Short answer
In most cases yes, if you do it the right way. Treat a review request as a marketing text under the Spam Act 2003: only text real customers who would expect to hear from you, say who the text is from, and give an easy way to opt out that you act on within five working days. Google’s rules add two more: ask every customer the same way, and never offer a reward.
This is general information, not legal advice. It doesn’t cover every situation. For advice on your own business, read the ACMA’s guidance or talk to a lawyer.
Does the Spam Act cover a review request?
The Spam Act 2003 covers commercial electronic messages: emails and texts that offer, advertise or promote goods or services. A text asking for a review is there to help your business win more work, so it may well count. The safe course is to treat every review request as if the Act applies, and the rules aren’t hard to follow.
The three Spam Act rules
The ACMA, which enforces the Act, sums it up as consent, identify and unsubscribe.
- Consent. You need the person’s consent to send them a commercial message. That can be express (they said yes) or, in some cases, inferred from an existing relationship where they’d reasonably expect to hear from you. A customer you just did a job for is very different from a list you bought. The ACMA explains when inferred consent applies, and says you must be able to show evidence of consent if asked.
- Identify. The message has to say who it’s from and how to contact you. Put your name and your business name in the text.
- Unsubscribe. Every message needs a clear, free way to opt out, such as “Reply STOP to opt out”, and you must act on an opt-out within five working days. After that, no more messages to that person.
Google’s rules for asking
Texting for a review can be fine under the Spam Act and still break Google’s review policy. Google says businesses must not:
- Offer incentives, such as payment, discounts or free goods or services, in exchange for a review.
- Discourage negative reviews, or selectively ask only happy customers for reviews (review gating).
- Pressure people to leave reviews while they’re on the premises.
- Ask staff to chase a set number of reviews, or reviews that say particular things.
Google says it’s fine to encourage genuine reviews, as long as you don’t offer a reward or try to steer what people write.
The ACCC and fake or filtered reviews
Under the Australian Consumer Law, reviews mustn’t mislead the people reading them. The ACCC has warned businesses against fake reviews and against suppressing genuine negative ones, including review set-ups that send happy customers to post publicly and pass unhappy ones back to the business instead. Asking everyone the same way avoids that problem.
A quick checklist for every review text
- Only text people you actually did a job for.
- Say who you are: your name and business name.
- Ask every customer the same way, with the same link.
- No discounts, prizes or gifts for a review.
- Include “Reply STOP to opt out”, and stop texting anyone who does.
- Send at a sensible hour.
- Keep a record of who you sent to and why they’re a customer.
How Ratings Rocket handles it
Every Ratings Rocket text names you and your business and ends with “Reply STOP to opt out”. STOP replies are processed automatically, and an opted-out customer isn’t sent another request. Texts only go out between 9am and 7pm in your time zone. Every customer gets the same ask and the same link to your Google review form, with no rating step first, and our terms ban offering rewards for reviews and texting people you haven’t done work for. Ratings Rocket handles the mechanics; you’re still responsible for only adding real customers. See our terms and how to get more Google reviews as a tradie.