Are you allowed to ask for Google reviews that way?
A quick self-audit of how you ask for reviews, checked against Google's actual published policies. Answer six questions and see where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
Can I offer a discount or freebie for a Google review?
No. Google's policy prohibits incentivized reviews, whether the incentive is a discount, a free item, cash, or entry into a prize draw. Reviews obtained that way can be removed and repeat offenses can put your profile at risk. The safe approach is to ask everyone for honest feedback without offering anything in return.
What is review gating and why is it a problem?
Review gating means only inviting customers you expect to be happy, or screening out unhappy ones before you send the review link. Google prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews. Send the same request to all customers regardless of how you think they'll rate you.
Is this legal advice or an official Google ruling?
Neither. It's general guidance based on Google's published review policies, and we link you to Google's own pages so you can read the current wording. Policies change over time, and enforcement is at Google's discretion, so treat this as a starting-point self-check, not a guarantee or legal advice.
Why does collecting reviews on one shop tablet get flagged?
When many reviews come from a single device or network in a short window, Google's spam systems can treat them as suspicious and filter them, even if every review is genuine. It's marked here as a risk rather than an outright violation. Letting customers review from their own phones, on their own time, is safer.