazon, Matt is happy to lead your account.