Amazon package insert rules: the do's and don'ts for 2026
Package inserts are one of the few ways an Amazon seller can talk to a buyer directly. They are allowed. Using them to manipulate reviews is not, and it is one of the fastest ways to lose a selling account. Here is where the line is.
The short version
✅ Generally fine
- Thank-you notes and a word about your brand
- Setup, care and safety instructions
- Links or QR codes to setup videos and FAQs
- Warranty and product registration
- A way to reach your support team
- Promoting your other products on Amazon
❌ Not allowed
- "Leave us a 5-star review"
- Any reward for a review: gift, refund, discount, entry in a draw
- "Happy? Review us. Unhappy? Contact us first" (review gating)
- Asking buyers to change or remove a review
- Sending buyers to buy off Amazon or to use a coupon elsewhere
1. Never connect a reward to a review
This is the rule that gets most sellers in trouble. Amazon's review policies forbid offering anything of value in exchange for a review, positive or not: free products, refunds, gift cards, discounts, cash, or a chance to win. The only place Amazon itself runs free-product reviews is its Vine program.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission went further in 2024 with its rule on fake reviews and testimonials: offering an incentive conditioned on a review expressing a particular sentiment is illegal, and knowing violators can face civil penalties.
How Kartzo handles it: a free gift is a thank-you for registering the product. Every buyer gets the same offer, before any review question, whatever they think of the product. The card and the page never say "review" next to "gift".
2. Don't ask for positive reviews
"If you love it, please leave 5 stars" is a request for a positive review. So is any wording that only mentions good experiences. A neutral invitation is different: "Other shoppers rely on honest reviews, good or bad." Even better, let Amazon ask for you with its own Request a Review button.
3. No review gating
Review gating means checking how a buyer feels first, then inviting only the happy ones to review and steering unhappy ones to private support. It sounds like smart customer service, but it is review manipulation: it skews your rating. Amazon prohibits it, and the FTC rule also targets review suppression. Some insert tools are built around this "only ask happy customers" trick. Avoid them.
Helping unhappy buyers is great. Just don't make that the reason they never see the review invitation everyone else sees.
4. Keep the buyer on Amazon for buying
Amazon's selling policies don't allow diverting sales away from Amazon. On an insert, that means no "shop our website for 20% off", no off-Amazon coupon codes and no links to buy elsewhere. Pages for registration, setup help and warranty are a different purpose, but keep them free of shopping links and discounts. If you plan something unusual, ask Seller Support before you print 5,000 cards.
5. Be careful with warranty wording
Registering a warranty is fine and useful. Under U.S. federal warranty law, though, don't say the warranty only applies if the buyer registers. Say registration makes service faster and easier. More in our product registration guide.
Example wording
| Instead of… | Write… |
|---|---|
| Leave a review and get a free gift! | Register your product in 30 seconds and choose your free gift. |
| Love it? Give us 5 stars! | Questions about setup? Scan for the video and fast help. |
| Not happy? Contact us before reviewing. | Need help? We answer within one business day. |
| Register to activate your warranty. | Register your warranty for faster claims. |
| Shop our site and save 20%. | See our other products in our Amazon store. |
Checklist before you print
- No mention of stars, ratings or "positive" reviews.
- No reward connected to a review, anywhere on the card or the page behind it.
- Every buyer gets the same steps and the same offer.
- No links or codes to buy outside Amazon.
- Warranty wording says "faster service", not "required".
- Your support contact is easy to find.
Amazon updates its policies regularly. This guide is general information, not legal advice; check Seller Central's current program policies or Seller Support for your specific case.