How to Get Reviews on Amazon at Launch: Vine and the Rules

Zero reviews on a new product: what is allowed, and where is the line?

Brands we work with ask us this all the time:

"We have no reviews yet. Should we start ads anyway?"

"At home we run review campaigns with free samples. Can we do the same on Amazon?"

"A review service emailed us. Is it safe to use?"

The short answer: on Amazon you do not buy reviews, you earn them through the tools Amazon allows. At launch, the two main tools are Amazon Vine and Request a Review, both run by Amazon. Review campaigns that are routine in Korea (free product for a review, a gift for a review, paid review services) break Amazon's rules. Some also break a US federal rule.

Below, we cover the official tools, what they cost and where the lines are.

1. Why do the first reviews on a new listing matter most?

The first few reviews matter most because they move the conversion rate the most. A 2016 peer-reviewed study (Askalidis and Malthouse) found that a product's conversion rate can rise by as much as 270% (a relative lift) as it collects reviews, with the first five reviews driving most of that rise. It is not a number that applies to every product.

Many new brands spend on ads while the listing still has zero reviews. A listing with no reviews turns fewer clicks into sales, so ad spend takes a bigger share of every sale. We worked out how ad spend cuts into what you keep on Amazon in our channel margin post.

Parker-Lambert, a US Amazon agency, suggests 15 reviews with at least a four-star average before you advertise. That is one agency's view, not a study.

Your first goal at launch is enough reviews for a shopper to decide, not sales volume.

2. What is the Amazon Vine program, and who can join?

Amazon Vine is Amazon's own program that sends your product free to reviewers Amazon invites (Vine Voices), who then write an honest review. Each Vine review carries the label "Vine Customer Review of a free product", so shoppers can see the reviewer got the item free.

To join, Amazon's Vine page says you need:

A Professional selling plan, which costs $39.99 a month plus selling fees
A Brand Representative or Reseller role on a brand enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry (Amazon's program for brand owners), or generic products
Offers sold through FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon, where Amazon stores and ships your product)
For products already on sale, fewer than 30 reviews on the product detail page
Up to 30 units per enrollment

Vine units must sit in FBA, even if your other channels ship from a US 3PL. For the account setup itself, see whether you need an LLC to sell on Amazon.

Vine reviewers do not have to review what they receive. Enrolling 30 units means you can get up to 30 reviews, and you have no say in what they write. Vine does not promise good reviews. It gets you honest reviews sooner.

Amazon recommends enrolling in Vine, with inventory in its fulfillment network, at least three weeks before your launch date. In Amazon's 2022 data, Vine reviewers posted on average 17 days after requesting an item. That figure is old, but plan for a gap between enrollment and the first reviews.

3. Amazon Vine for sellers costs $0, $75 or $200 per parent product

Under the Vine FAQ, the US fee is $0, $75 or $200 per parent product (the listing that groups size or color variations), depending on how many units you enroll. Child products (the variations) carry no extra fee.

Units enrolled (per parent product)	Fee	Reviews you can get
Up to 2	$0	Up to 2
3 to 10	$75	Up to 10
11 to 30	$200	Up to 30

Amazon bills the fee 30 days after enrollment, and only after your first Vine review is published. If no Vine review comes in within 90 days of enrollment, you are not charged.

These tiers started on October 19, 2023. Before that, the fee was a flat $200, which is why older guides still quote only $200. Amazon also currently gives new sellers who enroll a brand in Brand Registry a $200 Vine credit. Promotions change, so check before you enroll.

The free units are a cost too. For example, if your landed cost (what it costs to get one unit to a US warehouse) is $7, enrolling 30 units costs $210 in product (30 x $7) plus the $200 fee, about $410 in total before logistics.

What does it return? Amazon says Vine lifts sales by an average of 30%. Its 2022 data put the figure at 19%. Both numbers are Amazon's internal data, not a promise for your product.

Budget for Vine as the fee plus the free units, not the fee alone.

4. Request a Review: once per order, 5 to 30 days after delivery

Request a Review is a Seller Central button that sends the buyer Amazon's standard review request. Amazon's help page says you can use it once per order, between 5 and 30 days after delivery.

Amazon says its systems already request reviews on your behalf at no cost to you.
Amazon treats extra review requests as unsolicited messages, and they follow the buyer's opt-out settings.

One Request a Review per order is safer than your own follow-up emails. Request a Review makes sure no buyer misses the chance to leave a review.

5. Package inserts: only a neutral review request is allowed

A package insert can only ask for honest feedback in a neutral way. Amazon's Seller Central help gives examples of both:

Allowed: "Feel free to share your honest feedback experience with our product by leaving a review!"
Not allowed: "If you are satisfied, leave us a 5-star Product Review. As a token of our gratitude for your support, we'd love to send you a gift card."

The same page bans money, gift cards, discounts, refunds, replacements or future benefits in exchange for reviews. You also may not ask for positive reviews only, or ask a buyer to change or remove a review, even during a return or replacement.

Some brands from Korea ship their home-market packaging with a "leave a review, get a gift" card inside. A review-for-gift card that is normal at home breaks Amazon's rules in the US.

