Can You Send a Gift to Get a Review? The FTC's 2024 Rule, Plus Google's and Yelp's Policies, Quoted

We sell a $35 logo mug gift box, printed, packed and shipped to each person's address, so we have a stake in thank-you gifts. This page quotes the FTC, Google and Yelp and does not tell you what you may offer.

Key facts (each source re-read October 29, 2026):

• The rule: no "compensation or other incentives in exchange for, or conditioned expressly or by implication on," reviews "expressing a particular sentiment, whether positive or negative" (16 CFR 465.4), in effect since October 21, 2024.
• The rule's definition of buying a review (used in its fake-review section, 465.2(b)): providing "something of value, such as money, gift certificates, products, services, discounts, coupons, contest entries, or another review, in exchange for a consumer review" (16 CFR 465.1(m)).
• The FTC staff's reading: "The rule does not prohibit giving incentives for reviews, as long as there isn't an express or implied requirement that the reviews have to express a particular sentiment" (FTC Q&A, November 2024).
• Disclosure: the Endorsement Guides say material connections "can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products" … "regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return" (16 CFR 255.5).
• Google Maps: merchants may not "Offer incentives – such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services - in exchange for posting any review" (Google).
• Yelp: "Don't ask anyone to review your business" and "Don't offer freebies, discounts, or payment in exchange for reviews" (Yelp).

Part of our gift rules and taxes section: every rule quoted from the source and dated.

What Does the FTC's 2024 Rule Say About Review Incentives?

The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, 16 CFR Part 465, has one section on incentives. It reads in full:

"It is an unfair or deceptive act or practice and a violation of this part for a business to provide compensation or other incentives in exchange for, or conditioned expressly or by implication on, the writing or creation of consumer reviews expressing a particular sentiment, whether positive or negative, regarding the product, service, or business that is the subject of the review."

16 CFR 465.4, "Buying positive or negative consumer reviews" (eCFR, up to date as of October 27, 2026). Read October 29, 2026.

The rule's definitions list gift certificates and products among the things of value that can buy a review: "Purchase a consumer review means to provide something of value, such as money, gift certificates, products, services, discounts, coupons, contest entries, or another review, in exchange for a consumer review" (465.1(m)). The rule uses that term in 465.2(b), which makes it a violation "for a business to purchase a consumer review" … "which the business knew or should have known materially misrepresented, expressly or by implication" that the reviewer exists, used the product, or what the reviewer's experience was. The FTC's Q&A says the rule "authorizes courts to impose civil penalties for knowing violations."

This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or ask your counsel) before you send.

What Do the FTC's Staff Say About Gifts for Reviews?

The FTC's business guidance, "The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers" (November 2024), answers on gifts and incentives:

FTC, The Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers (November 2024). Read October 29, 2026. The Q&A is staff guidance; the binding text is 16 CFR Part 465.

This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or ask your counsel) before you send.

Does an Incentivized Review Have to Be Disclosed?

The disclosure point comes from the FTC's Endorsement Guides, which are older than the 2024 rule:

"Material connections can include a business, family, or personal relationship. They can include monetary payment or the provision of free or discounted products (including products unrelated to the endorsed product) to an endorser, regardless of whether the advertiser requires an endorsement in return."

16 CFR 255.5(a) (eCFR, up to date as of October 27, 2026). Read October 29, 2026.

One of the Guides' own examples (255.5(b)(6)(ii)) describes a marketer who gives reviewers a free product and $30, and makes clear "that they are free to write negative reviews". The Guides say: "Any resulting review that fails to clearly and conspicuously disclose the incentives provided to that reviewer is likely deceptive." And: "When the resulting reviews must be positive or reviewers believe they might face negative consequences from posting negative reviews, a disclosure would be insufficient." And: "Even if adequate disclosures appear in each incentivized review, the practice could still be deceptive if the solicited reviews contain star ratings that are included in an average star rating for the product and including the incentivized reviews materially increases that average star rating."

This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or ask your counsel) before you send.

What Do Google and Yelp Allow?

The review sites set their own rules, and both go further than the FTC's incentive section.

"We do not allow merchants or users to: … Offer incentives – such as payment, discounts, free goods and/or services - in exchange for posting any review or revision or removal of a negative review."

"Rating Manipulation includes Incentivized or Biased Reviews, which are not allowed and will be removed from Maps." … "We do not allow merchants to: … Discourage or prohibit negative reviews, or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers"

"We do allow merchants to: Solicit or encourage the posting of content that does represent a genuine experience, without offering incentives to do so or attempting to influence the rating or the contents of the review."

Google, Maps User Generated Content Policy: Prohibited & restricted content. Read October 29, 2026.

"Don't ask anyone to review your business, be it customers, mailing list subscribers, friends, family, etc." … "Don't offer freebies, discounts, or payment in exchange for reviews" … "it will turn off savvy consumers and may also be illegal."

Yelp Support Center, "Don't Ask for Reviews". Read October 29, 2026.

This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or the platform's own policy) before you send.

The Four Sources, Side by Side

This is information, not legal or tax advice. Check the current rule (or the platform's own policy) before you send.

Thank First, Ask Separately: A Thank-You Gift That Asks for Nothing

A thank-you gift and a review request can be two separate things: a gift that says thanks and mentions no review, and, if you ask for reviews at all, a request made on its own, under each platform's rules. How the texts above apply to your own program is a question for your counsel.

A card that thanks and asks for nothing (our suggestion):

Hi {first name}, thank you for trusting us with your home this year. It was a pleasure working with you, and we hope the new year brings you good things. Happy holidays.

Hi {first name}, thank you for being a customer. Every job we do starts with people like you calling us back, and we're grateful. Enjoy the cocoa.

More thank-you wording: thank-you messages for clients; gift ideas: thank-you gifts for customers.

What to Know Before You Order

• One message per order. The printed card carries one message (up to 300 characters) and one sign-off for the whole order, and every card greets its person by first name. You see every person's card before you pay. The order page tells you if a message is too long to print.
• The treats. LINDOR truffles contain milk, soy and barley malt (gluten); read the labels.
• Where we ship. The lower 48 states and Washington, DC, except Texas for now. No Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, other US territories, APO/FPO or international. The order page flags any row we can't ship to, so you can fix it or take it out.

Where Personalized Gifts Delivered Fits: A Thank-You That Stands on Its Own

For a local service business, last year's job list is the thank-you list. Personalized Gifts Delivered ships a logo mug gift box with Ghirardelli cocoa, Lindt truffles and a personal card to each customer's own address from that list: an 11 oz white ceramic mug with your logo printed small, Ghirardelli premium hot cocoa, 4 Lindt LINDOR milk chocolate truffles packed inside the mug, black tissue closed with a gold "Happy Holidays" seal, a matte-black gift box with a magnetic lid, and your printed card in an envelope closed with a gold wax-seal sticker.

Add your logo (or type your website and we'll find it), or a photo or a few words for a personal gift; check the preview of your mug and card; add your address list; and pay $35 per box. We print, pack and ship each box to its own address. One box is a complete order, at $35 delivered whether you send 1 or 50, with no setup fee and no sales tax added at checkout. When the boxes ship, one email brings a spreadsheet of recipient, ship date, carrier, tracking number and $35 per box. The card prints the words you write.