Turbo-Charge Your Revenue!
You’ve probably already considered selling on Amazon but its way easier than you think.
Call Us Now
Product reviews are a major factor in how customers decide what to buy on the U.S. Amazon marketplace. In fact, nine out of ten shoppers check reviews before making a purchase.
Reviews on Amazon do more than build trust. They also impact how products rank in search results.
So, as an Amazon seller, how can you earn authentic reviews the right way?
This ePlaybooks guide will show you effective ways to get authentic Amazon reviews and how not to get them.
Amazon reviews are important for several reasons. Firstly, Amazon reviews play a critical role in decision-making. According to Jungle Scout’s Consumer Trends Report, consumers are influenced to buy a product that has a positive Amazon rating and review.
Product reviews are one of the best forms of social proof, as they provide customers with a second opinion on the product. Nobody wants to buy a product they are not happy with. One way to prevent this is to find out if others are happy with using the product.
Secondly, Amazon reviews influence your ranking on the Amazon U.S. marketplace. Amazon prioritizes showing customers some of the best products at the most affordable prices. Amazon is likely to rank your product higher on search results if it has good reviews and ratings.
Thirdly, Amazon reviews directly affect your brand's reputation, influencing whether consumers perceive your brand positively or negatively. A high number of positive reviews can enhance your brand's credibility, while a significant number of negative reviews can harm your reputation.
Amazon reviews can significantly impact your product's sales and conversion rates. A product with high ratings and positive reviews is more likely to convert, as it appears more trustworthy to potential buyers.
Also, as a U.S. Amazon seller, your Amazon seller feedback can influence your Buy Box wins. By maintaining good customer satisfaction, you can increase your Amazon feedback rating and increase your chances of winning the Buy Box.
Lastly, Amazon reviews can be a powerful analysis tool for your Amazon product research. Through Amazon reviews, you can obtain useful market insights relating to your product.
Now we know how powerful product reviews are. How can you get authentic product reviews on your Amazon product listing? Let's look at ten ways you can get authentic product reviews on Amazon.
No matter how much advertising you do on your product, if you don't sell a great product or misinform customers about the benefits of your product, you are likely to get a swarm of negative reviews on your product. So, the first way to get a good review on your product is to sell a valuable product. Before choosing a product to sell, you want to carry out proper research to ensure your product solves a problem. Is it a product customers will love to recommend?
Also, ensure that the product provides all the information customers need to make a buying decision. You want to avoid creating confusion or misinforming your customers.
With the Amazon “Request a Review” button, you can easily request a review for your orders through your Amazon Seller Central account within a time frame of five to thirty days.
With this feature, you can potentially increase your chances of getting a review of your product.
You can find the “Request a Review” button on the details page for each buyer's order on your Amazon Seller Central.
Once you click the button, an email is sent to the customer requesting them to leave a review on your product. The downside to this process is that you have to go through every order to click on the button. However, this can be easily solved using Amazon review tools like Jungle Scout's Extension. With this tool, you can make bulk requests. Keep in mind that you cannot send follow-up messages after the initial request has been sent, and the message cannot be customized.
Another easy way to encourage users to drop reviews on your product is through product inserts. You can insert a card in your product packaging encouraging customers to leave a review. Get creative with your messaging and ensure your design stands out. However, it is important to follow Amazon's guidelines when using product inserts.
Here are some Amazon product insert guidelines to keep in mind:
It is important to point out that as long as customers are buying products on Amazon, they are Amazon's customers. To build a relationship with customers and build your brand, you will need to do so off-Amazon. You can create an email list through your website or social media. Once you have your mailing list, you can easily request a review through email.
Some customers will be happy to leave a review, but do not think it is important. Communicating with your customers will help them understand the importance of leaving a review on your product. It is also an excellent way to build a relationship with them and increase your customer retention.
Today, nearly everyone around the world is on social media. In fact, many consumers use social media to search for products.
Through social media, you can promote your products, advertise your promotions, and request that customers leave an honest review after they make a purchase. You can collaborate with reputable influencers or product reviewers in your niche to showcase your products to a broader audience. Authenticity is paramount, so work with influencers who genuinely resonate with your brand and are likely to provide unbiased feedback to their followers. Also, you can create or join online groups like Facebook groups to solicit reviews on Amazon. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to solicit positive reviews. Instead, keep things neutral.
Launched in 2007, the Amazon Vine Program is an Amazon review program that helps businesses and brands get reviews for their products from trusted Amazon reviewers.
All you need to do is send your product to Amazon, and Amazon will give it to reviewers for free. If you have fewer than 30 reviews on your product, you can enroll in the Amazon Vine Program.
Through the program, you can get helpful feedback that can increase conversion rates. However, keep in mind that there is no guarantee of getting positive reviews. Reviewers or Vine Voices will be critical of your product and leave authentic reviews. So, before you enroll your product for the Vine program, ensure it is of high quality.
Sometimes, you can get a negative review slapped on your product. While getting a negative review can be a bit nerve-racking, you can turn that negative review into a positive one. You are not permitted to request that customers remove the negative review. Instead, focus on addressing the problem and remain courteous in your approach.
Use your negative reviews as an assessment tool to find out what you are doing wrong and improve those areas. You can use a review tool to notify you when you get a negative review of your product.
Some customers may ask a question concerning your product. Perhaps they want to know how to use your product. It is important to respond to these questions promptly. Answer all questions politely, no matter how unreasonable the customer may sound, and apologize for any mishaps that may have happened.
Also, ensure your products are delivered to your customers promptly as promised.
Providing great customer service will reduce your chances of getting a negative review and also increase your chances of getting a positive review.