6. Amazon review policy: why sampling campaigns and paid reviews are banned

Sampling campaigns and paid review services break Amazon's review policy because they give product, money or refunds in return for reviews. Amazon's Community Guidelines ban creating, editing or removing a review in exchange for payments, refunds, discounts, products, gift cards, warranties or services. That includes a refund offered to remove or change a negative review.

On Amazon, the program that pairs free product with reviews is Vine, and Vine reviews carry a label. A sampling campaign you run yourself has no such label.

If Amazon finds a violation, the Community Guidelines say it may:

Remove the content
Limit the use of community features
Suspend or terminate the account
Withhold payments

Amazon says it blocked more than 275 million suspected fake reviews in 2024 alone. A paid review service puts your whole selling account at risk.

7. The FTC rule bans sentiment-linked incentives and fake reviews

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule bans fake reviews and incentives tied to a positive or negative review, but it does not ban every incentive. The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (16 CFR Part 465) took effect on October 21, 2024. According to the FTC's announcement, it bans:

Creating, buying or selling fake reviews
Incentives conditioned on a review with a particular sentiment, positive or negative
Undisclosed reviews by company insiders
Review suppression
Fake social media indicators, such as bought followers or views

The FTC's Q&A says the rule allows incentives for reviews as long as there is no express or implied requirement for a particular sentiment. Amazon bans review compensation of any kind. If you sell on Amazon, Amazon's stricter policy is the one to follow.

The FTC can seek civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation. That is the 2025 level, which the FTC kept for 2026.
Civil penalties apply to knowing violations. The business that gives the incentive is liable, not the consumer who accepts it.
On December 22, 2025, the FTC sent warning letters to 10 companies about possible violations. The letters are not findings that the companies broke the rule.

How to get reviews on Amazon: allowed and banned methods compared

Method	Amazon policy	Key condition	Source
Amazon Vine	Allowed	FBA, fewer than 30 reviews, up to 30 units. $0, $75 or $200 per parent product	Amazon Vine
Request a Review	Allowed	Once per order, 5 to 30 days after delivery	Seller Central help
Neutral package insert	Allowed	Asks for honest feedback only	Seller Central help
Discount, refund or gift card for a review	Banned	Account suspension or termination possible	Seller Central help
Your own sampling campaign	Banned	Free product counts as compensation	Community Guidelines
Paid review service	Banned	Up to $53,088 per violation if it breaks the FTC rule	FTC

Once a review comes with a reward attached, it is on the banned side.

A launch timeline for your first reviews

Set up a Professional selling plan and Brand Registry. Vine needs both.
At least three weeks before launch, send inventory to FBA and enroll in Vine.
Decide how many units to enroll. Weigh the reviews you need against the cost of the free units.
Remove any reward or star-rating request from your package inserts.
After launch, send Request a Review on every order, 5 to 30 days after delivery.
Raise your ad budget once reviews start to build.

Wrap-up

Facing a listing with no reviews, many brands reach for the review campaigns they know from home. Amazon bans any reward for a review, and the FTC rule bans fake reviews and rewards tied to a rating.

So the answer to how to get reviews on Amazon at launch is short. Prepare Vine before launch, send Request a Review on every order, and keep your inserts neutral.

LinkONE helps brands entering the US with Amazon setup and sales operations, from seller account registration and listings to FBA and Amazon Ads.

In the end, your first Amazon reviews are not something you buy. They are something you plan into your launch schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can join the Amazon Vine program?

Sellers with a Professional selling plan and a Brand Representative or Reseller role on a Brand Registry brand (or generic products) can enroll FBA products in Vine. A product already on sale must have fewer than 30 reviews, and you can enroll up to 30 units. These conditions are from Amazon's Vine page as of October 2026.

How much does Amazon Vine cost for sellers?

As of October 2026, the US Vine fee per parent product is $0 for up to 2 units, $75 for 3 to 10 units and $200 for 11 to 30 units (Amazon Vine FAQ). Amazon bills it 30 days after enrollment and after the first review is published. If no Vine review comes within 90 days, there is no fee. The free units are an extra cost.

Is the Amazon Early Reviewer Program still available?

No, the Early Reviewer Program closed in 2021. According to an Amazon notice shared on the Seller Central forums, new enrollments stopped on March 10, 2021, and the service ended for enrolled sellers on April 25, 2021. Today, Vine is Amazon's program for early reviews.

Are Amazon sellers allowed to ask for reviews?

Yes, sellers may ask for reviews, but only in a neutral way. Amazon's Seller Central help bans asking for positive reviews only and offering discounts, refunds or gift cards for reviews. Request a Review in Seller Central can be sent once per order, 5 to 30 days after delivery.

What happens if you buy Amazon reviews?

Buying reviews breaks Amazon's policy, and Amazon can remove content, suspend or terminate the account, or withhold payments (Community Guidelines). Buying fake reviews or paying for positive ones can also break the FTC rule. The FTC can seek civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation (2026 level).

Sources

Fees and rules in this post are as of October 2026.

-LinkONE-