Do Product Testers Get to Keep the Items?
Photo: Vitaly Gariev / Pexels
Learn when test products are gifts, when they remain company property, and what to check before accepting an assignment.
Product testers sometimes get to keep the items, but they should never assume they can. Whether a tester keeps or returns a product depends on that program's written terms. A product tester receives an item to evaluate, usually through surveys, reviews, or wear testing.
The item may be a perk, a temporary loan, or company property that must be returned.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on September 09, 2026.
Why do some programs require returns?
Companies may need the physical item after testing to examine wear, damage, or performance. Columbia Sportswear, for example, says all wear-test products remain company property and must be returned because the company examines the wear. A return requirement can apply even after a tester has used the item for weeks.
Testers should keep the product, packaging, and supplied accessories available until the program confirms the assignment is complete.
When can testers keep the product?
Some programs expressly let participants retain tested products. Woman & Home says members of its Tester Network keep the products they test, although it also describes this as something testers "usually" receive—making it a program-specific benefit, not a universal rule. Other programs offer only a possibility.
PetSafe describes an "opportunity" to keep products during occasional in-home tests, which does not promise that every assignment ends with ownership.
What do the terms need to say?
Look for direct language such as "yours to keep," "must be returned," "remains our property," or "may be requested back." Silence is not permission to sell, give away, or discard an item. Cabot Hosiery Mills' Wide Open terms show why the details matter. Unreleased test products remain Cabot's property unless written notice says otherwise, and testers cannot lend, give away, or sell them.
Before accepting a test, check:
- Whether the product is a gift or a loan
- Whether every item must be returned or only selected items
- Who pays return shipping
- How long packaging and accessories must be kept
- Whether resale, gifting, or public discussion is restricted
Free review products are not always simple gifts
Amazon Vine gives invited reviewers products free of charge to try and review. However, Amazon's public U.S. program page does not promise that every product may be retained, so participants should rely on the terms attached to their account and item.
Vine reviewers must provide honest, unbiased opinions. Amazon also prohibits them from accepting products or compensation directly from sellers or brands in exchange for reviews.
Remember disclosure and possible taxes
Keeping an item does not remove disclosure duties. If a U.S. tester publicly endorses a product received free, the Federal Trade Commission says the disclosure should name the brand and explain that the item was free for review.
A retained product may also have tax consequences. The IRS says taxable income can include property and goods, and income generally must be reported even when no reporting form arrives unless an exemption applies.