Google doesn't allow businesses to offer customers anything in return for a review, whether that's money, a discount, a free drink or a free service. With staff, the rules are less obvious. Staff should never review their own employer, and Google's policy says businesses shouldn't ask staff to bring in a set number of reviews or reviews that mention their name, which rules out most review bonuses and targets. Training staff to ask every customer, and thanking them for good service, is generally fine.
Incentives for customers: what Google says
Google's policy for reviews on Maps says businesses must not offer incentives such as payment, discounts, free goods or free services in exchange for a review. The same applies to offering something in return for changing a review or removing a negative one. Google's help pages describe this as fake engagement and say it's strictly prohibited, and reviews posted because of an incentive are removed.
The rule applies even if the customer is real, the review is honest and you never asked for five stars. These would all break it:
- A sign at the till offering 10% off the next visit for a Google review.
- A free coffee or dessert for showing staff a review you've just posted.
- Discounts or freebies for a review, sent in a follow-up email.
- Offering a refund if a customer removes a negative review.
We'd put a prize draw for reviewers in the same category. Google's rule is about offering something in return for a review, and a chance to win a prize is still something in return.
What UK law says about customer incentives
Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which has applied since 6 April 2025, incentivised reviews aren't banned outright. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance says a business can incentivise a review as long as the customer is told it's incentivised, the review reflects their genuine experience, and the incentive is made clear to anyone reading it.
That doesn't help on Google. The same guidance says that where a website or platform doesn't allow incentivised reviews, submitting one is likely to be misleading, and Google doesn't allow them. The CMA also says a prize draw is unlikely to count as paying for a review under the law, but Google's own rules still apply to reviews on Google. Our guide to UK fake review law covers the Act in more detail.
Incentives for staff
Staff reviewing their own employer
Google's policy treats current or former employment as a conflict of interest, so reviews from staff about their own workplace break the rules even when they're honest. The CMA guidance says a business asking a member of staff to write a review of its products counts as commissioning that review, and that a review from an employee which doesn't make the connection clear may be misleading. In March 2026 the CMA opened an investigation into whether the funeral company Dignity asked staff to write positive reviews. It hadn't reached any findings at the time of writing.
Rewarding staff for the reviews they bring in
Google's policy says businesses shouldn't ask staff to bring in a certain number of reviews, or reviews that include specific content, including content that identifies a staff member. That makes review targets for staff a problem, along with paying staff per review or asking them to get customers to mention their name. It also says businesses shouldn't require or pressure customers to leave reviews while on the premises, which is the usual side effect when staff have money riding on it.
What you can reward staff for
Google's policy doesn't say anything about rewarding staff for asking customers in general, so there's some grey area here. The safer approach is to reward the habit and the service rather than the number of reviews.
- Training staff to ask everyone, and making it part of how you judge someone's work.
- Thanking staff for good service, whether you notice it yourself or a customer mentions it.
- Making reviewing quick and easy, so asking feels natural rather than pushy.
Where it gets less clear is a small reward whenever a review mentions someone by name. Even if you never tell staff to ask for it, they'll soon learn that asking customers to name them pays, and that's the content Google says businesses shouldn't request. If in doubt, keep money out of it. Our article on staff review competitions looks at this in more detail.
Getting more reviews without incentives
Most businesses with plenty of reviews simply ask every customer at the right moment and make it quick to do. Asking an honest question such as "Would you mind leaving us a Google review?" is allowed and encouraged. Giving each member of staff their own Google review card means the review page is one tap away when they ask, without anything being offered in return. Our guide on how to get more Google reviews has other methods that stay within the rules.
Common questions
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google doesn't allow discounts, free items or payments in exchange for a review, even an honest one.
Can I give staff a bonus for Google reviews?
Not per review or against a review target. Google's policy says businesses shouldn't ask staff to bring in a set number of reviews or reviews that name them.
Can my staff leave a review for where they work?
No. Google treats employment as a conflict of interest, and the review would be removed.
Is a prize draw for reviewers allowed?
Not on Google, in our view. The CMA says a prize draw is unlikely to count as paying for reviews under UK law, but Google's rules don't allow incentives for reviews.