The DMCC Act and Google Reviews: What UK Tradespeople Need to Know

A mate at the trade counter mentioned that buying Google reviews is now properly illegal. Your nephew said something about a new act — the DMCC something-or-other. You've seen NFC review card sellers offering "guaranteed 5-star reviews" and wondered whether that's above board. And you've been asking happy customers for reviews for years without worrying about it.

So what's actually changed? And more importantly — are you doing anything wrong?

The short answer: if you're asking genuine customers for honest reviews after doing work for them, you're fine. But the rules have tightened, and some things that tradespeople commonly do — or that suppliers encourage them to do — are now explicitly illegal. Here's what the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 means for your Google reviews, in plain English.

What the DMCC Act actually says about reviews

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (everyone calls it the DMCC Act) came into force in stages through 2024 and 2025. It's a broad piece of legislation covering digital markets and consumer protection, but the review-related provisions are what matter for tradespeople.

The act makes several practices explicitly illegal for the first time. Previously, fake reviews existed in a grey area — clearly wrong, but difficult to prosecute. Now the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has direct enforcement powers and has been actively using them.

What's now illegal (and always was dodgy)

Posting fake reviews. Writing reviews for your own business under fake names, asking friends and family to post reviews for work they didn't commission, or using review-writing services is now a criminal offence under UK consumer law. The CMA can impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover. For a sole trader turning over £80,000, that's a potential £8,000 fine. For the review-selling services themselves, the penalties are even steeper.

Buying reviews. Paying for reviews — whether through a service, a freelancer, or an arrangement with another tradesperson — is illegal. This includes paying for positive reviews and paying to have negative reviews removed from competitors.

Offering undisclosed incentives for reviews. This is where it gets nuanced. Under UK law, you can offer an incentive for a review (like a discount on future work) — but only if the incentive is clearly disclosed in the review itself. In practice, however, Google's own policies ban incentivised reviews entirely, regardless of disclosure. So even if you disclosed the incentive and stayed within UK law, Google could remove the review and penalise your listing.

The safest approach: don't offer incentives. Ask for honest reviews. Full stop.

Review gating. Sending customers to a satisfaction survey first, then only directing happy customers to Google while routing unhappy customers to a private feedback form, is called review gating. It's banned under the DMCC Act because it creates a misleadingly positive impression. It's also against Google's policies. Any review tool or system that filters customers by satisfaction before sending them to Google is non-compliant.

Selectively suppressing negative reviews. If you're on a platform that lets you approve or reject reviews before they're published, that platform may be in breach of the act. Checkatrade has faced criticism from consumers on Mumsnet and other forums for allegedly not publishing negative reviews — whether that constitutes suppression under the DMCC Act is a question the CMA may eventually address.

What's perfectly legal (and what you should be doing)

Asking every customer for a Google review. There's nothing wrong with asking customers to leave a review — in fact, it's encouraged. The key word is every. You must ask all customers equally, not just the ones you think will leave positive reviews. Sending an automated review request to every customer after every job — which is exactly what TapReview does — is the cleanest way to stay compliant.

Sending a direct Google review link via WhatsApp or SMS. Sending your customer a link to your Google review page after completing work for them is fine, provided you obtained their phone number during the service transaction and include an opt-out option. This falls under the PECR "soft opt-in" exception — the message relates to the service you provided, using contact details they gave you for that purpose.

Responding to all reviews, including negative ones. Not only is this legal, it's smart. Research shows businesses that respond to all reviews are perceived as more trustworthy. Responding professionally to negative reviews demonstrates integrity and often impresses potential customers more than a wall of unreplied 5-star reviews.

Displaying your Google review rating on your van, website, or marketing materials. Showing "4.8 stars on Google" on your van or business card is fine. Just make sure the rating is current and accurate — misrepresenting your rating could fall foul of consumer protection rules.

Asking customers to be specific in their reviews. You can suggest that customers mention the type of work, but you cannot dictate what they write or ask them to include specific keywords. "If you could mention the type of work we did, that really helps other customers" is fine. "Please write that we're the best plumber in Manchester" is not.

