I need some advice from experienced Amazon sellers.
I’m still new to Amazon, and I recently saw a strategy from a YouTuber where you include a thank-you card offering a $5 gift card, along with a QR code.
When the customer scans the code, it takes them to a funnel that asks about their experience and, optionally, they can leave a review, but it does not directly request one.
The tool claims this method is fully compliant with Amazon’s policies. However, when I asked AI for guidance, it strongly warned me that this technique could be risky.
I’ve already printed the cards, but I haven’t shipped them yet.
This is my very first product, and I’m worried that using this strategy might lead to account issues, especially since I just recovered from a listing violation.
Has anyone here used this method before? Is it safe, or should I avoid it? I’d really appreciate your insights.
Offering any incentive like a $5 gift card in connection with post-purchase communication is risky because Amazon’s policy prohibits incentivising reviews, and Amazon looks at intent and outcome, not just wording, so even if the funnel says “optional” and doesn’t explicitly ask for a review, the incentive tied to scanning a QR code and engaging after purchase can be interpreted as review manipulation.
Many sellers have used similar systems for a while without issues, but just as many have been flagged months later when Amazon audits inserts or receives a customer complaint, and new accounts with recent violations are far less forgiving.
If this is your first product and you’re trying to build safely, the conservative advice from experienced sellers is to avoid gift cards, avoid funnels tied to incentives, and stick to Amazon’s Request a Review button and neutral packaging inserts that only offer support or contact info with no reward attached.
It’s frustrating after already printing cards, but losing a bit of money on inserts is far cheaper than risking your account when you’re still establishing trust with Amazon.