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Amazon's review and insert card policy: the official wording to check before you print or message

Last updated September 2026

You're about to print a batch of insert cards, send a buyer a message, or sign off on a card your agency or designer just sent over. Check Amazon's own wording here first. It's sorted by the task in front of you: a one-line rule, then the quote with its clause or page number, then the link.

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The three official documents, with direct links

Amazon doesn't have a standalone insert card policy. The rules on inserts, review requests and buyer messages live in these three documents:

Customer Product Reviews Policies. Seller Central help page (sign-in required; this is the authoritative version) | open PDF, full text (9 pages)
Seller Code of Conduct. Seller Central help page (sign-in required) | open PDF overview (8 pages)
Communication Guidelines. open PDF, full text (3 pages), no sign-in needed. It governs buyer-seller messaging.

The help pages only open once you're signed in to Seller Central. The PDFs open right in the browser with no account, so they're the ones to forward to an agency or designer.

Before you print an insert card: what can go on it

The rule in one line: you can ask for a review on the card, but you can't ask for a positive one, offer anything in exchange, or send the buyer off Amazon to buy. The reviews policy states outright that it covers package inserts:

"Note: You must comply with these guidelines in all your communications with customers, including shipping box and package inserts, and off-Amazon communications."

Understanding Amazon Policies on Customer Product Reviews, p9

Don't ask for a positive review or trade a benefit for one

"A seller inserts a request for a positive Amazon review or an incentive in exchange for a review into product packaging or a shipping box."

listed under "Violations to Customer Reviews policies", reviews policy document p6

"Seller B includes a “thank you card” in the product package, promising that the customer will receive a free gift or cash if they provide a positive review."

violation example, Seller Code of Conduct section 1.2.4, under "Do not attempt to influence customers' ratings, feedback, and reviews"

Don't send the buyer somewhere else to buy

"Seller A provides a card in the product package informing the customer that they can get cashback or a lower price by placing an order through a third-party website."

violation example, Seller Code of Conduct section 1.2.7

"Seller B provides a QR code for a third party's purchase address in the product image."

violation example, Seller Code of Conduct section 1.2.7

The general rule in the same section reads:

"You may not attempt to circumvent the Amazon sales process or get Amazon customers to go to other websites. This means that you may not provide links or messages that prompt users to visit any external website or complete a transaction elsewhere."

Seller Code of Conduct section 1.2.7

If your card carries a QR code, check the page it opens against this general rule.

A card your agency or designer made still counts as yours

"References to 'seller' here includes all the seller's business partners, employees and 3rd party partners."

"Any infractions by your business partners, employees, or 3rd party agencies will result in enforcement actions, even if they happened without your knowledge or consent."

reviews policy document, p5 / p6 / p8

If someone else drafted the card, go through the final artwork against this section before it goes to print.

Before you message a buyer

The rule in one line: one review request per order, no incentives, no asking only happy buyers, and no outside links or email addresses. The Communication Guidelines list:

"Permitted Messages do not include any of the following message types"

Order or shipping confirmations
"Messages that say only 'Thank you' or that you are here to help if buyers have any problems"
"Marketing or promotional messaging, including coupons"
"Language that either incentivizes or persuades the buyer to submit positive product reviews or seller feedback, including by offering compensation, money, gift cards, free or discounted products, refunds, rebates or reimbursements, or future benefits"
"Language that requests removal or an update of an existing product review"
"Language that requests a product review only if they have had a positive experience with the product"
"A repeat request (per order) for a product review or seller feedback"

Communication Guidelines

"Permitted Messages may not include"

"External links unless they are secure working links (https, not http) necessary for order completion or links to Amazon"
"Logos, if they contain or display a link to your website"
"Email addresses"
"Telephone numbers except those related to warranties, shipping providers, or manufacturers"

Communication Guidelines, extract: the four items that bear on inserts and off-Amazon traffic

Timing and format matter too: a proactive message must go out within 30 days of order completion, must contain the 17-digit order ID, and must use the buyer's Language of Preference.

"Proactive Permitted Messages must be sent within 30 days of order completion."

Amazon, Communication Guidelines

Buyer details you get from an order are for fulfilling it. Delete them once the order's processed, and don't keep them for marketing:

"you may use that information only to fulfill orders and must delete it after the order has been processed"

Seller Code of Conduct section 1.2.6

Before you ask for a review: what counts as neutral

The rule in one line: you can ask for reviews, as long as you ask neutrally and ask every buyer the same way.

"You can ask your customers to leave reviews on your products."

reviews policy document, p9

"You may request feedback and reviews from your own customers in a neutral manner"

Seller Code of Conduct section 1.2.4. The operative words are "neutral manner"

You can't ask only happy buyers, ask anyone to change or remove a review, or offer any compensation:

"Ask customers to leave a positive customer review for your product, or to leave a review only if they had a positive experience with your product. Similarly, you cannot ask only customers who had a positive experience with your product to leave a review."
"Ask customers to change or remove their review, attempt to influence the review, or ask customers to send negative reviews to you and only write positive reviews on Amazon."
"You may not offer any compensation for a review, including money or gift cards, free or discounted products, refunds or reimbursements, or any other future benefits."

reviews policy document, p9

Routing negative reviews to yourself and positive ones to Amazon is on the violation list:

"A seller diverts negative reviews to be sent to them or to a different feedback mechanism, while positive reviews are sent to Amazon."

listed under violations, reviews policy document p6

You, your family and your staff can't review your own product, or a competitor's:

"A family member or employee of the seller posts a review of the seller's product or a competitor's product."

listed under violations, reviews policy document p6

Getting reviews through review-selling services, websites or social media groups is out too:

"This includes using services that sell customer reviews, websites, or social media groups."

reviews policy document, p5

What the rules leave open

Closed: a benefit in exchange for a review, asking only the satisfied ones, sending the buyer off Amazon to buy, an email or social account for him to reach you off-site. Open: give every buyer the same one chance to speak, pick nobody, offer nothing.

Aftermesh is built in that remaining space. You build a buyer page under your own brand and it gives you the QR code for the card. Buyers scan it with no Amazon sign-in, and what they write arrives in your dashboard. You can look at the page a buyer scans into.

Frequently asked questions

The PDF and the Seller Central help page say different things. Which one wins?

The help page. The PDFs are handy for checking and forwarding without a sign-in, but when the two disagree, work from the current help page version.

My agency or designer made the card. Who's responsible if it breaks the rules?

You are. In the reviews policy, "seller" covers your business partners, employees and third-party agencies, and their infractions count against your account even if you didn't know about them.

Now go write the card

For card wording you can adapt, see the examples guide.

Insert card examples

This page exists so you can check the source text. It isn't legal advice, and following it doesn't guarantee compliance.