Can you offer incentives for reviews? (Google, Canada, FTC rules)
The short answer
No. Google says reviews paid for, in money or in kind, will be removed, and that businesses may not offer discounts, free goods or services for reviews. In the US the FTC bans buying fake reviews. In Canada the Competition Act bans false or misleading representations. Ask every customer, reward none.
By Reputant · Updated October 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Can I pay customers for Google reviews?
No. Google's content policy says reviews or ratings that have been paid for, directly or in kind, are fake engagement and will be removed. It also says businesses may not offer incentives, such as payment, discounts, free goods or services, for ratings or reviews.
Examples of what that wording reaches: a gift card for five stars, a discount on the next visit for a review, or free goods or services in return for one.
This guide covers the rules in Google, the United States and Canada, plus what you can do instead. It is general information and not legal advice. If you are planning a program or have already run one, talk to a lawyer.
What does Google say about review incentives?
Google's prohibited and restricted content page is the source. In plain words, it rules out four things a business might try.
- Paying for reviews, in money or in kind.
- Offering incentives such as discounts, free goods or free services in exchange for reviews.
- Discouraging or prohibiting negative reviews, or selectively soliciting positive reviews from customers.
- Content based on a conflict of interest, which the page says includes current or former employment and family relationships.
Our advice follows from the third item: send the same request to everyone, not only to people who say they were happy.
What happens if I break the rule?
Google's page says paid reviews and incentivized reviews are not allowed and will be removed. For reviews you think are fake, see our guide on how to report fake Google reviews.
What does the US FTC rule on fake reviews say?
The US Federal Trade Commission announced a final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials. Its announcement says the rule prohibits businesses from creating or selling them, and from buying or spreading them when the business knew or should have known they were fake.
The same announcement covers incentives. It says the rule prohibits businesses from providing compensation or other incentives conditioned on the writing of consumer reviews expressing a particular sentiment, whether positive or negative.
Three more points from the announcement. Reviews from company insiders must clearly and conspicuously disclose the connection to the business. A business may not use unfounded or groundless legal threats, physical threats or intimidation to get a negative review removed. And the FTC can seek civil penalties against knowing violators.
The rule was published in the Federal Register on August 22, 2024, and that notice says it is effective October 21, 2024.
What are the rules in Canada?
The Competition Bureau of Canada has warned about fake online reviews. Its 2022 notice says companies might give customers incentives to leave positive reviews, and that posting fake reviews can be part of an organized effort to boost a business's own ratings or lower competitors' ratings.
The Bureau's Deceptive Marketing Practices Digest says the Competition Act prohibits making a representation that is false or misleading in a material respect, and its page on false or misleading representations sets out the penalties for that. For a corporation, the civil penalty can reach the greater of $10 million ($15 million for each later violation) and three times the benefit gained, or 3% of annual worldwide gross revenue if the benefit cannot be determined. For an individual, the figure is the greater of $750,000 ($1 million for each later violation) and three times the benefit. There is also a criminal route.
Those penalties are for any false or misleading representation, not for review incentives in particular. How they apply to a coupon offered for a review is a question for a lawyer.
What about gray areas like contests, free gifts and thank you notes?
Here is how common situations come out under Google's wording. The table does not cover the FTC or Canadian rules.
| What you want to do | Allowed? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Give a coupon for leaving a review | No | A discount in return for a review is an incentive |
| Enter reviewers in a prize draw | No | A prize in return for a review is an incentive |
| Give a gift to people who left a 5 star review | No | It is an incentive and selects positive reviews |
| Ask every customer for an honest review | Yes | No reward, no filtering |
| Thank a customer after they have posted | Words only | Google's page does not address thank you notes, so keep it to words |
| Ask staff to write reviews | No | Google lists current employment as a conflict of interest |
| Donate to charity for every review | Not covered | Google's page does not name it. It is still something offered in exchange, so avoid it |
The last two rows are our advice, not Google's ruling. If in doubt, offer nothing.
What can I do instead to get more reviews?
Ask every customer, soon after the job, with one tap link to your review box. Keep the message short and honest. Send one reminder to people who did not reply. Our guide to how to get more Google reviews lays out the routine.
You can copy a message from our review request templates. Each asks for an honest review and offers nothing in return. Here is a short one.
Example review request, no reward
Hi {name}, thanks for choosing {business}. If you have a minute, would you share an honest Google review? {link}
Footer line for invoices and receipts
Your honest feedback helps other people find us. Leave a Google review here: {link}
What if I already offered a reward?
Our advice: stop the offer today, do not mention it in any new ask, and keep a note of when it ran. Google says paid and incentivized reviews will be removed, so keep collecting honest ones. If the offer was large or you used a paid service, speak to a lawyer.