Can you offer incentives for Google reviews?
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Founder, ProveWorth
No, you can't offer an incentive for a Google review. Google's policy bars payment, discounts, and free goods or services in exchange for reviews, and it lists no exception for disclosing the offer.
The FTC's rule is narrower. It bans incentives conditioned on a particular sentiment, expressed or implied, and does not ban incentives as such. FTC warning letters cite civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.
The catch is that the two rules don't match. Something the FTC rule leaves alone can still get your reviews removed by Google. Follow Google's rule, since it is the stricter one, and offer nothing at all.
Does Google allow discounts or gifts for reviews?
No. Google's policy lists incentives, such as payment, discounts, and free goods or services, as not allowed in exchange for reviews.
The ban also covers offers to change or remove a review. Under Google's wording, a free coffee for a five-star rating is an incentive. So is a coupon for a deleted one-star.
Google removes reviews that break the policy. Serious or repeated violations can lead to suspended or terminated accounts.
Does telling people about the incentive make it okay?
No. Google's policy lists no disclosure exception. A disclosed incentive is still an incentive.
Google's policy and the FTC's rule are different documents with different tests, so check each one on its own.
What does the FTC rule say?
The FTC's reviews rule bans compensation or incentives conditioned on a particular review sentiment, whether the condition is stated or only implied. It has been in effect since October 21, 2024.
The rule does not ban incentives as such. The FTC's Q&A does say that offering an incentive to take down a negative review could be an unfair practice under the FTC Act.
What about a loyalty program or a thank-you gift?
A gift for leaving a review is an incentive under Google's wording, so skip it. A loyalty or referral reward is a different thing, if it never depends on a review.
Google's pages don't bless any specific loyalty design. Keep rewards separate from reviews, and ask a qualified adviser before you build one.
What do I do next?
Ask every customer the same way, with the same neutral link. Read what review gating is for the other rule that trips owners. For the link itself, see how to get your Google review link and QR code.
On ProveWorth, requests go out after each job and offer nothing in return. You can get your free page or see how the review requests work.
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Key takeaways
- 1Google's policy bars payment, discounts, and free goods or services in exchange for reviews.
- 2Google's policy lists no exception for disclosing the incentive.
- 3The FTC rule bans incentives tied to a particular sentiment, and does not ban incentives as such.
- 4FTC warning letters cite civil penalties of up to $53,088 per violation.
- 5Follow Google's rule, since it is the stricter one. Ask every customer and offer nothing in return.
Related questions
Can I give a discount for a Google review?
No. Google lists payment, discounts, and free goods or services in exchange for reviews as not allowed.
Does disclosing the incentive make it okay?
No. Google's policy lists no disclosure exception, so a disclosed incentive is still an incentive.
Can I offer something if a customer changes or removes a review?
No. Google bars incentives for revising or removing a review. The FTC says offering them could be an unfair practice under the FTC Act.
Does the FTC rule allow incentives?
Only some. The rule bans incentives conditioned on a particular sentiment, expressed or implied. It does not ban incentives as such.
Does Yelp follow the same rules?
Yelp is stricter. It tells businesses not to ask anyone for reviews, so don't reuse a Google request flow on Yelp.