Offering discounts and special promotions can encourage customers to try your products and leave reviews. Studies show that shoppers who receive a discount experience a boost in happiness, making them more likely to leave a positive review. Consider offering introductory discounts exclusively to your email subscribers or ramping up your review requests during times when you offer discounts.
Resist the temptation to resort to black hat tactics such as buying fake reviews or using review manipulation services. Not only do these practices violate Amazon's policies, but they also erode trust in your brand and can lead to severe consequences, including account suspension or delisting. Uphold ethical standards in your pursuit of reviews, focusing on genuine interactions and fostering trust with your customers.
Amazon takes product reviews very seriously, and going against Amazon's product review rules can get you suspended. Now you know how to get authentic product reviews on your product. Here are some ways not to get product reviews on Amazon:
Before 2016, sellers could offer products at a low price or for free in exchange for a product review. However, this led to over-inflated reviews, and this was banned in 2016. Today, you are not permitted to incentivize reviews. Incentivizing reviews can get your account suspended.
Amazon prioritizes authentic reviews and wants reviews to give customers accurate and unbiased information about a product. So, your family and friends are not the most reliable sources. If Amazon notices any unusual activity on your account, it could get restricted.
Many third-party review services fake 5-star ratings for a price. This is highly prohibited on Amazon. While buying fake Amazon reviews may seem like a viable option, this can backfire quickly. If you are caught faking reviews, your account could be suspended. Directing customers to external sites for purchases or savings is also not allowed.
Resist the temptation to report or request the removal of negative reviews unfairly. You cannot request specific types of reviews, such as positive ones, or ask customers to remove negative feedback. Amazon prioritizes the authenticity of reviews, and attempting to manipulate or remove legitimate feedback can result in penalties.
You want to avoid pressuring or harassing customers to leave reviews, as this can create a negative experience and lead to resentment towards your brand. Respect customers' autonomy and allow them to leave reviews voluntarily.
Amazon reserves the right to suspend or terminate a seller's account if it finds that the seller has violated community guidelines. This can result in the removal of the seller's products from the platform and the loss of any sales made through the account. In some cases, Amazon may take legal action against sellers who engage in fraudulent practices, including the use of promotional reviews. This can result in fines, penalties, and further damage to the seller's reputation.
Also, if you violate Amazon's guidelines, you can lose the trust of your customers and other sellers. This can have long-term effects on your business, including reduced sales and difficulty attracting new customers.
Read also: 7 Amazon Review Software Tools to Turbo-charge Sales
As we've already established, product reviews are critical to selling on Amazon. By implementing these strategies, you can significantly increase the volume of positive reviews for your products and enhance your product's visibility and credibility on Amazon. You can go through our article above to get ideas on how to get authentic product reviews on Amazon. Remember to follow Amazon's rules to avoid losing your rights to sell on Amazon.
If you need professional help getting reviews on your product and navigating the competitive Amazon marketplace, you can work with experts at ePlaybooks.
No, asking customers for reviews is allowed. What Amazon strictly prohibits is influencing the outcome of that review. According to Amazon's Community Guidelines, sellers cannot offer compensation of any kind, including discounts, refunds, free products, or gift cards, in exchange for a review. You also cannot selectively solicit reviews only from customers you know had a positive experience, a practice Amazon calls "cherry-picking." What you can do is use the native Request a Review button in Seller Central, which sends a standardized, Amazon-approved email to the buyer between 4 and 30 days after purchase. This is the safest and most straightforward compliant method available to every US seller. For a deeper look at which review software tools can help you automate this process at scale, the ePlaybooks guide on best Amazon review software breaks down the top options and what each one does.
Amazon Vine is the only program within Amazon's Terms of Service that allows sellers to provide free products in exchange for reviews. It works by giving enrolled ASINs to a pool of trusted, high-ranking reviewers called Vine Voices, who are required to leave honest, unbiased feedback. Enrollment costs $200 per ASIN and is limited to products with fewer than 30 existing reviews, so it is best used at or before launch. According to published data, 51% of Vine reviews are 5-star compared to 39% of non-Vine reviews, making it a strong investment for products that are genuinely well-made and ready for scrutiny. One important caveat: each ASIN can only be enrolled in Vine once in its lifetime, so timing matters. A June 2025 Amazon update now allows sellers to receive Vine reviews before a listing even goes live, giving new products a meaningful head start on launch day. For a full breakdown of how the program works and whether your product qualifies, the ePlaybooks guide on the Amazon Vine program covers enrollment steps and what to expect from Vine Voices.
Negative reviews do more than hurt conversions. They feed directly into your Amazon Account Health metrics. A pattern of poor product feedback drives up your Order Defect Rate (ODR), which Amazon requires sellers to keep below 1%. Exceeding that threshold triggers performance notifications and, in serious cases, account suspension. Negative reviews also signal potential A-to-Z Guarantee claims and credit card chargebacks, both of which are components of your ODR calculation. The right response is to monitor reviews in real time using tools like FeedbackWhiz or Amazon's own Seller Central dashboard, respond to negative feedback within 24 to 48 hours, and treat recurring complaints as product or listing signals worth acting on. You cannot remove a legitimate review, but you can report any that violate Amazon's content policies. For guidance on responding professionally without making things worse, the ePlaybooks post on how to handle negative reviews on Amazon is a practical reference. And if you want to understand exactly how review-related issues connect to your broader account standing, the ePlaybooks breakdown of Amazon Order Defect Rate explains the mechanics in full.
You’ve probably already considered selling on Amazon but its way easier than you think.
Call Us Now