Key takeaways
- Choose by what they already recommend. Seed influencers whose storefronts feature products like yours, not simply the biggest accounts.
- Ask for content, never a review. Amazon bans free products in exchange for customer reviews. An influencer can post about a gift when they disclose it.
- Ship from your own stock or through Multi-Channel Fulfillment. Amazon does not allow removal orders for gifts, and buying your own listing to give away can count as sales-rank manipulation.
- Give each influencer their own link. An Amazon Attribution tag per influencer shows what each post sent to your listing.
What product seeding is, and how it differs from paid posts
Product seeding is sending a free product to an influencer, with no fee and no obligation to post, in the hope they feature it. It costs only the product, the shipping and your time, and it suits products that show well on video. A paid post, an Amazon Creator Connections campaign and Amazon Vine are different routes, with different rules about what you can ask for.
| Route | What you give | What you can ask for | Who chooses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product seeding | A free product | Nothing required; you can suggest what to show | You choose the influencers |
| Paid post | A fee, usually with the product | Agreed content, platform and dates | You choose the influencers |
| Creator Connections | A commission on attributed sales; samples optional | Guidance only; posting is optional | Influencers choose your campaign |
| Amazon Vine | Free units to Amazon's invited reviewers | Nothing: it produces reviews only | Vine Voices choose your product |
From Amazon's own pages and our guides to Creator Connections and Amazon Vine, checked in October 2026.
Seeding is the cheapest route, and you pay for it in control. When you need a post by a date, pay for it; when you want a commission-only campaign, use Amazon Creator Connections; and when you need reviews on your product page, the only allowed route is Amazon Vine.
Who to send free products to
Send free products to the influencers whose Amazon storefronts already feature products like yours. Their audience already buys your category, and a product that fits their page is the one they are most likely to film. Fit matters more than size: a modest storefront full of products like yours beats a large one that never shows your category.
- Start from a competitor’s product. Search its ASIN in Spreesy to see the influencers whose storefronts carry it, the platforms they post on and the contact routes they publish.
A seeding list starts here. The influencers carrying the Bissell Little Green, the platforms each one links and whether they publish an email or only a social link. Swipe the screenshot to see every column. - Open each storefront before you ask. Look for recent videos, products in your category at a similar price, and gifted posts that are clearly disclosed. Our guide to judging a storefront before you ship a sample covers each check.
- Keep the first batch small. A batch you can follow up with personally tells you more than a large one you cannot track. Add influencers once you know what a post costs you.
What you can ask for in return for a free product
You can ask an influencer to feature a gifted product and to disclose that it was a gift. You cannot ask for an Amazon customer review, offer anything for one or make a future benefit depend on one: Amazon bans incentivized reviews outside Amazon Vine, and holds sellers responsible when their agencies or partners break the rule too.
- Content in their own words: a video, a post or a storefront feature. Suggest what to show, never what to conclude.
- A clear disclosure: the FTC treats a free product as a material connection even when no post is required, so ask for a disclosure such as “Gifted by [brand]” or #ad, and ask them to tag you.
- No review requests: Amazon’s own guidance for influencers says no one should ask for a review to send or receive a product, and its video guidelines tell them not to ask viewers for positive reviews.
- A check on what they post: the FTC expects brands to tell influencers how to disclose and to monitor the tagged posts, and suggests watching for at least a few months after a gift sent without a contract.
“If a company sends influencers a free unsolicited product and nothing else, it should ask them to clearly and conspicuously disclose the gift in any resulting social media posts or other endorsements, tell them how it should be disclosed, and ask them to tag the brand.”
Our outreach guide sets out what you can and cannot ask an influencer for, for paid posts as well as gifts.
How to ship samples to influencers as an Amazon seller
Amazon sellers can ship samples from their own stock, or from FBA inventory through Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF), which delivers orders placed outside Amazon in an unbranded box by default. Do not use a removal order, which Amazon says cannot be used for gifts or promotional items, and do not buy your own listing to send it.
| Route | How it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Your own stock | You pack and post the sample yourself | Your time and postage; put a note in the box |
| Multi-Channel Fulfillment | Amazon ships from your FBA stock to the address you enter, unbranded by default, and you can require blank boxes | A fee per order; blocking delivery by Amazon Logistics adds a surcharge, waived until January 2027 |
| Removal order | Not for samples | Amazon says removal orders cannot be used for gifts or promotional items |
| Buying it on Amazon, or reimbursing a purchase | Not advised | Amazon's Seller Code of Conduct counts orders you paid for or refunded outside Amazon as sales-rank manipulation |
From Amazon's Seller Central help pages, checked in October 2026. MCF fees change, so check the current fee page before a batch ships.
Amazon’s MCF terms cover FBA units that are not sold through an Amazon store, and one of Amazon’s own case studies describes a brand fulfilling influencer samples from its FBA inventory. Send every sample to the address the influencer gives you, never to one taken from an order.
