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Content Guidelines

Effective: March 27, 2026

Revu pays reviewers for honest, useful reviews. Not positive reviews. Honest ones. A detailed 2-star review that helps someone avoid a bad meal is worth just as much as a glowing 5-star review. These guidelines keep the platform trustworthy for everyone.

1. What Makes a Great Review

A great review helps a stranger make a decision. That is the bar.

"The food was good" helps no one. "The garlic shrimp pasta ($18) had a rich, buttery sauce but the shrimp were overcooked and rubbery" helps everyone.

Great reviews typically include:

  • What you ordered, with prices when possible
  • What stood out, good or bad — taste, portion size, presentation
  • Service details — wait times, attentiveness, how issues were handled
  • The environment — noise, cleanliness, ambiance
  • Who it's right for — "Great for a date night, not ideal with young kids"
  • Photos — the dish, the dining room, the menu

The more specific and useful your review, the higher your helpfulness score and the more you earn. Write for the person deciding whether to go.

2. Review Requirements for Payout

To qualify for payment, every review must meet all of the following:

  • Verified visit. You scanned the QR code at the business.
  • Minimum 100 characters. Say something substantive.
  • At least 1 in-app photo. Taken through the Revu app during your visit.
  • Not a duplicate. One paid review per visit.
  • Your own experience. You visited. You are writing about what happened to you.

Reviews that don't meet these requirements can still be posted but won't earn rewards.

3. Honesty Policy

Your payment is never conditioned on what you say or what rating you give. A 1-star review earns the same as a 5-star review. This is not a suggestion — it is how the system is built.

  • Negative reviews are welcome. They are essential.
  • You will never be penalized or paid less for a low rating.
  • If a place was terrible, say so. Be specific about why.
  • Do not soften your honest opinion.

The only thing that affects your earnings is how helpful your review is — not whether it is positive or negative.

4. FTC Disclosure

Every payout-eligible review automatically displays a "Verified & Rewarded" badge. This tells readers the visit was verified and the reviewer was compensated. You cannot hide or remove this badge.

If you share your Revu review on other platforms, you must independently disclose that you were paid. The badge only works on Revu.

5. Prohibited Content

  • Fake reviews — for businesses you didn't visit, or where someone else scanned the QR for you
  • Plagiarized reviews — copied from other reviewers or platforms
  • AI-generated reviews without disclosure — if you use AI tools to help draft, disclose it. Entirely AI-generated reviews are not eligible for payout.
  • Hate speech — slurs, dehumanizing language, attacks on protected characteristics
  • Threats of violence or harm
  • Doxxing — publishing private information about individuals
  • Sexually explicit content
  • Spam — repetitive, templated, or promotional content
  • Off-topic content — political disputes unrelated to the business experience

If you're unsure: "Does this help someone decide whether to visit?" If not, reconsider.

6. Photo Guidelines

For payout eligibility, at least 1 photo must be taken using the Revu in-app camera during your visit.

Not allowed: stock photos, screenshots, photos from previous visits, materially altered photos, photos of other patrons without consent, photos taken to shame employees.

Tips: Photograph dishes before eating. Include something for scale. Capture the environment. If cleanliness is relevant, photograph what you saw.

7. Conflict of Interest

Disclose if: you own/work at the business, a close friend/family member runs it, your visit was sponsored, or you received a discount specifically for a review.

Use the conflict of interest toggle in the submission form. Disclosed reviews are still published and can still earn payouts — they're just labeled for transparency.

Reviewing your own business without disclosure is fraud and results in suspension of both accounts.

8. Business Owner Guidelines

You can: respond to any review publicly, flag reviews for policy violations (reviewed by Revu, not auto-actioned), and provide context on one-time issues.

You cannot: suppress or remove reviews, retaliate against reviewers, offer incentives for review changes, create fake reviewer accounts, or contact reviewers outside the platform about their reviews.

A negative review is not a policy violation. "The service was slow and the waiter was rude" is legitimate. You may disagree. You may respond. You may not remove it.

9. Moderation Process

Automated checks: Every review passes through spam, duplicate, and metadata checks. Most clear within minutes.

Human review: Flagged reviews are reviewed by a human. We do not outsource final decisions to AI alone.

If your review is moderated:

  1. You'll receive a notification explaining which guideline was violated and why.
  2. The review is marked as removed with the reason visible in your dashboard.
  3. You may edit and resubmit if the violation is correctable.
  4. Payout is withheld until resubmission and approval.

Appeals: Submit within 30 days. Reviewed by a different moderator. Response within 7 business days. Final.

When a business flags a review, the reviewer is not notified unless the review is actually removed. Flagging does not affect visibility during review.

10. Consequences

  • Tier 1 — Warning: First-time minor violations (missing disclosure, borderline off-topic, photo issues). Fix it and move on.
  • Tier 2 — Reduced helpfulness score: Repeated minor violations or first-time moderate ones. Directly reduces earnings. Reversible through quality contributions.
  • Tier 3 — Suspension: Serious violations (undisclosed conflicts, verification gaming, harassment). 30-90 days, payouts frozen.
  • Tier 4 — Permanent ban: Fraud, repeated serious violations, identity manipulation, threats. No appeal. Unpaid balances forfeited.

Every enforcement action includes a written explanation. We do not shadowban.

11. How Helpfulness Scoring Works

Your helpfulness score determines how much you earn. It is not based on star rating. It considers:

  • Decision influence: Does your review help people decide? Measured by reader behavior (saves, directions, bookmarks).
  • Community votes: "Helpful" marks from other users.
  • Content richness: Specific details, dish names, prices, photos.
  • Credibility: Your track record of honest, quality reviews.

What does NOT factor in: Star rating. Whether the business is a partner. Review frequency (10 excellent reviews beat 50 low-effort ones).

Contact

Questions? Email guidelines@revu.com

Content Guidelines v1.0 — March 27, 2026. Material changes will be communicated with 30 days' notice.

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