Is it legal to offer an incentive for Google reviews?
Under US federal law, an incentive for an honest review is not automatically illegal, as long as it isn't tied to a positive rating. Google is stricter. Its policy bans any discount, freebie or payment in exchange for a Google review, positive or not, so on Google the answer is no.
Those are two different rulebooks, and most business owners mix them up. The FTC's rule is the law. Google's policy is the house rule for its platform. You can follow the law and still lose reviews, or get your profile restricted, because you broke Google's rule. Since the Google Business Profile is the place most local customers read reviews, Google's rule is the one that decides what you can do.
I've been running ads and review campaigns for businesses since 2013. The "leave us a review for 10% off" card at the register is still one of the most common mistakes I see, and it's one of the easiest to fix.
What does Google's review policy say about incentives?
Google's contribution policy says merchants may not "offer incentives, such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services, in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review." Google classes it as fake engagement, so the reviews can be removed and the profile restricted.
Google's own tips for getting more reviews repeat it in plain words: offering free or discounted goods or services in exchange for reviews is "strictly prohibited." The same policy also bans a few things people don't think of as incentives:
- Selectively asking only happy customers for reviews, or discouraging negative ones (often called review gating).
- Offering something in exchange for changing or deleting a negative review.
- Telling staff to collect a set number of reviews, or asking for reviews that mention a staff member by name. Google added these two lines in April 2026.
Google allows you to ask for reviews that reflect a genuine experience, "without offering incentives to do so or attempting to influence the rating or the contents of the review." Asking every customer, with a direct link, is fine.
What does the FTC rule say about paying for reviews?
The FTC's Consumer Review Rule, in effect since October 21, 2024, bans offering anything of value in exchange for a review that is required, expressly or implied, to be positive or negative. Paying for 5-star reviews breaks the rule even if the reviewer discloses the payment.
The FTC's own Q&A on the rule is direct about the limits. It says the rule "does not prohibit giving incentives for reviews, as long as there isn't an express or implied requirement that the reviews have to express a particular sentiment." It also warns that failing to disclose an incentive could still violate the FTC Act under the Endorsement Guides, and that paying customers to change or remove truthful negative reviews may be an unfair or deceptive practice.
This isn't a sleepy rule. On December 22, 2025, the FTC sent warning letters to 10 companies about possible violations and reminded them that penalties can reach $53,088 per violation. Each paid review can count as its own violation.
Which review incentives are allowed and which aren't?
A reward tied to a good rating breaks both Google's policy and the FTC rule. A reward for any honest review may pass the FTC's test but still breaks Google's policy. Asking every customer for honest feedback, with no reward, passes both. The table covers the setups I get asked about most.
| What you offer | FTC rule | Google policy |
|---|---|---|
| 10% off for a 5-star review | Violates (tied to sentiment) | Violates |
| Free dessert for any review, good or bad | Allowed if disclosed | Violates |
| Raffle entry for everyone who leaves a Google review | Allowed if not tied to rating | Violates |
| Refund or credit if they delete a bad review | May violate the FTC Act | Violates |
| Only sending the review link to customers who rated you 4 or 5 in a survey | Risky (can mislead) | Violates (selective asking) |
| Staff bonus for hitting 20 reviews a month | Not addressed directly | Violates (review quotas) |
| Asking every customer for honest feedback with a direct link | Allowed | Allowed |
| Thanking a reviewer after the fact with no prior promise | Allowed | Allowed if nothing was offered beforehand |
Other platforms have their own rules, and some are stricter still. Check each one before you run a campaign there. This is general information, not legal advice, so talk to a lawyer if you're planning anything unusual.
What happens if Google catches incentivized reviews?
Google removes the reviews, and if a Business Profile keeps breaking the fake engagement policy it can be restricted. Google also now asks Maps users whether a business offered rewards for reviews, so your own customers can report it.
That prompt reads "Does this business offer rewards in exchange for reviews?" with Yes, No and Not sure options, according to PPC Land's June 2026 report. Local SEO practitioners quoted there said a yes answer can lead to reviews being deleted. Losing a chunk of reviews hurts twice: your star rating can drop, and you lose the recent reviews customers and Google both look for.
Your own team is a risk too. A manager who tells staff to "get 20 reviews this month or no bonus" is now breaking Google's policy as written, even if no customer gets paid.
How do you get more Google reviews without incentives?
Ask every customer, at the moment they're happiest, with a one-tap link. Volume comes from asking every time. Most businesses that struggle with reviews aren't asking at all, or they're asking once by email three weeks later.
- Create your direct Google review link. Our free Google review link generator builds one in about a minute, plus a QR code for the counter.
- Pick the trigger. Ask right after the job is done, the appointment ends or the order arrives, while the experience is fresh.
- Send the request by text first. It gets seen. Follow with one email reminder a couple of days later if they haven't left a review.
- Send it to every customer, not only the ones you think are happy. That keeps you inside Google's policy.
- Reply to every review, good and bad, within a day or two. It shows future customers someone is paying attention.
- Train staff to mention reviews in person, and leave quotas and staff names out of it.
A text you can copy
Hi [first name], thanks for choosing [business] today. If you have a minute, would you share how it went on Google? Honest feedback helps us and helps your neighbors find us: [review link]
We cover timing, templates and automation in more depth in how to get more Google reviews on autopilot.
Review requests that run themselves, by the rules
KenjiAI's reputation management sends a review request by text and email to every customer when a job is marked done in your CRM, follows up once, and suggests replies to new reviews with AI. It follows Google's rules, with no gating, no rewards and no staff quotas.
Can you thank customers after they leave a review?
Yes, a thank-you reply is always fine. Problems start when the reward was promised beforehand or becomes something customers expect, like a standing "review us, get a free gift" offer. If a customer would reasonably think they're being paid for the review, treat it as an incentive.
The safe version is a public reply that thanks the reviewer by first name and mentions something specific from their visit. If you want to reward loyalty, run a loyalty program that has nothing to do with reviews.
Next step: walk your counter, your receipts, your follow-up emails and your staff scorecards today, and remove anything that links a review to a reward or a quota. Then set up one honest review request that goes to every customer.