How I Received $4,500 in Free Amazon Products by Writing Reviews – Technologist

Hello! Today, I have a great article to share about how to become an Amazon Vine Reviewer from a reader, Nicole Nicolet. She is a member of the Amazon Vine program and she has received over 100 free products from Amazon and has saved over $4,500 in the last 6 months. If you want to learn how to get free products from Amazon, this is a very helpful read!

Did you know that you can get hundreds of free products, worth thousands of dollars every year from the Amazon Vine Program?

It’s surprisingly easy to join, and once you are a member you have access to thousands of everyday items that you can use, gift to friends and family, and even make money from.

Though there are certain rules that you will need to follow to maintain good standing with the program, it is worth all the effort. 

So, if you’re looking to save, and maybe even make a little bit of money, the Amazon Vine Program may be a good fit for you.

How To Become An Amazon Vine Reviewer

Below is what you need to know if you want to become an Amazon Vine Reviewer.

Recommended reading: 7 Ways To Get Paid For Amazon Reviews

How I’ve saved thousands with Amazon Vine

I have been a member of the Amazon Vine Program since November 2023. During this time I have received over 100 products from clothing to home decor, to health and beauty products, and even some electronics. 

Just the other day I got a pretty awesome projector that looks and works amazingly! And, I also got a pretty sick electric guitar too!

Because the Vine program allows you to request 3-8 items per day, I have been able to find gifts for friends and family, start new hobbies (like making sourdough bread!), and even find nearly all of the decor I need for my wedding.

Over the past 6 months, the total value of all the items I have requested comes out to a little over $4500.

So, as you can see how easy it is to save money as a Vine Voice.

What is Amazon Vine?

Amazon Vine is a program that Amazon offers to its stores and businesses to help them get product reviews for their products sooner than they would have otherwise.

This helps businesses make more sales since most customers read reviews before they decide to buy. 

When a business or store decides to put some of its products into the Vine program, Vine Voices (like myself) will test out the product and leave an honest review. 

As a Vine Voice, you get these products for free. However, there are some legal requirements that may affect your taxes, depending on your tax situation. More on this in a moment. 

So, who does Amazon choose to become Vine reviewers?

The Amazon Vine program is an exclusive program where they will hand-select people to join the program. These people will need to have written consistent ‘helpful’ and insightful reviews from their previous Amazon purchases.

You may be eligible to be an Amazon Vine Voice Reviewer if:

• You have written consistent reviews of your previous Amazon purchases
• Your reviews are considered ‘helpful’ to other customers
• Your reviews are honest and trustworthy

How do you join Amazon Vine?

If you are eligible to join the program and Amazon has decided they want you to become a Vine Voice, you will receive an exclusive invitation by email.

Once you join the Amazon Vine program, you will have access to the Vine Voice dashboard where you will find thousands of products from houseware to beauty products and more.

All Vine reviewers start in the Silver member status and have the ability to upgrade to Gold member status (that’s where I’m at now!)

Tips to increase the likelihood of receiving a Vine Voice invitation:

• Go back into your previous purchases and write a thorough review
• Include pictures or videos in reviews of your previous purchases
• Provide helpful insight into your reviews (include both pros and cons)
• Include tips on how you use the product in your reviews

When Amazon has decided they would like you to join their Vine review program, they will send you an invite through your email. So, keep an eye out for whichever email account you have connected to Amazon. 

Check your spam folder if you think you missed the invitation.

How to become a Vine Voice (how to become an Amazon Vine Reviewer)

You can become a Vine Voice once Amazon has decided you provide trustworthy reviews. This is important because they only want members who provide honest, relevant, and insightful feedback. 

Anyone is eligible to join the program as long as they have left enough reviews that other customers have rated as ‘helpful’. 

So, unfortunately, there is no exact or magic number that I can give you as this varies by the quality and quantity of your reviews, as well as the number of visits those products may get.

However, when I was invited, I had just caught up on about a half dozen reviews and received the invite in my inbox about 2-3 weeks later.

Does it cost anything to be a Vine Voice?

No, there is no membership fee, or one-time fee to join the program. However… it is important that you know that taxes are involved in the process.

While you are never charged for the products themselves, Amazon is required by law to account for the value of products as ‘self-employed’ income. If you have requested products for a total amount over $600, Amazon is required to send you a 1099 form.

You can check in your Vine account dashboard to keep track of your total running amount.

How much are you taxed for the products? 

Each product will have an ‘estimated tax value’ that Amazon has to report. This value is totaled up on your 1099 tax form. 

However, as for what percentage you are taxed all depends on your specific financial situation. The percentage you are taxed will vary by state and your tax income bracket. 

One tip though, to avoid higher taxes, is to request more health-related items that have no estimated tax value. Or, otherwise try to keep your total value down so that you pay less in taxes.

Unfortunately, this can be difficult when you become a Gold Member as the items can be any priced value and are usually better quality. Plus, some products are hard to turn down. Like that projector screen I mentioned earlier.

What are some of the best products you’ve received from Amazon Vine?

