Request a Review vs product inserts
Amazon’s button is free, safe and should be running on every order. It also cannot tell you a single thing about your product.
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Short answer: this is not a choice. Run the button on every order — it is free and risk-free. Add an insert because the button has no way of telling you why your returns went up last month.
| Request a Review | Product inserts | |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance risk | None — Amazon writes and sends it. | Low, if the card asks for an honest review and offers nothing. |
| Cost | Free. | Printing only. |
| Timing | Amazon’s schedule, days after delivery. | The moment the box is opened. |
| Wording | Fixed. You cannot change a word. | Yours, within the rules. |
| Feedback to you | None. Reviews appear publicly or they do not. | Survey answers come to your dashboard. |
| Works off Amazon | No. | Yes — Etsy, eBay, Google, Trustpilot, your own store. |
| Effort per order | A click, or an approved automation. | None once the cards are in the packaging. |
What the button is genuinely good at
It is the safest review request that exists. Amazon composes it, Amazon sends it, and the wording cannot be got wrong because it is not yours. It reaches buyers you have no other way of contacting. Use it on every order, and if you have a lot of orders, use an approved tool to fire it automatically.
What it cannot do
It is a one-way door. You send a request into Amazon’s system and nothing comes back except, sometimes, a public review. If a batch arrived with a cracked lid, the button will not tell you — the one-star review will, three weeks later, in front of every future customer.
It is also Amazon-only and arrives days after delivery, once the product has been put in a cupboard and the opinion has faded.
Where the insert fits
In the gap: the moment the parcel opens, in the buyer’s hands, with a question you chose. That is when the opinion is strongest and when a fault is most obvious. And the answer comes to you, not to your listing.
The one rule to hold onto is that you must not use those answers to decide who sees the review link. That is review gating, and it is prohibited. Ask your question, show everyone the same next screen.
Questions
Should I use the Request a Review button?
Yes, on every order. It is free, Amazon writes the message, and there is no way to use it wrongly. There is no argument for skipping it.
Why use an insert as well?
Because the button tells you nothing. It produces reviews or it does not, and you find out at the same time as your customers. An insert reaches the buyer at unboxing and can ask a question whose answer comes back to you privately, while you can still act on it.
When can I press Request a Review?
From delivery until 30 days after the order date. Most sellers trigger it a few days after delivery, once the buyer has had a chance to use the product.
Can I automate Request a Review?
Yes, through tools that Amazon permits to click it on your behalf. The message stays Amazon’s, which is what keeps it safe — the automation changes when it fires, never what it says.
Does Request a Review ask for seller feedback too?
Yes. It asks for both a product review and seller feedback in one message, which is part of why it is worth running on every order even if you also use an insert.
Put a card in your next box.
One campaign and 50 responses on the free plan. No card needed, and your printed codes keep working even if you cancel.