Amazon Brand Registry
in Canada
Short answer. Amazon Brand Registry is free, but it needs a trademark. For Amazon.ca, file with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) for $491.06 in government fees for one class online in 2026, put the brand on your product or packaging, then enrol through Brand Registry with your Seller Central login. Amazon accepts some pending applications, so many brands enrol within weeks of filing. Waiting for the registration itself typically takes a year or more.
Key takeaways
- Brand Registry is free. What costs money and time is the trademark it relies on.
- For Amazon.ca, file with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). The 2026 government fee is $491.06 for one class online, plus $149.04 for each additional class.
- You may not need to wait for registration. Amazon accepts some pending applications, and IP Accelerator firms give access before registration.
- Timing has a dollar value. Amazon.ca's New Seller Incentives pay 10% back on your first $70,000 in branded sales if you enrol within six months of listing your first eligible product.
What does Brand Registry
give you on Amazon.ca?
Amazon Brand Registry is Amazon's program for trademark owners. Enrolling a brand on Amazon.ca gives the owner more control over the listings sold under that brand name and opens tools that unregistered sellers cannot use. Amazon lists these among them:
- Listing content: A+ Content, Amazon Vine, and 3D models and augmented reality.
- Advertising: Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display and a Brand Store.
- Promotions: Subscribe & Save, Brand Tailored Promotions and Virtual Bundles.
- Data: Brand Analytics, Manage Your Experiments, Amazon Attribution and Brand Metrics.
- Protection: Report a Violation, Transparency, Project Zero and Amazon's automated protections, which block suspect listings before they publish.
Without Brand Registry, an Amazon.ca brand is limited to Sponsored Products for advertising and basic listing content, and has fewer ways to deal with sellers who change its listings. For a brand planning to grow on Amazon.ca, Brand Registry is usually one of the first things to set up. On our own launches we start the trademark work before the first listing goes live, because the trademark office is the step that takes longest.
Do you need a Canadian
trademark?
Amazon asks for a pending or registered trademark from the trademark office of a country that has an Amazon store, and its Canadian guidance says you need a trademark in each country where you plan to enrol and sell. For Amazon.ca, that means an application with CIPO.
| Your situation | What it means for Brand Registry on Amazon.ca |
|---|---|
| Registered CIPO trademark | You can enrol now. Expect Amazon's review to take several weeks or longer. |
| Pending CIPO application | Amazon accepts some pending applications, depending on the trademark office. Select the pending option in the enrolment form and enter your application number. Canadian trademark firms report pending CIPO applications being accepted. |
| Pending application filed through IP Accelerator | The route Amazon names for access before registration. IP Accelerator firms charge pre-negotiated rates, and Amazon does not take a fee. |
| US trademark only | Check in Brand Registry which stores your enrolment covers. If Amazon.ca matters to your business, file with CIPO as well. |
| No trademark yet | File with CIPO first. Brand Registry is not possible without at least an application. |
Word mark or design mark? Amazon accepts both a text-based mark (a word mark) and an image-based mark that contains words, letters or numbers (a design mark). A word mark protects the brand name in any lettering, so a logo redesign does not affect it. If you enrol with a design mark, the logo you upload must match the trademark record exactly.
Selling on Amazon.com too? Brand Registry on Amazon.com needs a United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) mark. Canadian applicants can file in the US directly or extend a Canadian application through the Madrid Protocol. A trademark lawyer can tell you which costs less for your classes.
How to get Brand Registry
on Amazon.ca
Nine steps, in order. Steps 1 to 3 are the trademark. Steps 4 to 8 are Amazon. Step 9 runs in the background until CIPO registers the mark.
Step 01
Check that the name is free
Search the Canadian Trademarks Database on CIPO's website for your brand name and close variations. A clash with an existing mark for similar products is a common reason for refusal, and a refused application costs you the filing fee and months of waiting. A trademark lawyer or agent can run a fuller clearance search, which also catches common-law use by businesses that never filed.
Step 02
Choose the mark and the classes
Decide between a word mark and a design mark. Then list the goods you sell, grouped into Nice classes, the international system CIPO uses. Describe the goods in ordinary commercial terms. CIPO's Goods and Services Manual lists pre-approved wording, and using it reduces the chance of an objection. CIPO charges for each class, so list only what you sell or plan to sell.
Step 03
File the application with CIPO
File online through CIPO's trademark application service, or through a lawyer or agent. Online filing costs $491.06 for the first class and $149.04 for each additional class in 2026. Paper filing costs more. Canada stopped requiring proof of use in June 2019, so you can file before your first sale. Keep the application number. You need it for Brand Registry if you enrol while the application is pending.
