Repify
No. Google's policies prohibit offering or accepting money, discounts, free products, gifts or any other benefit in exchange for reviews, including prize draws. Review gating, which means asking only happy customers for a review, is also forbidden. You can and should ask every customer for honest feedback, as long as nothing is offered in return and nobody is filtered out.
- Discounts, free items, vouchers or cash in exchange for a review.
- Entering reviewers into a prize draw or contest.
- Asking only satisfied customers to review, or sending unhappy customers to a private form instead.
- Asking employees to review the business or writing reviews on behalf of customers.
- Buying reviews from agencies or joining review exchange groups.
What happens if you break the rules
Google can remove reviews it identifies as incentivized or fake and, in cases of fake engagement, may limit new reviews on the profile or show users a warning. Beyond Google, consumer protection laws in many countries treat fake or undisclosed paid reviews as misleading commercial practices. A short-term gain in stars is not worth the risk to your profile and your reputation.
What you can do instead
Ask every customer, at the right moment, in a simple way: at checkout, in a follow-up email or with a QR code on the counter. Make it easy with your short review link, explain that honest feedback helps you improve, and thank each reviewer with a reply. A consistent request to all customers produces steady reviews without breaking any rule.
Is a thank-you gift after the review allowed?
If the gift depends on leaving a review, it is an incentive, even if you give it afterwards or do not check the rating. Loyalty rewards and discounts are fine when they are offered to all customers and have nothing to do with reviews. Keep the two clearly separate in your messages, signage and staff instructions.