2026 Package Inserts: Include This and Get Your Account Suspended – Guaranteed!

Amazon Product Insert Policy: Account Suspension Risks and Compliance Requirements

Hey Amazon sellers! Today, we're diving into how to properly use 'Package Inserts' – a common practice that many sellers unknowingly misuse, leading to severe penalties. Amazon strictly prohibits requesting reviews via product package inserts (materials inserted into product packaging), soliciting positive reviews, or offering incentives for reviews. Violations can result in immediate account suspension and other serious repercussions. You must only use Amazon's approved official channels.

Amazon prioritizes the authenticity of customer reviews above all else and continuously enforces strict penalties against any attempts to compromise it, especially now. In particular, monitoring and enforcement against review solicitation through 'package inserts' – which were once considered a somewhat gray area – have been significantly ramped up. With advanced AI-powered detection systems now in place, this has become a critical risk even for seasoned sellers.

What NOT to Include in Your Package Inserts

Amazon strictly prohibits including the following content in product package inserts:

No Review Request Language: Any language requesting reviews in any form (e.g., “Please leave a review,” “Share your feedback”) is not allowed in package inserts. No Soliciting Positive Reviews or Specific Star Ratings: Phrases that encourage specific ratings, such as “Please leave a positive review” or “We'd appreciate a 5-star rating,” are clear policy violations. No Offering Incentives: Offering discount codes, free products, refunds, or any other form of monetary or non-monetary compensation in exchange for a review is strictly prohibited. No Directing Buyers Off Amazon: Directing buyers to external websites, social media, or other contact channels outside of Amazon to request reviews or handle customer service is also forbidden. Only Use Official Channels: The only Amazon-approved methods for requesting reviews are through the “Request a Review” button in Seller Central or a neutral request via the Buyer-Seller Messaging Service.

Severe Penalties for Policy Violations

Amazon enforces a 'zero-tolerance policy' for violations of its customer review policies. If a violation is detected, you could face the following severe consequences:

Permanent Revocation of Selling Privileges: Your selling privileges will be immediately and permanently revoked. Withholding and Forfeiture of Sales Proceeds: Your sales proceeds may be withheld or even forfeited. Review Deletion and Future Review Prohibition: All reviews for the affected product will be deleted, and you may be prohibited from receiving future reviews. Permanent Product Delisting: Your product listing could even be permanently deleted. Legal Action: In some cases, legal action may be pursued.

⚠️ Warning: Once an account is suspended, reactivation is extremely difficult.

Practical Steps for Safe Selling

To avoid risks and continue selling safely, you must immediately implement the following measures:

Immediately Discard and Remove All Inserts: Immediately check all current package inserts included with your products for any prohibited language mentioned above. If found, discard them immediately or replace them with inserts that contain no review-related content. Check and Correct FBA Inventory: Verify that no products in your FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) inventory contain problematic inserts. If they do, recall the inventory and correct them as needed. Thoroughly Understand New Insert Policies: When creating new inserts, thoroughly familiarize yourself with Amazon's “Customer Product Reviews policies” and “Prohibited Seller Activities and Actions Policy.” Only include permitted information (e.g., thank you messages, user instructions, brand story, warranty information, etc.). Communicate Guidelines to External Partners: If you work with 3PL (Third-Party Logistics) providers or partners who handle product packaging, provide them with clear guidelines on Amazon's latest review policies to prevent any insert-related mistakes.

Specific Risks to Watch Out For

⚠️ Even "Honest Feedback" is Risky: Phrases that seem neutral, like “We would appreciate your honest feedback,” can still be interpreted by Amazon as an attempt to solicit positive reviews. It's safest to avoid such language entirely and stick to official Seller Central features.

⚠️ No Directing to External Channels via QR Codes: If you include QR codes in your inserts that lead to external websites or social media, it could be considered an Amazon policy violation due to the potential for review requests or incentives being offered on those channels. Amazon prohibits directing buyers outside of the Amazon selling process.