The Complete Guide to Shopee and momo Reviews: How Sellers Systematically Raise Ratings and Positive Review Rates
On Shopee (Taiwan’s largest e-commerce marketplace), two sellers list the same pair of Bluetooth earbuds. One has a 4.9 rating and 2,300 reviews; the other has a 4.6 rating and 180 reviews. The first seller moves eight times the monthly volume of the second, even though the prices are almost identical.
That gap does not come from ad spend. It comes from the compounding effect of a rating ecosystem: a high rating earns better search visibility, which brings more orders, which creates more chances to be reviewed, which sustains the rating and keeps the visibility advantage in place.
This article breaks down how Taiwanese e-commerce sellers build that flywheel on Shopee and momo (a major Taiwanese online shopping platform known for fast delivery and an older, quality-focused customer base).
How Taiwan’s e-commerce rating systems actually work
Shopee’s rating logic
A Shopee listing’s standing rests on two separate scores: the product rating and the seller rating.
Product rating (directly affects product search ranking):
- Customers leave a 1-to-5-star rating after confirming receipt of their order
- Written reviews appear on the product page, and reviews with photos carry extra weight (they get seen by more people)
- Recent ratings outweigh historical ones (the last 90 days matter most)
- Review volume itself affects ranking — at the same rating, a product with more reviews ranks higher
Seller rating (affects store visibility and platform support):
- Covers three dimensions: product-description accuracy, shipping speed, and customer service quality
- A low seller rating drags down the quality score on your Shopee ads (higher cost, worse performance)
- A seller rating below 4.5 can disqualify you from some of Shopee’s seller support programs
momo’s rating logic
momo’s rating system differs from Shopee’s in several important ways:
- Ratings attach to the item, not the seller — when multiple sellers list the same item, they share a single rating page
- momo runs a rating authenticity review process, and unusual swings in rating activity trigger manual inspection
- Reviews with photos get far more visibility on the product page than text-only reviews
- Repeat-purchase reviews (left by a customer buying the same item again) are specially labeled and read as more credible
How ratings drive visibility
Take Shopee as the example. These are the main factors in search ranking:
| Factor | Degree of influence |
|---|---|
| Ad bidding | Highest (paid placement) |
| Product rating × review count | High |
| Recent sales volume | High |
| Complete product information | Medium |
| Shipping speed | Medium |
| Product page click-through rate | Medium |
The compliance line on rating tactics
Before getting into methods, it is worth being clear about what the platforms permit and what carries real risk.
Explicitly prohibited (high risk):
- Faking reviews with dummy accounts or accounts belonging to friends and family
- Asking customers to delete a negative review in exchange for a refund or compensation
- Manufacturing ratings through fake orders
- Generating a large volume of reviews in a short window
The consequences of getting caught: all reviews removed, listings taken down, your account banned. Both Shopee and momo run AI detection systems, which are highly sensitive to abnormal patterns — clustered IP addresses, brand-new accounts, reviews posted immediately after purchase.
What the platforms allow:
- Including a sincere review-request card inside the package
- Asking for a review in the thank-you message sent after checkout
- Sending customers a sample and letting them decide for themselves whether to buy the product and rate it
- Providing excellent post-purchase service to existing customers so they are more inclined to leave a positive review
The core principle behind compliant work: let real customers leave real ratings, and stay out of what they write and how they score it.
A systematic approach to raising your positive review rate
Method 1: The in-package review request card
This is the simplest and most direct tool available. Design an A6 card and include it with every shipment.
Key design points:
- A thank-you message (sincere — not the kind of boilerplate that reads like it was AI-generated)
- An explanation of why you are asking for a review (say plainly what it means to a small shop)
- A QR code that links straight to the product review page (so the customer does not have to go hunting for it)
- An “if anything is wrong, contact us first” line (with a LINE or customer service channel) — routing potential negative reviews into a private conversation where you can resolve them
An example that works:
Hi there! Thank you for choosing our products. We are a small shop that puts real care into what we make, and every review means a great deal to us. If you are happy with today’s purchase, we would love it if you scanned the QR code and shared your experience so more people who need this can find us. If anything is wrong, please tell us first — we promise to reply and resolve it within 24 hours. LINE: @xxxx
A/B test your review card: Prepare two versions and alternate them week by week, then see which one produces the higher review conversion rate (reviews received within seven days of delivery, divided by units shipped).
Method 2: Automated post-checkout messages
Set up an automated message triggered after order confirmation in Shopee Seller Centre, or configure a post-purchase message on momo.
The message fires one to two days after the customer confirms receipt, asks about their experience, and leads naturally into a review request.
Message framework:
- Confirm delivery — “Did everything arrive safely?”
- Open the conversation — “Is it working the way you hoped?”
- Close the loop — if they are happy, invite a review; if something is wrong, steer them into a private message where you can resolve it
Timing matters a great deal: the window from 24 to 48 hours after order confirmation is when people are most willing to leave a review (they have just unboxed the product, and the novelty is at its peak). After three days, willingness drops off noticeably.
Method 3: Genuine purchases and reviews from word-of-mouth participants
This is the most effective method, and the one that demands the most care in execution.
You recruit real consumers, subsidize the cost of their purchase, and let them order through their own accounts exactly as any other customer would, then rate the product themselves.
