How-to · 15 minutes setup
How to incentivize customer reviews without violating Google's terms
Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor all prohibit incentivized reviews — offering a perk in exchange for a review violates their terms. The legal way to encourage more reviews is to reward the ASK, not the review. Offer a perk for the customer's willingness to share their experience publicly; whether they actually do is up to them.
Before you start
- A Social Perks account (free tier works)
- A Google Business Profile, Yelp, or TripAdvisor listing
- A perk to offer (10% off, free side, etc.)
Steps
Create a 'request review' campaign, not a 'review' campaign
In Social Perks, pick the 'Ask for organic feedback' template (auto-selected when you choose Google or Yelp as the platform). The reward triggers when the customer commits to share their experience — not when a review is posted. This is the FTC- and platform-compliant pattern.
Set the perk and message carefully
Frame the request as 'tell us what you thought' rather than 'leave us 5 stars'. Never tie the perk's delivery to a specific star count or to the review actually being posted. The customer must understand the perk is for the conversation, not a transaction.
Print the QR code and place it post-purchase
Place the QR code where customers see it AFTER the experience — on the receipt, by the door, in the takeout bag — not before. This avoids any sense of bribery before the experience is complete.
Verify FTC disclosure is auto-injected
Social Perks auto-injects FTC disclosure language into every campaign template (#ad, #sponsored, or 'received a perk for sharing'). Confirm it's present in your campaign preview before launching.
Monitor for fake submissions
The verification engine flags suspicious patterns automatically. If you see flagged submissions in the dashboard, review them — repeat offenders are auto-suspended.