No Purchase Necessary Sweepstakes Compliance Guide

Updated October 2026

A no purchase necessary sweepstakes allows eligible consumers to enter and win without buying a product or paying an entry fee. When a promotion offers entries through a purchase, it must also provide a properly structured no-purchase Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE). Purchasing cannot improve an entrant’s chances of winning.

Compliance requires more than adding a disclosure to the official rules. The advertising, entry process and winner selection must support the no-purchase option.

What Does No Purchase Necessary Mean in a Sweepstakes?

A sweepstakes awards prizes by chance and must allow consumers to enter without purchasing or paying. Requiring a purchase or payment as the only way to enter adds consideration. When prize, chance and consideration are all present, the promotion can become an illegal lottery unless specifically authorized by law.

“No Purchase Necessary” tells consumers they do not have to buy anything to participate. The accompanying statement, “A purchase will not increase your chances of winning,” explains that purchasing cannot give them a winning advantage.

These requirements do not mean a sweepstakes must be open to everyone. Official rules can establish lawful age, residency and other eligibility restrictions. The no-purchase method must be available to eligible participants.

For more about consideration and the distinction between promotion types, read Sweepstakes 101: Prize, Chance, and Consideration.

Can a Sweepstakes Include Purchase-Based Entries?

Yes. A sweepstakes can connect entry to purchase activity when it also provides an appropriate no-purchase AMOE and satisfies applicable legal requirements.

For example, a brand might invite consumers to upload a qualifying receipt for entries into a prize drawing. Eligible consumers must also have a way to obtain equivalent entries without purchasing the product.

Purchase amounts, bonus-entry periods and entry multipliers all need to be considered when developing the free entry route. Adding an AMOE after those mechanics have been finalized can require changes to the promotion.

What Is an Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE)?

An Alternate Method of Entry, or AMOE, provides another route into a promotion. In a purchase-linked sweepstakes, it allows eligible consumers to participate without making the purchase or payment associated with the other entry method.

Common formats include:

• Mail-in entry: Submit the information specified in the official rules by mail.
• Online entry: Complete a no-purchase entry form.
• Free code request: Request an entry or game-play code without purchasing, then use it according to the official rules.

The appropriate format depends on the promotion’s structure and applicable law.

If all entry opportunities are available without purchase, payment or other prohibited consideration, a separate AMOE is not automatically necessary. Substantial mandatory time or effort may still raise consideration concerns under some states’ laws, so an unpaid entry process also needs review.

AMOE Requirements for No Purchase Necessary Sweepstakes

The AMOE must provide equivalent entry opportunities, access to the corresponding prizes and fair treatment in winner selection. These principles are often described as equal dignity.

Provide Equivalent Entry Opportunities

For example, if a qualifying purchase earns ten entries, the AMOE must provide a way to obtain ten entries without purchasing, with access to the same maximum entry total.

Account for special offers as well. If purchases earn double entries during a promotional weekend, the free method must provide an equivalent opportunity.

The official rules should explain how many entries each method provides, how often participants can enter and any combined limit per person or household.

Provide Access to the Same Prizes

AMOE entries must be eligible for the same prizes available through the corresponding purchase-related entry route. A higher-value prize or separate drawing cannot be reserved exclusively for purchasers.

If the promotion includes daily drawings, weekly prizes or multiple prize pools, explain how no-purchase entries qualify for each applicable opportunity.

Treat Entries Fairly in Winner Selection

Eligible AMOE entries must receive the same treatment as corresponding purchase-related entries in the drawing or prize determination process.

Assign responsibility for receiving, validating and processing entries from every method. A valid free entry should not be excluded because a mail-in request was unopened or an online form was not connected to the drawing system.

Set Clear Entry Deadlines

The no-purchase route must be available during the promotion without giving purchasers an advantage in access to entry opportunities.

Different formats can require different administrative deadlines. For example, a mail-in method may have a postmark deadline and a later receipt deadline, while an online form closes at a specified date and time. Clearly disclose those deadlines and schedule drawings so eligible entries can be received and processed before winners are selected.

For instant win games, review free-code processing times, delivery, play limits and expiration dates. The no-purchase process must preserve equivalent opportunities to participate and win.

Where to Disclose “No Purchase Necessary”

Consumers should not have to purchase a product to learn that a free entry method exists. Advertising and entry materials must clearly communicate the no-purchase option and include the disclosures required for the applicable channel and jurisdiction.

A standard disclosure is:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

This language does not replace other required disclosures or the official rules. Depending on the placement, abbreviated rules may also need eligibility restrictions, promotion dates, sponsor information and directions to the complete rules.

Review packaging, retail displays, landing pages, social posts and email. Disclosures must be readable in the format in which they appear, including on mobile devices. Instructions for entering without purchasing should be accessible before consumers decide whether to buy.

Who Enforces “No Purchase Necessary” Laws

Federal and state authorities enforce different aspects of sweepstakes law:

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) – Regulates advertising and consumer protection

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) – Enforces disclosure and conduct requirements for broadcast licensee-conducted contests

United States Postal Service (USPS) – Monitors sweepstakes conducted by mail

State Attorneys General – Enforce state-specific lottery and sweepstakes laws

What the Official Rules Should Explain About the AMOE

The official rules should provide enough information for eligible consumers to complete the no-purchase process correctly. Include:

• The steps required to enter without purchasing.
• The information participants must submit.
• Where to send an entry or request a free code.
• The number of entries awarded and applicable entry limits.
• Opening, postmark, receipt and closing deadlines, as applicable.
• How entries qualify for drawings, instant win plays or other prize opportunities.

Test the no-purchase route before launch. Confirm that the instructions match the process, entry totals are recorded correctly and any free codes are delivered in time to be used.

Frequently Asked Questions About No Purchase Necessary Sweepstakes

Why do sweepstakes have a No Purchase Necessary option?

A required purchase introduces consideration. When combined with a prize and chance-based winner selection, consideration can create an illegal lottery unless the activity is specifically authorized. A properly structured Alternate Method of Entry (AMOE) allows a promotional sweepstakes to include purchase-related entries without requiring consumers to buy something to participate.

Can buying a product increase your chances of winning a sweepstakes?

Purchasing cannot provide a winning advantage unavailable through the no-purchase method. A sweepstakes may award entries with qualifying purchases, but eligible consumers must be able to obtain equivalent entries through the AMOE. Those entries must qualify for the same applicable prizes and receive the same treatment in winner selection.

Does every sweepstakes need an AMOE?

Every lawful promotional sweepstakes must allow entry without prohibited consideration. A purchase-linked sweepstakes needs an appropriate no-purchase AMOE. If all entry opportunities are already available without purchase, payment or other prohibited consideration, a separate alternate method is not automatically required.

Review Your No-Purchase Entry Process Before Launch

An AMOE does not establish complete legal compliance. Eligibility, official rules, advertising, state registration, privacy requirements and prize administration also need review. Read our legal sweepstakes compliance guide for those broader requirements.

US Sweepstakes helps brands prepare official rules, structure and administer AMOEs, manage required state registrations and coordinate winner verification and prize fulfillment.

Contact US Sweepstakes to review your purchase-linked promotion and no-purchase entry requirements.