Can you offer a discount for reviews?
No. Offering anything of value for a review - discounts, entries into a draw, free work - violates Google's policy, and enforcement can strip your entire review history rather than just the incentivized ones. The upside is small and the downside is your whole profile.
What counts as an incentive
Money, discounts, gift cards, prize draws, free service, or a donation in their name. It applies whether the incentive is offered to everyone or only to people who leave positive reviews.
The real risk
It is not a warning letter. Google can remove reviews in bulk, and the removal is not surgical - businesses lose years of legitimate reviews alongside the incentivized ones. Rebuilding takes longer than acquiring did in the first place.
Competitors report this, and the pattern is visible in the data: a sudden cluster of reviews from accounts with no other activity.
What is allowed
Asking. Directly, every time, from every customer. Reminding once. Putting a link on your invoice, your email signature, a card left with the job. Making it easy is not the same as paying for it.
Employee incentives are the same problem
Bonusing staff on review count creates pressure to ask selectively or to write them. The number goes up and the profile stops reflecting reality, which is the only thing giving it value.
The short version
- Any item of value counts as an incentive
- Enforcement can remove legitimate reviews too
- Asking every customer is allowed and effective
- Staff bonuses on review count create the same distortion
Related questions
What about asking for feedback and only sending happy customers to Google?
That is review gating and it is also prohibited.
Can I run a general customer prize draw?
Yes, as long as entry is not tied to leaving a review.
Everyone in my industry does it. Why shouldn't I?
Some of them will lose their review history. It tends to happen all at once.
Keep reading
How do you get more Google reviews?
Ask every customer, by text, within an hour of finishing the job. Timing matters more than wording. A...
How do you remove a fake Google review?
Report it for policy violation, be specific about which policy it breaks, and reply publicly in the meantime....
How many Google reviews do you need to rank?
There is no threshold. What matters is being competitive with the businesses already ranking in your area,...
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