Well, for one, a projector that works great for indoor and outdoor entertainment. 

But, here’s a list of some other really neat products I’ve gotten from Vine.

• 3 shade lamp ($90 value)
• Shoe rack bench with a cushion ($60 value)
• That cool projector I keep talking about ($160 value)
• Gorgeous blue electric guitar ($140 value)
• Camping gear ($100 +)
• Wedding decor and gear ($500 +)
• Leather car seat covers ($173 value)
• Wing shaped book ends ($40 value) (P.S. these look super cool!)
• Brand new silverware
• 21-piece knifeset ($199 value)
• Stationary ($100 +)
• Gifts for friends and family ($400 +)
• Clothing ($100 +)
• Automated pet feeder ($60) (My cat’s an absolute unit, so he eats through his food quickly)
• Rainfall showerhead ($55 value)
• Christmas projector lights ($60 value)

I could keep going with this list, and I will keep adding to this list as long as I am still a member of Vine. But, needless to say, there are some great finds on here that will save you money on many household items, gifts, and more.

And, if you’re a parent, I will mention that I have seen tons of baby items and things for kids. So, if you’re looking to save money on your kids, becoming a Vine member can be a great way to save some money.

When I searched for “baby”, almost 2,000 items popped up. 

How to get free products from Amazon Vine

Requesting free products through the Vine program is both fun and easy. You can select from a list of thousands of products in just about any category.

After becoming a member, you can follow these steps to request products.

Log in to your Vine account, navigate to your dashboard and locate the “Recommended for You”, “Available for all”, and “Additional Items” tabs. 

The ‘recommended for you’ items are based on your previous Vine searches. And, if I’m not mistaken, may also be partially based on your regular Amazon purchases and searches.

There was one time that I looked for, and eventually purchased a specific lamp on Amazon. And, not one week later that same exact product showed up on Vine. You win some you lose some, right?

You can also search for a specific product using the search bar. But, if you don’t find what you’re looking for, try broadening your search or using a different but related keyword. 

Sometimes a product is ranked under different keywords than you might expect.

Once you have found the item you want, you can look into further detail by clicking through to that link, or by reading the details when selecting the “see details” button. Then, once the product pops up, hit the “request product” button.

Now you just wait for the product to ship to you! 

You will find the shipping information in your item orders on your Amazon account or Amazon App. There is no special place for just for shipping information of Vine products. It’s all on your regular Amazon account.

Do you get paid with Amazon Vine?

You do not get paid in cash as a Vine Voice. You do, however, receive free products that you can later sell if you choose.

There are some restrictions as to when you can get rid of the products you have requested.

Amazon requires you to keep the products you request for at least 6 months before you get rid of the product you’ve requested. This means you are not supposed to gift, give away, sell or otherwise toss the product for 6 months.

How Amazon can track this, I don’t know. How strictly do they monitor this, I don’t know. 

But, what I do know is that you definitely shouldn’t sell any of your Vine products online within the minimum time frame if you want to remain in good standing as a member of the program.

What countries have this program?

The Amazon Vine program is available in the US and a few other countries.

Unfortunately, the products that are available are only the products that ship within that country or may be stored in local distribution centers. 

Some larger items may also only be shipped very locally to where they are stored.

So, if you live outside the U.S. you may still be able to join the program but may be much more limited on what products you have access to request.

Process of reviewing Amazon Vine products

In your Amazon Vine dashboard, you will be able to find products recommended specifically to you, products for all Vine reviewers, and any other product that is available to request for all members.

It’s best to check back frequently for any items you want as this changes daily, and sometimes hourly. 

There have been times when I’ve found an item I wanted several weeks or even a month or two later than when I first checked. Give it time and most likely what you want will become available.

Once you find the items you want, go ahead and request the products. Most products will be shipped to you in a couple of days, or within a month.

Being an Amazon Prime member does not change how quickly something is shipped to you though. But, there are tons of other great benefits as a Prime Member other than free 2-day shipping.

Step-by-step process to review Vine products:

1. Request the product you want
2. Test the product within a thorough, but timely period
3. Write a complete and honest review of the product (include pictures, video, and/or other information you feel is ample for that product). Real reviews are great, they aren’t just looking for positive reviews
4. Submit the review and wait for it to be approved (usually a few days to a week)
5. Update the review if you feel this is necessary

If you struggle to find the products you want to review, try using different keywords. Rather than looking up “bridal shower gifts” try just looking up “bridal” or “wedding”.

This will greatly broaden your search as some items may be ranked under a certain keyword, but not another. 

If this does not work, try also using another term for the product. 

For example, when I type in ‘tumbler’, I see an insulated thermos, and I also see some stickers that go on thermoses. When I type in ‘cup’ I see thermoses again.

Contrary, when I type in ‘bookends’ with no space, I find a dozen products. But when I type in ‘book ends’ with a space, I only get one product. This is because of how businesses add their products to Amazon when using keywords. 

What is required to maintain Amazon Vine membership?

To be in good standing with the Amazon Vine program you will need to write reviews in a timely manner. For some products, a thorough review may require several weeks of testing, whereas other products can be reviewed almost right away. 

