BeeLegal Series

B2B sales incentives are a popular way to motivate internal teams, resellers, agents, and other business partners. But if your reward program includes a chance to win a prize, does that mean it’s a sweepstakes? And if so, are you legally required to offer a free entry route?

“Spend-to-win” promotions are a powerful way to drive sales and customer engagement. Offering participants the chance to win a prize after making a purchase—whether through a spin wheel, scratch card, or random draw—can be highly effective. But if you’re running this kind of promotion in the United States, there’s a legal requirement you can’t afford to overlook: the free Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE).

If you’ve ever seen “No Purchase Necessary” in the fine print of a sweepstakes and wondered what it really means, you’re not alone. That phrase isn’t just a formality, it’s backed by a set of legal rules that require brands to offer a Free Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE) for any chance-based promotion tied to a purchase.

If you’re running a sweepstakes, you’ve probably included the phrase “No purchase necessary.” But does that mean the free entry has to be just as fast and easy as the paid option? Can a free entry take longer to process, like with a mail-in postcard? And what happens when you’re running the same promotion in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and beyond?

Walk into a coffee shop or cinema, and you’ll probably see it: the humble stamp card. Buy 10 coffees, get your 11th free. It’s simple, reliable, and everyone understands how it works.

From coffee apps to mobile games, virtual currencies have become a go-to tactic for engaging customers. Whether you call them coins, stars, tokens, or points, these digital rewards can be powerful—but only if used correctly.

Running a sweepstakes in the United States is a great way to engage your audience—but it’s not one-size-fits-all. With different laws in different states, marketers need to know when prize bonding is required, how to set geographic and age restrictions, and how to stay legally compliant without overcomplicating the campaign.

Most marketers dream of the perfect sweepstakes moment: the winner gets the call, they’re thrilled, and the prize lands exactly as promised. But real life isn’t always so tidy.