For new sellers on Amazon, getting those four and five-star reviews can really help boost the item’s sales. With that, some sellers pay people to review their products.
But you might be wondering how Amazon’s review process works. For example, do you get paid to review products on Amazon? And if so, how much? I’ve researched the issue and have all the answers you’re looking for!
Amazon Review Program
Amazon chooses customers to review products randomly if the seller is enrolled in the Early Reviewer Program. With that, Amazon reviewers get compensated between $1-$3 in Amazon gift cards for their reviews. Additionally, Amazon wants authentic assessments, and it won’t exclude you from future reviews if you write a negative one.
If you want to learn more about reviewing products on Amazon, like who’s eligible to write reviews for products and why Amazon’s Early Reviewer Program exists, read on!
What Is Amazon’s Review Program?
Amazon has an Early Reviewer Program, which encourages customers who have already bought an item to share their authentic experience with said product.
With that, Amazon wants buyers to share their opinions, whether it results in a one-star or five-star review, to help future customers decide about the item.
Also, Amazon wants potential buyers to know as much about the product as possible, so it strongly encourages reviews.
However, the seller must list the product to participate in the Early Reviewer Program to qualify for a reviewer reward.
You are certainly welcome to write a review on any Amazon product you purchased in the past to help others make smarter shopping decisions.
Why Does Amazon Have a Review Program?
Amazon introduced its Early Reviewer Program to help third-party sellers get reviews for new products, as good reviews can help boost sales.
With that, the program came into effect shortly after Amazon banned incentivized reviews.
Why Did Amazon Ban Incentivized Reviews?
Amazon banned incentivized reviews because it made it challenging to judge the authenticity of said reviews.
However, you may be asking yourself, what’s an incentivized review?
An incentivized review is when a seller pays others to write a glowing review on their product, regardless of whether they bought it or not or the actual quality of the item.
Essentially, there were numerous cases of sellers offering low-quality products with several five-star reviews that were purchased, not earned.
Are Amazon Reviews Reliable?
Now that Amazon has banned incentivized reviews, yes, you can rely on Amazon reviews.
Amazon’s website only asks customers who’ve already purchased an item (and are eligible) to write a product review.
Additionally, Amazon asks that customers share their authentic experiences when they write a review.
If you’re curious about what makes a reviewer eligible, Amazon states any customer who doesn’t have a history of abusive or dishonest reviews is qualified to write one!
How Are Reviews Chosen For Amazon’s Review Program?
Because Amazon strives for the most authentic reviews possible, it randomly selects reviewers. However, there are some credentials a customer must meet before writing a review.
For example, the criteria to be chosen as an Amazon product reviewer include:
- You must have actually purchased the product
- The product must be part of the Early Reviewer Program
- You cannot have a history of abusive or dishonest Amazon reviews
- You cannot be an Amazon employee, participating seller, or a friend or family of the seller
Also, when you purchase a product that’s part of the Early Reviewer Program, you don’t know it’s part of the program until after your purchase.
Amazon doesn’t disclose a seller is a part of the Early Reviewer Program, so customers don’t go searching for the products just to get a reward.
Essentially, all the guidelines Amazon puts in place ensure that each review is honest and from a broad customer base.
Do Amazon Reviewers Get Paid?
Yes, Amazon reviewers do receive a reward for submitting their opinions about specific products.
However, the amount of the reward changes, and you are not guaranteed a prize simply for writing a review. With that, Amazon doesn’t give rewards to all of its reviewers.
If you are chosen to submit a review, Amazon will reward you between $1 and $3.
Additionally, the nature of your review doesn’t affect the amount of the reward or the chance of earning future rewards.
Amazon rewards its reviewers to express the company’s gratitude for sharing their authentic experience with their purchase.
What Other Benefits Do Amazon Reviewers Receive?
Sometimes, Amazon reviewers report getting freebies sent to them after reviewing a product. However, it’s not a guarantee you’ll receive free items after submitting a review.
With that, the most popular reward Amazon reviewers get is a small monetary reward in the form of an Amazon gift card.
It may only be a few dollars, but it can help you save a little extra money on your next Amazon purchase!
Do You Have To Be An Amazon Prime Member To Be a Reviewer?
No, you don’t have to be an Amazon Prime member to submit reviews on the website.
However, you must meet Amazon’s strict Community Guidelines it has in place to prevent fraudulent and inappropriate reviews. Being an Amazon Prime member comes with several additional benefits that non-Prime members can’t access, so it’s always a good idea to consider it!
How Do You Become an Amazon Reviewer?
There aren’t too many requirements to be a reviewer on Amazon. Of course, an essential aspect is to be an avid Amazon shopper to be considered for reviews.
With that, part of Amazon’s eligibility criteria is that you must have spent at least $50 on Amazon in the past 12 months to write customer reviews.
Additionally, Amazon asks the following of its reviewers:
- Write helpful and relevant reviews
- Be respectful to others
- Don’t promote your products on Amazon
- Don’t attack your competitor’s products on Amazon
- Don’t offer compensation to other reviewers for changing their reviews
- Don’t include sexual content
- Don’t include infringing content
- No illegal activity
- Only include URLs to other Amazon products
Also, Amazon reserves the right to take down your review at any time if it notices suspicious activity on your account or if you fail to follow the Community Guidelines in place.
What Should Amazon Sellers Know About the Early Reviewer Program?
If you’re an Amazon seller, there are a few things you should know about the Early Reviewer Program.
For example, some of the qualifications to have your products reviewed include the following criteria:
- The products must be a part of the Amazon Brand Registry
- The product must cost at least $15
- The product should have few or no reviews
- You can choose the products to enroll in the program, but you can’t select the reviewers
- Sellers cannot influence the quality of review in any way
- Amazon will gather reviews for one year or until five reviews are collected for the product through the Early Reviewer Program, whichever is first
To learn more about Amazon, you can also see our posts on whether or not Amazon reviews affect sales, if Amazon reviews are fake, and the Amazon chargebacks.