What to send with a gift
Ask before the product ships, so the influencer can say no and you do not waste a sample. Name the product and why it suits their storefront, say there is no obligation to post, and explain how to disclose the gift if they do. If you need a post by a date, agree it in writing and pay for it instead.
Hi [first name], I sell [product] on Amazon and saw that your storefront features [similar product]. Could I send you one to try? There's no obligation to post. If you do share it, please tag [brand] and mark it as a gift, for example "Gifted by [brand]" or #ad. Your opinion stays your own, and we never ask for Amazon reviews. [Your name], [brand]
- Thanks for trying [product]!
- If you post about it, please tag [brand] and disclose the gift: "Gifted by [brand]" or #ad.
- Need a link? [your Amazon Attribution link]
- We never ask for Amazon reviews. Your honest opinion is all we hope for.
Follow up once if a gift goes quiet, a couple of weeks after delivery, then let it go. Our guide to reaching out to Amazon influencers has templates for the follow-up and for paid offers.
Track what seeding sends to your listing
Give each influencer their own Amazon Attribution tag, Amazon’s free measurement link for traffic from outside Amazon, and you can see what each post sends to your listing. Traffic you send with your own tags can also earn the Amazon Brand Referral Bonus, though never on traffic that already earns an Amazon Associates commission.
- One record per influencer: what you sent, when it arrived, whether they posted and the link.
- One tag per influencer: named so you can tell their traffic apart in your Attribution reports.
- One follow-up: dated, so nobody is chased twice.
In Spreesy, save the influencers you seed to an outreach list and mark each one as you go.
What product seeding costs
Product seeding costs the product, the shipping and your time, and some samples never become posts. Decide the cost per post you can accept before a batch ships, and compare it with what a paid post would cost you.
| Influencers who post | Posts from 20 samples | Cost per post |
|---|---|---|
| 20% | 4 | $110.00 |
| 40% | 8 | $55.00 |
| 60% | 12 | $36.67 |
| 80% | 16 | $27.50 |
Say you send 20 samples that cost $15 each to make, plus $7 each to ship. Scenario arithmetic, not a forecast.
What sellers report about seeding, and the red flags
Sellers on Amazon’s forums report samples that never became posts, and requests for free products that turn out to be review scams. Amazon publishes no figures for how many seeded influencers post. One seller sampled five influencers from a Creator Connections campaign; one never posted after receiving $65 of product.
“After someone received my product, they didn't record a video for me. Instead, they uploaded a video of a similar product.”
“If you do offer samples, make sure creators understand they're expected to feature the product in their content.”
- A great review in exchange for a free item: refuse and report it. Amazon holds sellers who accept such offers accountable too.
- A request through buyer messages: a self-described influencer asking you to ship a product. Find their storefront and check it before you reply.
- Threats of bad publicity unless you send a product: Amazon’s staff told a seller that such threats break its policies.
“Can you send me this item to test? In exchange I will leave a great review!”
When product seeding is the right route
Product seeding is the right route when your product shows well on video, your margin can absorb samples that never become posts, and you have time to follow up. It is the wrong one when you need content by a date, reviews on your product page or a guaranteed result.
- You need a post by a launch date.Seeding carries no obligation. Agree the content and dates in a paid deal instead.
- You need reviews on your product page.Influencers cannot be given products for reviews. Amazon Vine is the allowed route.
- Your product needs explaining before it shows well.Agree a paid post with a clear brief on what to demonstrate.
- Your margin cannot absorb samples that never post.Try Creator Connections, where you pay a commission only on attributed sales.
Product seeding questions sellers ask
What is product seeding?
Product seeding is sending free products to influencers, with no fee and no obligation to post, in the hope they feature them. Brands use it to get content and word of mouth for the cost of the product and shipping.
Is influencer seeding the same as influencer gifting?
Yes. The terms are used for the same thing: sending free products to influencers without paying for a post. A paid post or sponsorship is different, because you pay for content you agree in advance.
Can I ask an influencer to leave an Amazon review for a free product?
No. Amazon bans offering free products, or anything else, in exchange for a customer review, and holds sellers responsible for their partners. An influencer may still review a product honestly on their own, but you cannot ask for it, reward it or make anything depend on it.
Do influencers have to disclose a gifted product?
Yes. The FTC treats a free product as a material connection even when you do not require a post, so an influencer should disclose it, for example with “Gifted by [brand]” or #ad. Amazon’s own guidelines also require influencers to disclose gifted products in their videos.
Can I use FBA to send samples to influencers?
Yes, through Multi-Channel Fulfillment. MCF ships your FBA stock to the address you enter, in unbranded packaging by default, for a fee per order. Amazon does not allow removal orders to be used for gifts or promotional items.
How many influencers post after receiving a free product?
There is no reliable benchmark. Amazon publishes none, and sellers’ reports range from most of a batch to almost none. Choose influencers who already feature products like yours, ask before you ship, follow up once and judge each batch by its cost per post.
Do I need Brand Registry for product seeding?
No. Any seller can send products to influencers. Brand Registry matters for Creator Connections and the Brand Referral Bonus, and branded products need it for Amazon Vine.
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