How to Ask for Reviews With a Package Insert Card

Short answer: a package insert card is a small card in the box with one short ask, one link and a QR code that opens your review page. Keep it to a sentence or two, make the link easy to scan or type, and never ask for a positive review or offer a reward for one.

If you sell from Instagram, Etsy or your own shop, you pack every order by hand. That card is the cheapest, most direct place to ask.

Why does a card in the box work?

The customer is holding the product at the moment they can judge it. They just opened it, they can see the packaging and they can feel the quality. That is when they have an opinion, and the card is right there.

An email asking for a review arrives somewhere else: in an inbox, among other messages, before or after the parcel shows up. The card removes that gap. There is nothing to search for and nothing to remember.

It also costs very little. You print a batch once and drop one into each order, with no software involved.

What should you put on the card?

Less than you think. A card that asks for one thing gets read. A card that tells your story, lists three social accounts and asks for a review does not.

One short ask. Something like "Thanks for your order! If you have a minute, we'd love to hear what you think." One or two sentences is enough.

One link, and one QR code. Most people will scan the code with their phone camera. Some will not, so print the link in plain text under it too.

Your business name. The customer should know who is asking, especially if your packaging does not carry your name prominently.

No long story. Save the brand story for your page. The card has one job.

How do you make the card, step by step?

1. Pick where you want reviews to go

Choose one place and stick to it. If you have a Google Business Profile, that is the obvious choice. If you do not, you need a page you control that opens a review form.

Online-only sellers are usually not eligible for a Google Business Profile, because Google expects in-person contact with customers. Our guide on getting reviews without a Google Business Profile covers the options.

2. Get a short link

If you have a Google profile, the free review link tool finds your Google review link and lets you download a QR code for it.

If you do not, a Kudo review link works. It is a short page link, such as getkudo.co/review/yourname, that opens a review form. The collection form is on the Free plan, and for pages not connected to a Shopify or Wix store, the dashboard shows that link's QR code. By default, reviews that come in through the form wait for your approval before they appear on your Kudo page.

3. Make the QR code

Use the code from the tool or dashboard you chose in the previous step. Before you print anything, scan it with your own phone and check that it opens the right page.

4. Write the line

Write one or two sentences in your own voice, the way you would talk to the customer at a market stall. Do not copy a template word for word if it does not sound like you.

5. Print and pack

Print a small batch first and look at it. Check that the QR code is large enough to scan from a table, with white space around it, and that the printed link is readable. Then slip one card into every order.

What can't you say on the card?

This is the part that gets sellers into trouble, so read it twice.

Don't ask for a positive review. "Leave us 5 stars" and "tell us how great we were" are requests for a particular answer. Ask for an honest review and let the customer decide what to say.

Don't tie a reward to a good review. In 2024 the US Federal Trade Commission issued a rule on consumer reviews that bans conditioning incentives on the sentiment of a review. A discount offered only if the review is positive is exactly what that rule is aimed at. If you do want to thank customers, our post on what the rules say about a discount for a review explains how.

Check your marketplace's rules before you add an insert. If you sell through a marketplace, it has its own policy on what may go in the box, and those rules are separate from the law. Amazon, for example, prohibits inserts that ask for positive reviews or offer incentives for reviews. Etsy and other platforms have their own policies, so read the current seller policy for the platform you use before you print.

How do you follow up without nagging?

The card is the ask. A single follow-up a few days after delivery is enough for people who meant to review and forgot.

Send one short email or WhatsApp message that says thanks, mentions the review link and nothing else. If someone does not reply, leave it there. A second and third message turns a friendly reminder into pressure, and pressure is more likely to annoy a customer than to earn a review.

Only message customers who have given you their contact details for their order, and make it easy for them to say no.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to put a review request card in a package?
Yes, on your own website or social shop it is a normal way to ask. The card should ask for an honest review and not for a positive one. If you sell on a marketplace, check its policy on inserts first, because some marketplaces restrict what you can include.

What should a review request card say?
Thank the customer, ask for their honest opinion in one or two sentences, and give them the link and a QR code. Add your business name so they know who is asking.

Can I offer a discount on the next order for a review?
Be careful. A reward cannot depend on the review being positive, and some marketplaces forbid review incentives altogether. Read the rules on discounts for reviews before you print an offer on the card.

Do I need a QR code, or is a link enough?
Print both. People holding a card usually scan a QR code with their phone camera, but a short link in text helps anyone whose camera does not pick it up.

What if I don't have a Google Business Profile?
Send customers to a review page you own, such as a review form behind a short link, and print that link and its QR code on the card. Online-only sellers are usually not eligible for a Google Business Profile, so this is the common route.