Review compliance
More reviews, without breaking the rules.
Asking customers for Google reviews is allowed. How you ask is what matters. This page sets out the rules that apply to UK and Irish businesses, and how Ranknua is built around them.
Risky practices compared with how Ranknua works.
| Risky practice | Ranknua | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gets asked | Only customers who said they were happy | Every eligible customer, after their visit |
| Low ratings | Sent away from Google | Offered a private message and the Google button |
| Rewards | Discounts, prize draws or freebies for reviews | Never — no incentive of any kind |
| Wording | "Please leave us 5 stars" | "How did we do?" — an honest review |
| Who writes it | Staff, friends or paid review services | The real customer, on their own account |
| Repeat asks | Asked again and again until they post | Once, one reminder, then a long pause |
| Opt-outs | Ignored when a new list is uploaded | Kept permanently, even after deletion |
The rules that apply to you.
Google review policies
Prohibits fake engagement, conflicts of interest, incentives and selectively soliciting positive reviews (review gating). Breaches can lead to reviews being removed, review posting restricted on your profile or a warning shown to searchers.
UK — DMCC Act 2024
Since April 2025 it is automatically unfair to commission or publish fake reviews, to conceal incentivised reviews, or to present reviews in a misleading way, such as suppressing negative ones. The CMA can fine businesses directly, up to 10% of global turnover.
Ireland — Consumer Protection Act 2022
Traders that publish reviews must take reasonable steps to ensure they come from real customers, and fake or misleading reviews are a prohibited commercial practice. The CCPC enforces it.
GDPR, PECR and the ePrivacy Regulations
You need a lawful basis to message customers, and the right consent or soft opt-in for electronic messages. Every message must offer an easy way out. You are the controller; Ranknua is your processor.
01.Every customer can reach Google.
Review gating means checking whether someone is happy first and only sending the happy ones to Google. Google doesn't allow it, and in the UK it can count as misleading consumers.
Our survey asks how the visit went. Whatever rating someone gives, the Google button stays on screen. People who had a poor experience can also send you a private message. That's an extra option for them, not a filter.
02.Nothing in return for a review.
No discounts, prize draws, loyalty points or freebies, whether the review is positive or negative. Our message templates ask for honest feedback and you can't edit them to offer a reward.
03.Real customers, on their own accounts.
Requests only go to people you've served. Nobody at your business or at Ranknua writes or posts a review for a customer, and we never buy, swap or pool reviews.
04.Permission to message.
You decide who's included and need a lawful basis to contact them. For past-customer lists, only upload people you're allowed to message. We process the data for you under our Data Processing Agreement and Privacy Policy.
05.Opt-outs honoured, permanently.
Anyone who replies STOP or uses the opt-out link is never messaged again. That still applies if they turn up in a future upload, and after their details are deleted, because we keep a one-way scrambled marker instead of the number itself.
06.No pestering.
Each customer gets one request and at most one reminder. They aren't asked again for six months, or 30 days if they've returned for another visit and haven't reviewed yet. Anyone who has already reviewed you is never asked again. Requests are held between 9pm and 9am and are never sent for cancelled appointments.
07.Replies that stay professional.
Our AI-drafted replies thank customers without arguing or sharing personal details. They never offer a reward for changing a review. You can approve each one before it's posted.
Questions.
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