If you want access before registration, file through a firm in Amazon's IP Accelerator program. You sign up at brandservices.amazon.ca/ipaccelerator and pay the firm directly.
Step 04
Put the brand on the product and packaging
Amazon requires your brand name or logo to be permanently affixed to the product or its packaging. A removable sticker does not meet that requirement. The name on the pack should match the trademark exactly, including spelling and spacing. Photograph the branded product and packaging. You will upload at least one of these images during enrolment, plus a standalone logo image.
Step 05
Get the account ready
Brand Registry uses your Seller Central login. Advertising and the brand tools need the Professional selling plan, which costs CA$29.99 a month on Amazon.ca. The person enrolling should be the trademark owner. If a lawyer, agency or employee will manage Brand Registry, the owner enrols first and then adds them as users.
Step 06
Enrol the brand
Sign in to Brand Registry with your Seller Central credentials and choose Enroll a brand. Amazon asks for:
- the brand name, exactly as it appears on the trademark
- the trademark office (CIPO) and the registration or application number
- a logo image, for design marks
- at least one image of the brand on the product or packaging
- whether you sell as a seller, a vendor or both, and your product categories
- where the products are manufactured and distributed
Step 07
Complete verification
Amazon checks your details against the trademark record and then contacts the person listed on that record, which is often your lawyer or agent. Amazon's Canadian guide describes a verification code that is sent back to Amazon to finish enrolment. Make sure the contact details on your CIPO record are current, and tell your lawyer to expect the message. A request that sits unanswered in an old inbox is a common reason enrolment stalls.
Step 08
Set up the brand after approval
Once Amazon approves the brand, add your team as users, confirm that your ASINs list your brand name, and start on the tools that need Brand Registry: A+ Content for every ASIN, a Brand Store, and Sponsored Brands campaigns. If another seller infringes your trademark, report it through Report a Violation.
Step 09
Keep the CIPO application moving
If you enrolled on a pending application, your enrolment rests on it. Answer any examiner's report before its deadline. CIPO charges $150 for each extension of time. After approval, CIPO advertises the mark in the Trademarks Journal for a two-month opposition window, then registers it. A Canadian registration lasts 10 years and can be renewed.
What does it cost?
Brand Registry itself is free. These are the costs around it, in Canadian dollars. Government fees are from CIPO's fee schedule. The fee you pay depends on when CIPO receives payment, so filing before 1 January 2027 locks in the 2026 amount.
| Item | 2026 | From 1 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| CIPO application, first class (online) | $491.06 | $499.41 |
| Each additional class | $149.04 | $151.57 |
| CIPO application, first class (paper) | $640.10 | $650.98 |
| Registration fee (applications filed after 17 June 2019) | None | None |
| Extension of time, per request | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Renewal after 10 years, first class (online) | $595.06 | $605.18 |
| Brand Registry enrolment | Free | Free |
| Professional selling plan on Amazon.ca | $29.99 a month | Check Amazon's current pricing |
Professional fees. These vary by firm and by how much work the application needs. Shift Law, a Canadian firm, puts professional fees for a typical Canadian or US application at roughly $1,300 to $2,000, on top of government fees. IP Accelerator firms work at pre-negotiated rates. A clearance search and a response to an examiner's report are usually billed separately, so ask for a written quote that covers both.
Worked example. A brand filing one word mark in two classes online in 2026 pays $640.10 in CIPO fees ($491.06 plus $149.04). With a lawyer at the range above, the total comes to roughly $1,940 to $2,640 before any examiner's report.
What it can pay back. Amazon.ca's New Seller Incentives pay 10% back on your first $70,000 in branded sales, then 5% for the rest of the first year up to $1,350,000 in branded sales, if you enrol in Brand Registry within six months of listing your first eligible product. Check the eligibility rules in Seller Central before you count on it. For a new seller, the timing of the trademark filing can be worth more than the filing fee.
How long does it take?
The trademark office sets the pace. Amazon's part usually takes weeks. CIPO's part takes months.
| Stage | Typical time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Online filing with CIPO | Same day | CIPO online service |
| Brand Registry review, registered mark | Several weeks or longer | Amazon |
| Brand Registry review, pending mark | Longer than for a registered mark | Amazon |
| Brand Registry through IP Accelerator | Within 14 days of filing, as one participating firm put it at the 2021 launch | Amazon press release |
| CIPO first examination action | Within 14 months of filing (service standard from April 2026). In July 2025 CIPO expected waits of about nine months. | CIPO; Smart & Biggar |
| Advertisement and opposition window | 2 months | CIPO |
| Registration certificate | Within 7 business days of the request (online) | CIPO |
Put together, these give three realistic paths. The ranges below are our estimates built from the published figures above, and an examiner's objection or an opposition adds time to any of them.
