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Conditional rewards

Testimonial in Exchange for a Discount

A thank you gift after the fact is one thing. “Leave a testimonial and get 15% off your next order” is another: the discount now depends on the testimonial. The FTC material read for this page does not forbid that outright, but it draws hard lines around what the condition may require and what readers must be told. Check your offer against them before it goes out.

  • Separates “any honest testimonial” from “a good one”
  • Disclosure placed where the quote is read
  • Each point tied to the FTC text it came from
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Conditional discount checklist
2 of 12 done17%
  • The discount is earned by submitting a testimonial, whatever it says
  • Nothing in the offer, the email or the form suggests the testimonial has to be positive to qualify
  • The discount does not depend on you choosing to publish it, which would reward only the ones you like
  • Only people who actually bought or used the product are offered the deal
  • The offer tells customers the discount is a reward for the testimonial, so they can say so if they post it elsewhere
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Checklist

Check a conditional discount before you launch it

Tick each line for the offer you are planning. Lines with a source point to the FTC text they summarise. This is not legal advice.

The condition itself
Telling people in advance
Disclosure beside the quote
Running it

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The problem, solved

Running a conditional discount in StoryProof

  • Problem 1

    Sending codes by hand to each submitter

    Matching submissions to customers and emailing codes one at a time is slow, and some people never get theirs.

  • Problem 2

    Rewarded quotes look like any other

    Six months on, a rewarded testimonial ends up in a homepage carousel with no label, because nothing marked it.

  • Problem 3

    The label will not fit some widgets

    A compact strip may have no room for a disclosure line, so a rewarded quote shown there would go unlabelled.

  • Problem 4

    We need to add the label before anything shows

    If quotes went live on submission, the disclosure would always be a step behind.

  • Problem 5

    The offer also brings in complaints

    An honest condition means some submitters are unhappy, and they earned the code too.

Four ways to structure the offer

A summary of the FTC material read for this page, for US businesses. It is not legal advice.

Sources: FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule Q&A, FTC Endorsement Guides FAQ, 16 CFR 255.5.
StructureWhere it standsWhat to do
Discount for any submitted testimonialAllowed in principleDisclose the reward beside each published quote
Discount only for 4 or 5 starsConditions the reward on sentiment, which the Q&A says is prohibitedDo not run it
Discount only if you publish itRewards the testimonials you liked, which implies a positive one is neededPay on submission instead
Discount to everyone asked, reply or notStill a connection worth statingThe cleanest option; disclose that a discount was offered

In StoryProof

Set up the offer

  1. 1

    Write an honest request

    Say what the discount is, that it is for submitting a testimonial whatever it says, and that you would like their real experience. Email it with the link.

  2. 2

    Hand out the code at the end of the form

    On Pro or above, put the reward code on the thank you screen of a multi step form, then test it with a low rated submission.

  3. 3

    Tag and label on approval

    Tag each testimonial from the offer and write the disclosure into its attribution before approving.

  4. 4

    Place rewarded quotes where the label shows

    Choose them only for widgets whose layout displays the disclosure.

What happens next: When the offer ends, keep the tags. A rewarded testimonial stays rewarded however long it is on your site.

Before you start

Before you rely on this

What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.

  1. 01

    Not legal advice

    This summarises FTC material for US businesses as read on the date shown. Other countries and some industries set stricter rules. Ask a lawyer if a lot rides on it.

  2. 02

    Disclosure does not rescue a positive only offer

    The FTC example on incentivised reviews says that when reviews must be positive, a disclosure is not enough.

  3. 03

    StoryProof does not write the label

    There is no automatic incentive badge. You add the disclosure to each attribution yourself.

  4. 04

    Review sites have their own rules

    This page covers testimonials on your own site. Check each review platform’s policy before pointing a rewarded customer there.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Short answers to what usually comes up next.

Is it legal to give a discount in exchange for a testimonial?

In the US, the FTC rule Q&A read for this page says incentives for reviews are not banned as long as there is no express or implied requirement of a particular sentiment. The reward still needs disclosing.

Can I give the discount only to five star reviews?

No. Conditioning the reward on a positive review is what the FTC Q&A and Endorsement Guides FAQ both say you cannot do.

Do I have to disclose the discount if the customer paid full price for the product?

Yes. Under 16 CFR 255.5, a discounted product can be a material connection whether or not the advertiser requires an endorsement in return.

Is a discount for a testimonial different from a thank you gift?

The disclosure question is similar. The difference is the condition: here the customer knows in advance that the reward depends on submitting, which is why the wording of the condition matters.

What should the disclosure say?

Enough to judge the reward, placed beside the quote. For example: “This customer received a discount for sharing their experience.”

Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.

Reward honest testimonials, label every one

Collect testimonials, hand out the code at the end of the form and approve each quote with its disclosure. No credit card needed to start.

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Sources

  1. Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers, Federal Trade Commission. Checked 2026-11-11.
  2. FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking, Federal Trade Commission. Checked 2026-11-11.
  3. 16 CFR 255.5: Disclosure of material connections, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 2026-11-11.

Last updated 2026-11-11.