Canadian small businesses face a unique challenge when it comes to collecting reviews: CASL — Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation — sets some of the strictest commercial messaging rules in the world. Many business owners either don't know the rules, or overcorrect and stop asking for reviews altogether out of fear.
Neither extreme is good for your business. This guide explains what CASL actually requires, how to stay compliant, and how to build a review collection system that grows your Google presence safely.
Why Google reviews matter for Canadian businesses
Google's local search algorithm uses review quantity, recency, and rating as significant ranking factors. In competitive Canadian markets — Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa — the businesses that show up first in local searches are almost always the ones with the most recent, high-quality reviews.
For smaller markets like Kelowna, Sudbury, or Moncton, the competition is lower but the stakes are similar: consumers look for reviews before choosing a local business, and a profile with few reviews (or outdated ones) loses customers to competitors.
What is CASL and what does it require?
CASL (S.C. 2010, c. 23) governs the sending of "commercial electronic messages" (CEMs) — which includes SMS and email — to recipients in Canada. The key requirements are:
- Consent: You must have express or implied consent before sending a CEM. For existing customers, implied consent typically applies for up to 24 months after a transaction.
- Identification: Your message must clearly identify your business name and contact information.
- Unsubscribe mechanism: Every message must include a clear, easy way to opt out (e.g., "Reply STOP to opt out"). Unsubscribe requests must be honored within 10 business days.
Does a review request SMS count as a CEM under CASL?
Yes — if your review request contains any promotional content about your business (which most do implicitly, by encouraging a review that benefits your business), it qualifies as a CEM and must comply with CASL.
The good news: for most local businesses, implied consent covers your existing customers. If someone came to your salon last Tuesday, they're a recent customer and you have implied consent to send them a transactional or service-related message for up to 24 months.
How to collect reviews in a CASL-compliant way
Use an opt-out in every SMS
Every review request message must include a clear opt-out. The standard is "Reply STOP to opt out." This must be actionable — when a customer replies STOP, they must not receive further messages from you.
Identify your business clearly
Start your message with your business name. This satisfies the CASL identification requirement and also improves open rates — customers are more likely to read a message from a business they recognize.
Keep records of consent
For implied consent (existing customers), maintain records of the transaction date and customer contact information. For express consent (opt-in forms, etc.), keep a timestamped log of when and how consent was given.
Honor opt-outs immediately
If you're sending manually, mark opted-out customers immediately and never message them again. If you use an automated tool, ensure it processes opt-outs automatically.
CASL vs. TCPA: What if you serve both Canadian and US customers?
If your business sends messages to both Canadian and US numbers, you need to comply with both CASL and the FCC's TCPA. While both require opt-out mechanisms, TCPA has additional requirements around prior express written consent for marketing messages and permitted calling hours.
iducomm is built to handle both markets. Messages include compliant opt-out language, and opt-out requests are processed instantly regardless of which country the recipient is in.
Setting up your Google Business profile in Canada
Before you start collecting reviews, make sure your Google Business Profile is properly set up:
- Claim and verify your listing at business.google.com
- Add your correct address, hours, phone number, and photos
- Select the right business category (this affects which searches you appear in)
- Add your review link to your review request messages (Google Maps → your business → Share → Copy link)
How much does it cost to collect reviews in Canada?
The direct costs are minimal. SMS through carriers like Twilio costs less than $0.01 per message in Canada. The real cost is time — setting up processes, sending manually, tracking opt-outs, monitoring responses.
Automated tools like iducomm handle all of this for a flat monthly fee starting at $39/month CAD, which pays for itself quickly when you consider that a new customer acquired through improved Google visibility is typically worth $50–$500+ depending on your industry.
How many reviews do Canadian businesses need to rank?
In major Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary), top-ranked businesses in competitive categories typically have 50–200+ reviews with a 4.5+ average. In smaller markets, 20–50 reviews can be enough to rank prominently. The key is recency — fresh reviews signal an active, relevant business.
The businesses that consistently rank well aren't the ones that ran a one-time review campaign. They have a system that generates new reviews every month, automatically.