Can a restaurant ask for reviews? The FTC fake review rule explained

Reviews are how many guests choose where to eat, and many owners are tempted to nudge them: a free dessert for a five-star review, a friend posting a glowing comment, a quiet request to take down a bad one. Since October 21, 2024, a federal rule makes some of these things unlawful. Here is the Federal Trade Commission's rule on consumer reviews and testimonials in plain terms, and what is safe for a restaurant in Oregon, New Hampshire, Arizona or anywhere else in the United States. Ask a lawyer about your own practices.

What does the rule say?

The Federal Trade Commission announced the final rule in August 2024 and it took effect on October 21, 2024. The rule bans fake or false consumer reviews, buying positive or negative reviews, certain insider reviews that fail to disclose the reviewer's connection, company-controlled review sites that pose as independent, review suppression and misuse of fake social media indicators such as bought followers. The FTC can seek civil penalties for each violation, so a pattern of fake reviews can add up. The agency has signaled stronger enforcement. A business can be liable if it knew or should have known that a review was fake.

Can I offer something in exchange for a review?

Not in exchange for a positive one. Summaries of the rule say it covers giving compensation or other incentives in return for reviews that express a particular sentiment, such as conditioning a gift card or a free product on a positive review. A "free dessert for five stars" is the kind of offer the rule targets. Even offering a reward for reviews without regard to what the review says raises disclosure questions under the FTC's endorsement guidance, so many lawyers advise against rewards for reviews altogether. Ask for reviews, but do not pay for them.

Can I ask every guest for a review?

Yes. Asking is lawful, and it is the safest way to build a fair set of reviews. Put a card with a request on the table, add a line to your receipts, send a thank-you message after an online order, or mention it at the end of the meal. Ask everyone, not only guests who seem happy. Review gating, which sends happy guests to a public site and unhappy guests to a private feedback form, can amount to suppressing negative reviews, which the rule targets, so avoid it. Give guests an easy way to give private feedback too, but do not steer them away from public reviews.

What about staff, family and friends?

Insider reviews are the trap. A review written by an owner, a manager or an employee that does not disclose the relationship is deceptive, and the rule covers reviews by insiders that fail to disclose. Tell staff clearly: do not post reviews of the restaurant, and if you do speak publicly, disclose that you work there. The same goes for relatives and friends who are asked to write reviews. Ask them to come in and eat and let them form their own opinion, or ask them to refrain.

Can I pay a service to post reviews?

No. Buying reviews, from a reputation firm or a freelancer, is the main thing the rule bans, whether the reviews are positive or negative. Be careful of agencies that promise to boost your rating. Ask how they get reviews, and if the answer involves anything other than real guests, do not sign. A business can be held responsible for a fake review it should have known about.

How should I respond to a negative review?

You may reply publicly. Be polite, brief and specific. Thank the guest, apologize where appropriate, state any correction without attacking them, and invite them to contact you. Do not offer money in exchange for removing a review, and do not threaten legal action over an honest opinion. If you believe a review is fake, report it to the platform with evidence. A calm, factual reply helps future guests more than an argument.

What about testimonials on your website?

Use real guests' words with permission, and do not edit them to change their meaning. If you display a rating, say where it comes from and do not cherry-pick. If you quote a food critic, quote accurately. Do not create a "review" page that you control and present as independent.

What does a safe review routine look like?

Pick a moment and a method, and use them for every guest. A small card with the request and a short web address on the check presenter works well. A line at the bottom of the online ordering confirmation does the same for takeout guests. Ask staff to mention it only when a guest says they enjoyed the meal, and never to promise anything in return. Check your public ratings monthly, answer each review within a few days and keep a log of your responses. If you find a suspicious review, a cluster of five-star comments from new accounts or a sudden run of one-star posts, save screenshots and report them to the platform. Do not respond in kind. The goal is a fair record of what guests think, built over time, and that record is worth more than any short-term boost in rating.

How do you stay compliant in practice?

Write a short policy: we ask every guest for a review; we do not pay for or offer rewards for reviews; staff do not post reviews of the restaurant; we respond to reviews courteously. Train your team, put it in the handbook and review it each year. If you hire a marketing agency, add a clause that it must follow the rule.

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• Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act for restaurants: the 2026 rules

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