Some products I really try and include an image of. Things like electronics, clothing, and other things that are difficult to see in scale from a product image alone. Real life images work best for buyers to make an informed decision.

As a Silver Status Member, you will be able to request up to 3 items per day and up to $100 value each. You will need to review at least 80 items, and 90% of your items by or before the end of your evaluation period. After your evaluation period, you can get upgraded into the Gold Status.

As a Gold Status Member, you will be able to request up to 8 items per day with any price value. The review requirements are the same with at least 90% of 80 products reviewed by the end of the evaluation period. 

You will need to have at least 60% of your products reviewed at any time to stay in good standing. However, this will take some time while you are getting enough products to review, so don’t worry too much about this in the beginning. 

If you do not keep up with your reviews, your account may be placed under review (no pun intended here). I had this happen to me at one point around last Christmas when I became too busy for a while to write any reviews. 

But, I got caught back up and was able to return to good standing status as a member. And, I was still able to request items during this period, just in case you were wondering.

I have noticed there is some confusion among many Vine Voice members as to when you get upgraded to Gold Status. At one point I thought if I reached the minimum requirement of 80 products with 90% of reviews I would be upgraded. 

But, you will not be upgraded until the end of your evaluation period, unless you are somehow an exception to this rule. 

I recommend catching up on your reviews about once a week. Or, more often if you would like. This helps you to avoid getting behind. 

How to make money from Amazon Vine

According to the rules of the program, you cannot sell, gift, or otherwise give away your Vine products for a 6-month period. After this period, you may do with the items as you wish.

At this point, you may turn or flip the products and sell them for profit. However, if you decide to make some extra cash with this, please do not sell a product for more than it is valued on Amazon. 

This is wrong, deceitful, and may cause bad blood among those involved. So, it is best to sell the items for less than the original value. 

You may also use any products you get in your business if you wish. They are still just products, so if you use a Vine product in your business to make money, then more power to you.

Example: One item I had requested was an off-brand KitchenAid mixer attachment. I could easily use this to make money from baking. 

When can you sell the products you get?

There is a required 6-month waiting period before you get rid of any products by any means. It is best to wait this period before you decide to gift or sell any product.

If you decide to gift or sell any products sooner than this period, you can and may be removed from the program. So, if you are concerned about this, make sure to date the products you receive so you don’t forget. 

You can also look in your account to check on those dates.

It’s best to not sell any products for more than the taxable value. You also should not market any products as any brand other than what they actually are.

So, when I mentioned I got an off-brand KitchenAid attachment, it would be wrong and deceitful for me to market it as an ‘official’ brand attachment. 

Can you gift the products you get?

Yes. After the 6-month waiting period required by Amazon. If gifting an item is necessary for a thorough review, however, and the product is within your family, in most cases this should not be too much of an issue. 

But, this does not guarantee that you aren’t breaking the program rules. So, do this at your own risk.

Can you be both an Amazon Affiliate and a Vine Voice?

As a blogger, I am also a member of the Amazon Affiliate program, and I am also a member of the Amazon Voice program. 

As of June 2024, I am not aware of or have been informed of any restrictions that an Amazon Affiliate can’t also be a Vine Voice. Nor, have I found any information that states otherwise. 

So, I say the more the merrier!

Final thoughts on how to become an Amazon Vine Reviewer

The Amazon Vine program is a great program for companies, customers, and Vine Voices alike. It’s actually a fairly easy program to join and can be a great way to save and even make money.

While there are some important requirements you’ll have to follow as a Vine Voice, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. 

So, if you’re looking to save some money this year, start reviewing your previous Amazon purchases to increase your chances of becoming a Vine Reviewer, and keep an eye out for that email!

Did you know that there was a way to get free stuff from Amazon?

Author bio:

Hey there! My name is Nicole Nicolet and I am a blogger at Let’s Make Life Great. When I first learned that blogging could make you money full-time I was skeptical, but decided to give it a try as a way to make passive income on the side. So, after taking Michelle’s free blogging course, I jumped in! 

I started writing and researching different ways to save money, make money, and budget better. I also tried different side hustles like making digital printables, online courses, and more. Even though I’m still learning and growing, I enjoy writing posts about my blogging journey to help me document the tricks and tips I’ve learned since I started. 

I aim to help my audience make more money, grow a business, and reach their financial goals through the content I create. And I even have a free resource page on my site, because who doesn’t love free stuff?

So, one day, when I stumbled upon the Amazon Vine program I decided to try it and see if I was eligible. And, sure enough, I was.

I’m inspired to share my journey with you in hopes that you too can learn different ways to save thousands each year as an Amazon Vine Member.

Making Sense of Cents Note: I hope you enjoyed this article on how to become an Amazon Vine Reviewer. This invitation-only program looks for high-quality reviews to help improve a product’s visitibility. This can be a great way to get free stuff from Amazon and save some money! I’ve read that there are around 5,000 to 10,000 Amazon Vine reviewers currently, and it looks like they are still accepting many new product reviewers.

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