The difference between UK law and Google's policies

This is the bit that catches people out. UK law and Google's policies overlap but aren't identical.

UK law allows incentivised reviews if the incentive is disclosed. Google bans incentivised reviews entirely. So offering "10% off your next job if you leave a review" might be legal under UK law (with proper disclosure) but will get the review removed by Google and could trigger penalties on your listing.

UK law focuses on whether reviews are genuine and not misleading. Google's policies go further, also prohibiting reviews from people with a financial conflict of interest, reviews that don't reflect a genuine customer experience, and reviews that appear to be part of a coordinated campaign.

The practical takeaway: follow Google's policies (which are stricter) and you'll automatically be compliant with UK law. The reverse isn't always true.

How automated review tools keep you compliant

This is where the compliance argument for using a tool like TapReview becomes clear. When you collect reviews manually — texting some customers and not others, asking your best mate to leave one, forgetting to ask the customer who seemed a bit grumpy — you're introducing human inconsistency that can create problems.

An automated system sends the same review request to every customer, on the same timeline, through the same channel. No cherry-picking. No gating. No selective sending. Every customer gets asked equally, and whatever they choose to write — positive or negative — goes directly to Google.

TapReview is designed around this principle. It sends a Google review request via WhatsApp or SMS after every job, to every customer, with no satisfaction filtering. The customer clicks the link and writes whatever they want. There's no middleman survey, no approval step, no way to intercept negative reviews.

At £9 a month with no contract, it's also the most cost-effective way to maintain a steady, natural-looking flow of reviews — exactly the pattern Google's algorithms trust.

What the CMA is actually enforcing right now

The CMA has been increasingly active since the DMCC Act came into force. In January 2025, Google signed undertakings with the CMA to enhance its fake review detection systems. The UK has piloted a "Fake Reviews Detected" badge that can appear on business listings flagged for suspicious review activity.

The CMA's immediate enforcement priorities have focused on large-scale review fraud — the companies selling fake reviews in bulk, and the platforms that host them. Individual tradespeople asking friends for reviews aren't the CMA's primary target. But the direction of travel is clear: fake and misleading reviews are being taken more seriously, enforcement tools are getting stronger, and the risks are real.

For tradespeople, the smart move is simple: build genuine reviews from genuine customers. The tools exist to make this easy and affordable. The legal framework now actively rewards the honest approach and punishes shortcuts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I offer a discount for a Google review?

Under UK law, you can offer an incentive if it's disclosed. But Google's policies ban incentivised reviews regardless of disclosure, meaning the review would likely be removed. The safest approach is to not offer any incentives and simply ask for honest feedback.

Is it illegal to ask customers for Google reviews?

No. Asking customers for reviews is perfectly legal and actively encouraged by Google. The DMCC Act targets fake reviews, undisclosed incentives, and review gating — not genuine requests for honest feedback from real customers.

What happens if I get caught buying fake reviews?

The CMA can impose fines of up to 10% of your global turnover. Beyond fines, Google may suspend your Business Profile, remove all your reviews, or apply a "Fake Reviews Detected" badge to your listing — any of which would be devastating for a trade business.

Do NFC review cards comply with the DMCC Act?

NFC cards themselves are fine — they're just a delivery method for a Google review link. The compliance issue arises if you only offer the tap card to customers you think will leave positive reviews (review gating), or if the card directs customers through a satisfaction filter before reaching Google.

Is review gating illegal in the UK?

Yes, under the DMCC Act, selectively directing only positive reviews to public platforms while hiding negative feedback constitutes a misleading commercial practice. Google also explicitly prohibits review gating. Any tool or process that screens customer sentiment before directing them to leave a Google review is non-compliant.

---

Related reading

• How to Handle a Fake Google Review as a UK Tradesperson
• What UK Homeowners Actually Look For in Your Google Reviews
• How Google Reviews Work With Your Gas Safe, NICEIC, or FENSA Registration

---

TapReview helps UK tradespeople get more Google reviews with one tap. Try it free →