Amazon Review Requests Ads: How They Work and What Brands Should Know

By Michael Slate, CEO and co-founder, SupplyKick. Information checked October 21, 2026.

Back in September, Amazon announced Review Requests, a paid advertising format designed to invite verified purchasers to leave feedback while they browse Amazon, including its homepage. As you may know, customer reviews are crucial for new Amazon products. Amazon says this speeds up the process by prompting recent buyers to leave a rating on products they’ve purchased from you.

So does that mean you’re paying for reviews? Nope. Amazon prohibits seller-arranged compensation for reviews outside approved programs such as Vine. (It also prohibits review gating, where you ask only happy buyers to review and send unhappy ones somewhere else.) Review Requests doesn’t change those rules. You’re paying for an ad that simply requests buyers leave a review. It’s still their choice, and they can still leave a positive or negative review.

I think this is worth a look for products that have already started to sell but have limited customer feedback. But to be honest, the potential is big here for all new products once they start selling. That’s the kind of momentum we want to be able to dial in. Implement, monitor, adjust. It’s just another lever to pull to increase your sales on Amazon.

How Review Requests ads work

First, just the logistics.

A recent buyer sees an invitation to rate a product they recently purchased. They can submit a star rating with one tap and optionally add a written review, photos or video. Amazon describes this as a way to collect more authentic customer feedback.

Campaigns use bidding and budget controls in Amazon Ads Agent, with access also available through the Amazon Ads Unified API.

In its U.S. closed beta, which ran June 3–21, 2026, Amazon reported three times as many weekly ratings and reviews compared with before the test. That’s Amazon’s internal data, so take it with a grain of salt. But all the more reason to test.

I’d also keep expectations grounded because you’re asking buyers to share their experience and you don’t know what they’ll say. I wouldn’t build a forecast around every new rating being positive.

Which products qualify?

Amazon lists these U.S. open-beta requirements:

• Registered sellers and vendors need an advertising account in good standing with no active policy violations.
• Products need fewer than 1,000 total ratings and reviews.
• Eligibility is checked at creation and during delivery. Requests pause at the 1,000 threshold.

I’d start with a short list. A product with 900 ratings and one with 40 may both qualify, but I wouldn’t give them equal budgets without asking what additional feedback would accomplish for each one.

How it compares with existing review tools

Many of you may already request reviews through Seller Central. So what’s different?

Seller Central’s existing Request a Review button sends a standardized email asking for a product review and seller feedback. Sellers can use it once per order between five and 30 days after delivery. Amazon also says its systems already request reviews on sellers’ behalf at no cost.

But if that’s not doing enough?

Amazon Vine connects eligible products with Amazon-invited reviewers who receive units free of charge and provide honest opinions. For existing products, Vine requires fewer than 30 reviews and an eligible FBA listing, along with other participation requirements, and allows up to 30 units per enrollment.

That still leaves plenty to be desired for a quicker, easier, controllable throttle.

Review Requests ads introduce paid advertising placements that invite verified purchasers to contribute feedback while shopping on Amazon. They operate below the 1,000 ratings-and-reviews threshold described above. Neither program guarantees a particular number of completed reviews.

I’d check how you’re using these existing options before adding another expense. Are you already getting feedback from people who buy your products? What would you pay to get more?

Okay, so how am I thinking about a first test?

I’d keep the first test small enough that you can explain why each product is included and how much you’re willing to spend.

I would start with products you can stand behind. Read what customers are already saying and check for unresolved problems before you ask more buyers to weigh in. If people keep reporting broken packaging or unclear instructions, I’d put money toward fixing that first.

I want a baseline first. Pull your weekly sales, new ratings and written reviews before you start spending, so you have something to compare against when you review results. Set a budget ceiling, and confirm how you’re billed and what reporting you’ll get before you do. Put a review date on your calendar.

I’d also compare against similar products that aren’t receiving these ads, where that’s practical. If you run a promotion and sales go up at the same time as reviews, you need to account for that before crediting everything to a review campaign.

I want ratings and written reviews tracked separately. Calculate what you spent per additional contribution if your reporting supports that estimate. I’d also watch conversion and profit, but I wouldn’t claim a campaign improved either one without enough evidence to connect them.

How SupplyKick is approaching it

Over the next couple of months at SupplyKick, we’ll be testing Review Requests with the brands we manage. We’ll start small, with a short list of products, a set budget and a clear reason to continue or stop, and we’ll share what we learn here.

If you’re a SupplyKick client, your account team will reach out about which of your products make sense to test. Have a few in mind already? Bring them to us.

Not working with us yet? Book a time with me and we’ll look at which of your products would be good candidates.