Operational cautions:
- Space out purchases from any one account (when the same account buys from the same shop repeatedly in a short period, its reviews carry less weight)
- Recruit participants who already have some purchase history (reviews from brand-new accounts are far more likely to be removed by the system)
- Let participants write their own review content (dictating what they say strips the review of authenticity and breaches platform rules)
- Be conservative about weekly volume — a fast-climbing review count triggers a platform investigation
A guideline for pacing: If your product averages 20 orders a day, you can expect roughly two to four organic reviews (a 10-20% conversion rate). In that case, keep word-of-mouth participant reviews to no more than five to eight per week — within 1.5 to 2 times your organic volume, so the growth rate never looks anomalous.
Negative review SOP
The golden four hours
Respond publicly within four hours of receiving a negative review. This is not only about “explaining yourself” — it is about letting every other prospective buyer see how you handle service.
A negative review answered publicly with “We are so sorry — we have already messaged you directly and will get this sorted for you” often demonstrates the quality of your brand’s service more effectively than the review itself damages it.
Response strategies by type of negative review
Product problems:
- Acknowledge the problem publicly and explain what you have already improved
- Offer a return, exchange, or compensation in a private message
- Once resolved, ask the customer whether they would be willing to update their review
Expectation gaps (caused by unclear product descriptions):
- Apologize publicly and admit the description was not clear enough
- Explain that you have already updated the product page
- Ask privately whether they would like a return or exchange
Shipping problems (not your fault, but counted against your shop):
- Explain the shipping issue publicly and describe how you handle complaints
- Offer to help file a shipping claim
- Walk the customer through how to escalate with the carrier (if the amount involved is significant)
Malicious reviews (competitor sabotage, accidental misclicks, unreasonable customers):
- Keep your public response calm and professional
- File an appeal through the platform’s review dispute function
- Attach evidence such as order records and message logs
Grounds for requesting review removal
Shopee allows sellers to appeal in cases where:
- The review contains defamatory language
- The customer confirms they never purchased the product
- The review contains false information
momo offers fewer appeal channels; requests generally have to go through the merchant service line for manual review.
Turning negative reviews into an improvement engine
On a regular cadence — monthly works well — compile all of your negative reviews and classify them:
- What problem type comes up most often?
- Which price band has the highest negative review rate?
- Are shipping problems or product problems the bigger share?
That data is the most direct input you have for improving your products and service, and it is more honest than any market research you could commission.
Working with the differences between Shopee and momo
What is specific to Shopee
Review reply function: Shopee lets sellers post one reply per review, and that reply is visible to every other shopper. Use it well:
- On positive reviews: thank the customer and reinforce the product’s core strengths (so prospective buyers see the key points)
- On negative reviews: demonstrate an active commitment to fixing the problem
Shopee Live lifts review rates: customers who buy after watching a Shopee Live stream convert into reviewers at a rate 20-30% higher than ordinary buyers do, because a relationship of trust has already been established. If you run live streams, close them by reminding viewers: “If you bought something and you like it, remember to leave us a review.”
Shopee Preferred and Shopee Supermarket: sellers who meet certain conditions can join higher-tier programs and receive more traffic support. Ratings are one of the core eligibility criteria.
What is specific to momo
Photo reviews carry more weight: on momo, reviews with photos are far more prominent than text-only reviews, and review thumbnails sometimes appear directly in search results. A photo review is two to three times as effective as a text-only one, which makes actively encouraging customers to add photos well worth the effort.
The repeat-purchase label: momo displays a “repeat customer” label next to reviews from returning buyers. These reviews read as more credible and convert better. Cultivating repeat customers and inviting them to review is a key lever for improving the quality of your momo ratings.
On-site ads and ratings are linked: momo’s ad system applies a quality bonus to products with high ratings and high review counts, so the same ad budget buys better placement. That means raising your rating is not purely an organic traffic question — it directly affects advertising ROI.
The metrics that matter in review management
Build a review dashboard and track it weekly:
| Metric | Target (Shopee) | Target (momo) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product rating | ≥ 4.7 | ≥ 4.5 | Below this, you are at a ranking disadvantage |
| Review conversion rate | ≥ 15% | ≥ 10% | Share of confirmed orders that get reviewed |
| Negative review rate | < 3% | < 5% | Above this, go find the cause |
| Negative review response rate | 100% | 100% | An unanswered negative review does the most damage |
| Average response time | < 4 hours | < 8 hours | Shopee places more weight on immediacy |
The compounding effect of a long-term rating strategy
The point worth closing on: raising a rating takes time, but the compounding is real.
One seller who lifted a Shopee rating from 4.2 to 4.8 — a process that took eight months — saw the following over that period:
- Search ranking improved by three to five positions
- Organic traffic grew by 67%
- Conversion rate rose by 23% (a high rating removes hesitation)
- Advertising ROI improved by 31% (a better quality score lowered ad costs)
The key to the compounding: do not wait until your rating is high enough to start advertising, and do not advertise while ignoring your rating. The two have to move together — ads bring orders, orders create review opportunities, and a rising rating makes the ads perform better.
Competing on e-commerce ratings is a long game, but the earlier you start building the system, the sooner the compounding starts working for you.
Shopee and momo rating strategy is one part of a broader e-commerce word-of-mouth plan; for a fuller cross-platform review integration strategy, see The Complete Guide to E-Commerce Word-of-Mouth Marketing. And if you also operate a physical storefront, The Complete Guide to Improving Your Google Maps Rating will help you build ratings online and offline in step with each other.
Want NETVANA to design a systematic e-commerce rating program for you? Get in touch — your first consultation is free.
