How to ask for reviews without breaking the rules

Ask every customer in the same neutral way, at the same point in their journey, and offer nothing in return. Do not filter out unhappy customers, do not suggest a rating and do not set staff quotas. Google and Trustpilot both prohibit selective invitations and incentives. A link or QR code that takes people straight to the review form is the simplest route that stays within the rules.

What the rules say

Google’s content policy says merchants may ask for genuine reviews, but they may not discourage negative reviews or selectively ask only satisfied customers. They may not offer incentives in exchange for posting, changing or removing a review. Google also says not to require reviews on the premises, not to set solicitation quotas for staff and not to require specific content.

Trustpilot’s guidelines go further into detail. Invitations must go to all customers the same way and at the same point in the journey, whether their experience was good or bad. No discounts, prize entries, refunds or freebies. No pre-screening, which includes inviting only satisfied customers, timing invitations so that only happy customers reach them, or steering unhappy customers towards direct contact instead. It also asks for neutral language and one invitation per genuine experience.

What review gating looks like

Gating is asking a customer “how was it?” first, then sending only the happy ones to the public review form. It is the most common way to break these rules without meaning to, because it feels like good customer care. If you want a private feedback channel, offer it alongside the public review link, to everyone, not instead of it.

A request that holds up

1. Decide the moment, such as a day after the appointment or a week after delivery, and use it for every customer.
2. Use neutral wording. Ask for feedback, not for a good review.
3. Link directly to the form. Google suggests sharing a link or QR code that opens the review form.
4. Offer nothing. No discount, no draw, no loyalty points.
5. Keep a record of who was invited and when, so you can show it was everyone.

Example (illustrative): Thank you for choosing [business]. We read all our reviews, good and bad. If you have a moment, you can leave yours here: [link]. It is entirely up to you.

Common mistakes

• A reward “for any review”. Even a neutral reward is an incentive, and Google and Trustpilot both prohibit it.
• Staff bonuses per review, or names on a leaderboard. Google names quotas for staff specifically.
• Tablets at the till. Do not require reviews on the premises.
• Asking family, friends or employees. That is a conflict of interest under Google’s policy.
• Replying to a complaint with a request to leave a nicer review. Fix the problem instead, with no condition attached.

Why this matters beyond the rules

If Google finds fake engagement on your profile, it can restrict the profile: block new reviews for a period, take existing ones offline for a time, or show a warning. In the UK, Schedule 20 of the DMCC Act 2024 bans fake reviews and misleading publication, including selectively publishing or hiding reviews. The cost of a shortcut can be much larger than the problem it was meant to solve.

A steady flow beats a one-off push

A sudden burst of requests can look unusual and bring little lasting value. A small, steady flow, sent to everyone at the same point, gives readers recent reviews and gives you honest feedback on what to fix. It also means that one bad review carries less weight, without anyone having to remove it.

In ReviShield, Fair Review Capture sends neutral requests to all your customers by QR code, NFC and direct link, with no filtering. See how it works and which plans include it. This article is general information, not legal advice.