How To Encourage More Car Rental Reviews (Without Getting Into Trouble)

Approx. 10-minute read. Everything you need in one straight-to-the-point guide.

How do steady reviews drive revenue?

Most travellers open Google or Apple Maps, tap two or three agencies, then skim star ratings and recent comments. Google also pulls ratings from up to three outside sites into the “Reviews from the web” strip, giving shoppers even more voices to weigh. A steady stream of recent, detailed reviews raises click-through rates and call volume IF those reviews and comments are positive.  A rhythm of new, genuine feedback improves local-search rank and builds trust faster than any coupon can.  But beware, although happy customers leaving good reviews boost your sales; fake or incentives can tank them.

The ICRS keynote suggestion and its hidden risk!

At last month’s International Car Rental Show in Las Vegas, the keynote speaker suggested a prize draw: “Leave a review and get entered into a draw for a free trip to Spain!”

At first glance the proposal sounds harmless if no one is incentivized to leave a positive review. If the draw is open to every reviewer whether they leave positive, negative or neutral reviews, is it safe to hold a contest to incentivize reviews?  No. Unfortunately it still breaks Google’s fake-engagement rule, which bans “content that has been posted due to an incentive offered by a business.” 

Google’s “fake engagement” policy bans “content that is incentivised, paid or otherwise not representative of a genuine experience.” (see Google Help page for more details)

What’s so bad about it if there is no rating bias?  This is the negative part of a sweep-stakes or prize as an incentive:

• the reviewer never rented from you (“fake engagement”)

• entrants write poor quality or fake review just to enter the contest, “Just here to enter the contest”   (low quality reviews and/or fake engagement)

• people leave multiple reviews using unique email addresses or on multiple platforms (skewed ratings)

• reviewers provide undeserved 5-star ratings in hopes of improving their chance at winning  (A company might not want to risk press stories related to a complaint and therefore only choose a positive review as the winner) 

Google, and other review platforms, only want real, high-quality reviews so that people don’t lose trust in their platform. Even honest reviews become tainted once a reward hangs overhead.

Ok, so it hurts Google. But how can it hurt your business?   Your reviews may be removed, your profile can be frozen, new reviews can be blocked from appearing for months, and a public warning label may appear on Maps.  Google does not offer a “safe harbour” for equal-opportunity contests. It only takes one competitor to complain about your incentivized review request for Google to come down on you, hard. 
 

What about Facebook, Trustpilot or other “Reviews from the Web”?

Google will still highlight infractions even if the same review is “legal” on another site.

Real consequences if you gamble with incentives

• Google may delete all recent reviews or halt new ones being posted for months.

• Profiles caught twice can be suspended, killing visibility in Google searches.

• The FTC’s 2024 rule lets regulators fine up to US $50,000 per fake or paid review. FTC

• A sudden drop in search ratings can signal trouble to your corporate renters and insurers.

• Customers lose trust fast; recovering reputation costs far more than the contest prize.

How will Google even find out?

• Class-action lawyers watch certain sectors for misleading ratings.

• Competitors can report your infractions

• Google’s AI engines are getting smarter and smarter and may quickly find and flag rule breakers

Safer, policy-proof ways to earn more reviews

1. Timing is everything
   - Hand back the deposit? Text the link right then while the experience and emotions are still fresh.
   

2. QR codes in-car
   - A sticker on the dash or key tag that opens the review box in one scan.
   

3. After-hours SMS
   - Automated SMS fires 15 minutes after vehicle is returned.
   

4. Email with the inspection photo
   - Attach the final walk-around picture. It reminds the renter the car looked great and prompts a quick star-click.
   

5. Front-desk name cards
   - “I’m Jordan, mention me in your review if I helped.” Staff chase recognition, not ratings.
   

6. Wi-Fi landing screen
   - Offer free Wi-Fi in the lobby; first page has a single “Rate your rental” button.
   

7. Problem-first policy
   - Signage: “Something went wrong? Tell a manager. Loved us? Tell Google.” You stay compliant because you invite all feedback, not just praise.

   - Email/SMS request: Offer a way for renters to provide feedback in addition to providing a link to leave an online review.  Sometimes people only leave negative reviews because it’s an easy way to inform the company of an issue. Give people a method to lodge a complaint or provide feedback privately, in addition to providing a way to leave a public review.

8. Public milestones, private thanks
   - Post “We just hit 500 reviews—thank you!” on socials. No promises of prizes; gratitude goes far.
   

9. Make responses count
   - Personal replies to your online reviews and electronic feedback (not boilerplate) double the chance a silent customer returns and reviews next time.
   

10.  Provide quality vehicles and service
    - If you offer quality service you’ll earn quality reviews.   If you do get a negative review, learn from it and do better next time.  Reply to a legitimate negative review with an apology and let them know what changes your agency is making towards improvement. You can also provide a phone number or email for the affected reviewer to reach you to discuss further or reimburse them for any legitimate damages.

Quick Review-request checklist (stay clean)

• Ask every verified renter—no cherry-picking.

• Never reward reviews with cash, points, upgrades, or draws.

• If another platform allows an incentive, disclose it openly and still invite everyone, not just your happy customers.

• Reply to each comment in plain language within 48 hours. Google watches owner activity when ranking businesses.

• Publicly apologize when an apology is required, and let the reviewer and the public know what your agency is doing to prevent the issue from happening again.

Key takeaways

Incentives feel tempting, yet one prize can cost every star you’ve earned, get government fines, and get banned from Google search results. Don’t risk it. Stick to friction-free requests at the right moment, make it effortless to leave a review, and thank customers loudly when they do.

The result: consistent, credible feedback that powers higher search placement and gives renters one more reason to choose your agency.  If you do want to give away a trip to Spain, ask people to share your social media posts, or refer a friend for a ballot.  Just don’t mix it with reviews and risk the wrath of Google!

Need a Hand Putting This Into Action?

FLEET Car Rental Marketing can set up the right request flow, tweak your Google Business Profile, and train your front-desk team—so fresh, legit reviews keep rolling in while you focus on handing over keys. Give us a quick call at (804) 537-8748 or drop a note, and we’ll map out a review plan that fits your locations and budget, start to finish.