Rewards and incentives
Thank customers for their testimonial without paying for praise
A small thank-you is a kind gesture. A reward that depends on what the customer says is bought praise, and in the United States a rule now bans it outright. Run your plan through the checklist before you send a single request.
- Checks drawn from the FTC rules and Google’s policy
- Separate rules for your own site and for public review sites
- A table of common rewards, ruled fine or not
The problem, solved
Where testimonial thank-yous go wrong, and how StoryProof keeps them fair
Situation 1 of 4
Sending reward codes by hand is messy
Someone has to spot each reply, look up a code and email it, and a customer who answered on Friday may wait until Tuesday.
How StoryProof solves it
From Pro, a multi-step form can show a reward code on its thank-you screen, so the code arrives the moment the customer finishes.
Situation 2 of 4
The reward could look tied to praise
If thank-yous go out only after someone has read the answer, it is hard to show that critical replies were rewarded too.
How StoryProof solves it
The code appears on the form straight after submission, before anyone on your team has seen the answer, so a critical reply earns it exactly as a glowing one does.
Situation 3 of 4
Only confident speakers ever earn the gift
A request that asks for video alone hands every reward to people comfortable on camera, and quieter customers sit it out.
How StoryProof solves it
The same link takes a video, an audio note or written text, so the thank-you is open to every customer in whichever format they prefer.
Situation 4 of 4
Customers never hear what happened next
Someone who spent ten minutes answering hears nothing more, and the goodwill the gift was meant to build fades.
How StoryProof solves it
From Pro, two hours after you approve a testimonial StoryProof can email the customer a thank-you with a link to it.
Checklist
Check your thank-you before you offer it
Tick each line your plan already meets. The citations point to the rule or policy each one comes from.
Ticks stay in your browser and are not saved.
Common thank-yous, ruled
In StoryProof
Set up an honest thank-you in StoryProof
- 1
Write the thank-you into the request
State what customers get and that they get it whatever they say. Being upfront removes any sense that the reward depends on praise.
- 2
Put the reward on the form’s thank-you screen
From Pro, multi-step forms ask several questions in one sitting, can hand out a reward code on the thank-you screen, and can offer share buttons at the end.
- 3
Accept every kind of answer
Customers can respond by video, audio note or text, and critical feedback earns the same thank-you as glowing praise.
- 4
Disclose it where the testimonial appears
Approve what you want to publish, then add the disclosure beside it on your page, for example "received a thank-you gift for sharing feedback".
What happens next: Keep the reward on your own form only. Public review sites have their own rules, and Google’s do not allow incentives at all.
Before you start
Limits of this guidance
Not legal advice
It summarises US federal rules and Google’s policy as checked on the date below. Other countries and other review sites set their own rules.
Policies change
Google updates its contribution policy from time to time. Re-read it before you launch a campaign that touches public reviews.
The reward code is a form feature
It is part of multi-step forms from Pro. On other plans, send the thank-you yourself after the customer responds.
Staff and partners are a separate case
A testimonial from an employee, affiliate or business partner carries a connection readers may not expect. Check the disclosure it needs with your adviser, apart from customer thank-yous.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Is it legal to give a gift for a testimonial?
In the US, generally yes if the gift does not depend on what the customer says and you disclose it where readers would not expect it. A reward conditioned on a positive review is banned.
Can I offer a discount for a Google review?
No. Google’s policy prohibits offering incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods in exchange for posting any review.
Do I need to disclose a prize draw?
Yes. The FTC guides list the possibility of winning a prize as a connection that can need disclosure.
Can I send a surprise thank-you after someone responds, without mentioning it first?
Once you do it routinely, customers may come to expect it, so treat it like any other reward. Give the same thank-you for every response and check with your adviser whether it needs disclosing.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Say thank you the right way
Collect honest feedback, reward every response equally, and publish with a clear disclosure.
Sources
- 16 CFR 465.4: Buying positive or negative consumer reviews, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 2026-11-04.
- 16 CFR 255.5: Disclosure of material connections, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked 2026-11-04.
- Prohibited and restricted content, Google Maps User Contributed Content Policy. Checked 2026-11-04.
Last updated 2026-11-04.