Is it legal to purchase reviews?
It can be legal only when review programs are transparent, authentic, and fully compliant with platform policies and disclosure rules. Deceptive purchase tactics still carry legal and platform risk.
Educational content only, not legal advice. US laws and platform enforcement can vary by state and industry.
Purchasing reviews can be legal only in narrow circumstances where transparency, authenticity, and platform compliance are fully maintained. In practice, many paid review schemes fail those standards because they hide compensation or use reviewers without real experience. That creates legal exposure and high removal risk. Businesses should focus on what is defensible: documented outreach to real customers, clear disclosure when incentives are permitted, and no pressure for positive only feedback. This approach supports truthful sentiment and stronger conversion over time. If growth is slow, use review growth planning to improve request timing, response quality, and service follow up rather than manipulating outcomes. A reputation program built on verified users and authentic interactions is safer and more effective long term consistently.
What to do instead
- Use transparent programs that invite balanced feedback from real customers.
- Require disclosure language whenever incentives are involved.
- Optimize service delivery and response strategy before scaling requests.
Common mistakes
- Confusing legal possibility with guaranteed platform acceptance.
- Using incentive models that bias customers toward positive ratings.
- Skipping policy audits before launching paid review campaigns.
We help teams execute a platform-compliant, long-term reputation strategy rooted in authentic proof and verified users.
Related: Is it illegal to purchase reviews? · Further reading: Online Reputation Management Guide