Can You Offer Discounts for Google Reviews?

Google prohibits rewards in exchange for reviews. Here is what local businesses can do instead, based on current Google guidance.

No. Google does not allow a business to offer a discount, free item, payment, or other incentive in exchange for a Google review. The rule also covers incentives for changing a review or removing a negative one.

You can ask customers to share an honest review based on a genuine experience. The request must not steer the rating or wording, and customers must be free to decide whether to leave feedback.

Can you offer a discount for a Google review?

No. Google's Business Profile policy says merchants must not offer incentives such as payment, discounts, free goods, or free services for posting a review. The same restriction applies if the reward is offered for revising or removing a negative review.

It does not become acceptable because the discount is small, the customer can choose any star rating, or the review is posted after the purchase. The key issue is the exchange: the customer receives a benefit for posting or changing review content.

A review should represent the customer's genuine experience, not a paid or compensated response.

Read Google's current Prohibited and restricted content policy and its tips to get more reviews.

Does the rule depend on the rating?

No. A business cannot avoid the policy by saying the customer may leave any rating and will receive the same benefit either way.

Google also says businesses should not discourage or prohibit negative reviews, selectively solicit positive reviews, pressure customers to leave a rating or review while on the premises, or ask for specific content to be included. That means a business should not screen customers first and send the review link only to people who say they are happy.

The policy also covers conflicts of interest. Google's examples include current or former employment, contractual relationships, and family relationships. Staff, contractors, or relatives should not be used to create a review campaign that appears to be ordinary customer feedback.

Practice	Google's guidance	Safer approach
Discount for any review	Incentives for posting reviews are not allowed	Remove the reward from the request
Reward for a positive rating	Incentives and selective positive review requests are not allowed	Do not ask for a particular star rating
Reward for editing or deleting a negative review	Incentives for revising or removing a negative review are not allowed	Respond helpfully without offering a benefit
Neutral request to a real customer	Allowed when the review reflects a genuine experience and is not influenced	Make the invitation optional and use neutral wording

Google's policy is about influencing reviews, not whether a business has a customer feedback process. Keep the invitation separate from any deal, refund, gift, contest, or other benefit.

What can a business do instead?

Genuine customers can leave honest feedback when a business makes the process easy. Google says businesses may remind customers to leave a review by sharing a Google review link or QR code. Its guidance suggests using the link in a thank-you email, on a receipt, or at the end of a chat interaction.

Use a neutral invitation: say that feedback is welcome, without asking for a positive review or a specific rating.
Do not filter the audience: avoid sending the request only to customers expected to be satisfied.
Keep it optional: do not pressure people to write a review or require them to do it before leaving.
Ask for an honest account: do not supply wording, keywords, staff names, or other details you want included.
Respond to feedback: acknowledge useful comments and handle complaints professionally, without offering a reward for a changed review.

A good request is short and impartial. For example: “Thanks for visiting. If you would like to share feedback about your experience, you can use our review link.” The wording should not ask for a particular rating or promise anything in return.

Google says reviews should reflect a genuine experience and that honest, balanced feedback can help potential customers make decisions. A business cannot control whether that feedback is positive, and it should not try to do so through rewards or selective requests. For a related local search question, see our guide to Google Business Profile posts and local rankings.

How can you ask without influencing the review?

A neutral request should be shared fairly, not only with customers expected to leave positive feedback. This gives people the choice to describe what happened in their own words and at their own rating.

Choose a natural follow-up point, such as after a completed service or in a thank-you message.
Explain that the customer may leave feedback if they wish.
Share the review link without adding a discount, free item, entry into a prize draw, or other reward.
Do not tell the customer what rating to select or what words to write.
Accept the decision if the person does not want to post a review.

Do not ask staff to meet a review quota or to obtain reviews that mention a particular employee. Google's policy specifically calls out requests for a certain number of reviews or specific review content as practices merchants should not use.

Keep customer service and review solicitation distinct. It is fine to resolve a real service problem, but do not make a refund, replacement, or discount conditional on the customer posting, changing, or deleting a review.

How do you share a Google review link or QR code?

Review links and QR codes are available through the Business Profile. Google's current instructions say to open the profile, select Read Reviews, then Get more reviews. From there, copy the link or download the QR code.

Open the correct Business Profile while signed in with an account that manages it.
Select Read Reviews, then Get more reviews.
Copy the review link or download the QR image.
Place the link in an appropriate thank-you email, receipt, or chat message.

Google currently notes that the review QR code can be generated in a computer browser, not on a mobile device. The link can still be shared through the options shown in the profile.

A QR code displayed in a store should be an invitation, not a demand. Google says merchants should not require or pressure customers to leave a review while on the premises. Let people use the code in their own time and decide for themselves whether to write feedback.

See Google's step-by-step guide to creating a review link or QR code.

What if you already offered a reward?

Stop tying benefits to reviews, revisions, or removals. Remove or correct the message wherever it appears, and do not ask customers to post or change feedback in return for the promised benefit.

If you have already made an offer, do not try to turn it into a positive-rating campaign or ask a customer to revise an existing review to qualify. Review Google's current policy and follow the instructions shown in your Business Profile if Google contacts you about a policy issue.

Do not assume that deleting the offer guarantees a particular outcome for existing reviews or for the profile. Google decides how it handles content and policy enforcement. Keep future requests neutral and based on real customer experiences.

If a customer has left a critical review, answer the concern politely and factually. Google's guidance on managing customer reviews recommends helpful replies and explains when a business can flag a review for a policy violation. A negative rating by itself is not a reason to offer a reward for removal.

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer a discount if customers can leave any rating?

No. Google prohibits discounts and other incentives in exchange for posting a review, even if no positive rating is required.

Can I give a free product for a Google review?

No. Google's policy includes free goods and services among incentives that must not be exchanged for reviews.

Can I reward someone for changing a negative review?

No. Google also prohibits incentives for revising or removing a negative review.

Can a business ask customers to leave Google reviews?

Yes, if the request is for genuine feedback and does not offer an incentive or try to influence the rating or content.

Can I share a QR code to request a review?

Yes. Google allows businesses to create and share a review QR code. Its current instructions say to generate the QR code in a computer browser.

Can I ask only happy customers for reviews?

No. Google says merchants should not selectively solicit positive reviews or discourage negative ones.

Bottom line: invite genuine customers to share honest feedback, but keep discounts and other rewards out of the review request. Consistent, fair requests keep the feedback process focused on genuine experiences.

Build a useful local presence with accurate information, fair review requests, and customer-focused updates.

Read the local business social media plan