Amazon Ads Review Requests: Paid Review Invitations Head to Beta
Amazon is turning review requests into an ad product. On September 29, 2026, Amazon Ads announced Review Requests, a paid campaign type that invites recent buyers to rate or review a product, and said it opens in beta in the US in late October 2026. For brands launching new products, reviews are often the biggest hurdle, so this matters. Here is how it works, what Amazon has and has not disclosed, and how to think about it.
What Amazon announced
According to Amazon Ads' announcement (Sept 29, 2026):
- What it does. "This new advertising solution reaches customers who recently purchased your product" and invites them to leave a rating or written review.
- Launch. "Review Requests launches in open beta in the United States in late October 2026." Amazon says additional marketplaces and Amazon properties are planned for future releases.
- Eligibility. Sellers and vendors with an advertising console account in good standing and no active policy violations. Products qualify while they have "fewer than 1,000 total ratings and reviews," and campaigns pause automatically at that threshold.
- Management. Campaigns run in Amazon Ads Agent with "the same bidding and budget controls" as other Amazon Ads campaigns, and through the Amazon Ads Unified API.
The numbers, and what's missing
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | September 29, 2026 | Amazon Ads |
| Open beta | Late October 2026, US only | Amazon Ads |
| Eligibility threshold | Fewer than 1,000 total ratings and reviews | Amazon Ads |
| Test result claimed | 3× as many ratings and reviews per week | Amazon internal data, closed beta, US, June 3–21, 2026 |
| Pricing | Not disclosed; standard bidding and budgets | PPC Land, EcomCrew |
| Amazon ad revenue, Q2 2026 | $19.8 billion, up 26% from $15.7 billion | PPC Land, citing Amazon results |
PPC Land (Oct 12, 2026) points out that the 3× claim is a company-supplied before-and-after comparison with no control group, and that sample size, baseline, category mix and spend were not disclosed. It also notes that placements are described only as "Amazon's highest-traffic pages" and that it is unclear whether resulting reviews will be labelled. EcomCrew (Oct 1, 2026) adds that Amazon has not published a minimum bid, pricing benchmark or expected invitation volume.
How it differs from what you already have
- Request a Review button. Free, sent one order at a time from Seller Central. Review Requests is a paid ad campaign shown on Amazon, with bids and budgets.
- Vine. Vine gives free product to selected reviewers. Review Requests targets customers who already bought the product.
- No guaranteed review. As EcomCrew notes, you pay to reach verified buyers, not for a positive rating: customers can leave one star, five stars or nothing.
That last point matters legally too. The FTC's rule on reviews bans paying for reviews that express a particular sentiment; see our FTC fake reviews rule guide. An ad that invites all recent buyers to review, with no condition on what they say, is a different thing, and it is Amazon's own product.
What it means for sellers (our analysis)
Useful for launches, if the price is right. New ASINs with few reviews struggle to convert. If the cost per additional review is reasonable, Review Requests could shorten that phase. Until pricing is visible, treat it as an experiment.
Measure incrementality. Compare weekly new reviews and ratings before and during the campaign, and against similar products not in the test. Watch average star rating too: more reviews from a product with quality issues can lower your rating.
Fix the product page first. An invitation won't help if buyers are unhappy. Check return reasons and negative reviews before spending.
Keep using free tools. The Request a Review button and Vine still work. Use paid requests on top, not instead.
Checklist for the beta
- List ASINs with fewer than 1,000 ratings and reviews that sell steadily.
- Check your ads account is in good standing with no policy violations.
- Record each ASIN's weekly review and rating pace for 4 weeks before testing.
- Start with a small budget and track cost per additional review and star rating.
- Keep the free Request a Review routine running.
How Atronia Innovations can help
We manage Amazon advertising for brands and factories, from Sponsored Products to new formats like this one, with clear reporting. We have managed $10M+ in ad spend. See our plans or contact us.