- You already hold a CIPO registration: about two to six weeks to Brand Registry approval.
- You file now and enrol on the pending application, or through IP Accelerator: about two to eight weeks to Brand Registry approval, with CIPO registration following roughly a year to a year and a half after filing.
- You wait for registration before enrolling: roughly a year to a year and a half before you can enrol, and longer if the examiner objects.
Why do applications stall?
Most delays come from a mismatch between what Amazon sees and what the trademark record says.
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The name on the pack differs from the trademark | Match spelling, spacing and wording exactly, or enrol the name as it is registered |
| The brand is on a sticker or only on the listing images | Print the brand on the product or its packaging and photograph it |
| The logo does not match a design mark | Upload the logo exactly as filed, or enrol with a word mark |
| The account holder is not the trademark owner | Have the owner enrol and add the account holder as a user |
| The verification message went unanswered | Update the contact on the CIPO record and ask your lawyer to watch for Amazon's message |
| Wrong office or number entered | Select CIPO and copy the application or registration number from the CIPO database |
What to do while you wait
The months between filing and approval do not need to be idle.
- List under the brand name you filed. Use the same spelling in the brand field of every listing so the ASINs map to your brand once Brand Registry is approved.
- Run Sponsored Products. They do not need Brand Registry, and the search term data tells you which keywords to build Sponsored Brands campaigns around later.
- Write the A+ Content now. Draft the modules and brief the images so they go live in the first week after approval.
- Fix the listing before scaling spend. We do not raise ad spend on a listing until it clears our Conversion Gate: 2% Sponsored Products click-through and 10% unit session percentage.
- Plan the US filing. If Amazon.com is next, ask your lawyer about a Madrid Protocol extension while the Canadian application is fresh.
Our guide to selling on Amazon Canada covers the rest of the setup: GST/HST, bilingual labelling and fulfilment. This guide describes Amazon's and CIPO's published process. It is not legal advice, so speak to a trademark lawyer about your mark.
Common questions
How much does Amazon Brand Registry cost in Canada?
Enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry is free. The cost is the trademark. CIPO's government fee for an online application is $491.06 for the first class and $149.04 for each additional class in 2026, rising to $499.41 and $151.57 for payments made on or after 1 January 2027. Most brands also pay a trademark lawyer or agent, and you need the Professional selling plan at CA$29.99 a month.
How long does Amazon Brand Registry take in Canada?
Amazon says approval can take several weeks or longer once you have a trademark, and longer if your application is still pending. The CIPO trademark is the slow part: CIPO's service standard is a first examination action within 14 months of filing, followed by a two-month opposition window after advertisement.
Can I join Brand Registry with a pending Canadian trademark?
In some cases. Amazon says it accepts some pending applications, depending on the trademark office. In the enrolment form, select the pending option and enter your application number. An application filed through a firm in Amazon's IP Accelerator program is the route Amazon names for early access before registration.
Does a US trademark work for Brand Registry on Amazon.ca?
Amazon asks for a trademark in each country where you enrol and sell. If your brand is already enrolled with a USPTO mark, check in Brand Registry which stores your enrolment covers before you rely on it for Amazon.ca. A brand that treats Canada as a main market should file with CIPO.
Can my agency or lawyer enrol the brand for me?
The trademark owner enrols the brand, using the same login as Seller Central. The owner can then add the agency or lawyer as a user in Brand Registry so they can manage it.
Do I need a lawyer to file a Canadian trademark?
No. CIPO accepts applications filed directly by the owner. A trademark lawyer or agent is still worth considering for the clearance search and for answering an examiner's report, because a refused application leaves your Brand Registry enrolment without a trademark behind it.
- Amazon.ca: Amazon Brand Registry
- Amazon.ca: What is Brand Registry and how does it work in Canada?
- Amazon.ca: New Seller Incentives
- Amazon.ca: Selling plans and fees
- Amazon: IP Accelerator launches in Canada (April 2021)
- Amazon Seller Forums: Brand Registry with a pending trademark
- CIPO: Fees for trademarks
- CIPO: Client service standards
- CIPO: Trademark registration process (Madrid applications)
- Smart & Biggar: CIPO ends accelerated trademark examination (July 2025)
- Smart & Biggar: Modernization of Canada's trademarks laws
- Shift Law: Protecting your trademark on Amazon
Launching on Amazon.ca? Start with the audit.
Twenty minutes on your listings and ad account. We show you what Brand Registry would add for your brand and what to fix first, whether or not you hire us.
- Brand Registry set-up is part of every brand launch we run
- You keep ownership of every account and trademark
- No setup fees, no annual contract
Or read our guide to selling on Amazon Canada.
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