Is review gating allowed in the UK? What retailers must know

What to take away

Review gating is not a named offence in UK law, but the practice can breach the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 when it hides negative feedback.
CMA guidance treats selective review collection and suppression as potentially misleading, especially when shoppers see only positive ratings.
Invite every customer who bought, use a neutral trigger point, and do not screen by likely sentiment.
Moderate reviews for spam, abuse, personal data or unlawful content only. Removing a negative review just because it is negative is risky.
Keep records of how reviews are collected, moderated and published, because the CMA can act on misleading commercial practices.

What review gating means in practice

Review gating is the practice of collecting or publishing reviews only from customers who are likely to be positive. Some retailers ask for a star rating first. Then they invite only four and five star customers to write a public review. Others filter negative reviews out before publication. The aim is a higher average rating. The effect can be misleading.

Review gating risk levels

Practice

Invite every customer after delivery: Lower risk
Ask only happy customers: High risk
Publish positives, hide negatives: High risk
Remove spam, abuse or personal data: Lower risk
Edit a negative review: High risk
Discount for any honest review: Manageable

Likely position

Invite every customer after delivery: Neutral, no sentiment screening
Ask only happy customers: Selected sample, not full picture
Publish positives, hide negatives: Misleading omission
Remove spam, abuse or personal data: Justified moderation
Edit a negative review: Changing meaning misleads
Discount for any honest review: State incentive, no positive requirement

Reason

Invite every customer after delivery
Ask only happy customers
Publish positives, hide negatives
Remove spam, abuse or personal data
Edit a negative review
Discount for any honest review

Likely position

Inviting every customer after delivery: Lower risk
Asking only happy customers from a survey: High risk
Publishing positives and hiding negatives: High risk
Removing spam, abuse or personal data: Lower risk
Editing a negative review before publishing: High risk
Offering a discount for any honest review: Manageable

Reason

Inviting every customer after delivery: The invitation is neutral and does not screen by sentiment
Asking only happy customers from a survey: Shoppers see a selected sample, not the full picture
Publishing positives and hiding negatives: A misleading omission under consumer protection rules
Removing spam, abuse or personal data: Moderation for legal or content reasons can be justified
Editing a negative review before publishing: Changing the meaning misleads readers
Offering a discount for any honest review: State the incentive and never require a positive rating

What the CMA and CPRs say

The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 prohibit misleading actions and omissions in commercial practices. Hiding negative reviews can be an omission. The CMA is the main enforcer for these rules. Its CMA page sets out its consumer protection role. The test is whether the practice misleads the average consumer or changes their decision.

Under the CPRs, a practice can be misleading even if every published review is genuine. The problem is the missing context. If a shop claims 4.9 stars from 200 reviews but only asked happy customers, the headline rating can give a false impression. CMA guidance says businesses must not suppress or fake reviews.

Where retailers cross the line

A selective invitation is not automatically unlawful. The risk rises with the gap between what shoppers see and what customers experienced. You cross the line when your process hides material information that affects a buying decision. That includes screening out negative feedback or presenting a curated rating as representative. The CMA can investigate misleading practices.

How to run a compliant review process

Compliant review process steps

Invite every customer using the same trigger point
Do not ask for a star rating before public review
Publish negative and positive reviews together
Tell customers about incentives and no positive requirement
Record collection, moderation and removal rules
Train staff not to ask only happy customers

Review gating and data protection

Review gating often involves holding customer data, such as email addresses and order details. UK GDPR applies when you request, publish or respond to reviews. The ICO guide to UK GDPR explains the lawful bases and individual rights. Our guide to responding to negative reviews under UK GDPR explains how to handle deletion requests without hiding valid criticism.

Negative reviews can contain personal data. You may need to redact names, order numbers or staff details before publishing. Data protection does not require you to delete every negative review. It requires a lawful and fair process.

Reviews in ads and on third-party platforms

If you quote a review in an advert, the CAP Code requires that the claim is not misleading. A rated excellent claim based on gated reviews can breach advertising rules as well as consumer law. Third-party platforms may have their own rules on review collection and incentives.

Platforms such as Trustpilot and Google have different moderation and visibility rules. Our comparison of Trustpilot and Google Reviews for UK ecommerce explains how each handles review invitations and replies. Check the platform terms before you run a gated campaign. A process that breaks the platform rules can also weaken your legal position.

Common questions

Is review gating illegal in the UK?

Review gating is not banned by name. But it can breach the CPRs 2008 if it misleads shoppers by hiding negative feedback or presenting a selected sample as representative.

Can I ask only happy customers for reviews?

You can ask customers for feedback, but asking only likely promoters to publish public reviews is high risk. It can create a misleading impression of your overall service.

Does the CMA fine businesses for review gating?

The CMA can take enforcement action against misleading commercial practices. It can seek undertakings or court orders. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 adds direct enforcement for fake reviews.