⚠️ DRAFT TEMPLATE: not legal advice, not reviewed by an attorney, and not yet in effect. Highlighted [PLACEHOLDERS] still need to be filled in.

[SHOP NAME] Monthly Giveaway: Official Rules (Template)

TEMPLATE, NOT LEGAL ADVICE. Each Shop is the sponsor of its own giveaway and must review, complete, and adopt these rules before running one. Fill in every [PLACEHOLDER]. Have an attorney review the rules, especially if the prize is worth more than a few hundred dollars or entries come from outside Pennsylvania.

Setup checklist for the Shop (delete before publishing):

Post these rules at a public URL linked from the upload page, the QR sign ("Rules: [RULES URL]"), and every giveaway social post.

Keep it a random drawing. If the owner picks a "best photo," it becomes a skill contest with different rules.

Never tie entries to Google, Yelp, or other reviews, or to a purchase. That breaks platform rules and can break the law.

If the total prize value for a single giveaway is more than $5,000, New York and Florida require registration and bonding before it starts. Rhode Island and other states may have extra rules. Ask an attorney.

If one winner's prizes total $600 or more in a calendar year, collect a Form W-9 and issue IRS Form 1099-MISC.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

The giveaway (the "Giveaway") is sponsored by [SHOP LEGAL NAME], doing business as [SHOP NAME], [SHOP ADDRESS] (the "Sponsor"). The Giveaway is administered on the Sponsor's behalf by [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] d/b/a Crumbtrail, [MAILING ADDRESS] (the "Administrator"). Questions: [SHOP CONTACT EMAIL] or [email protected].

2. Platform disclaimer

This Giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram, Facebook, Meta Platforms, Inc., TikTok, ByteDance, Google, or any other social media platform. By entering, you release each of those platforms from all liability related to this Giveaway. Any questions, comments, or complaints go to the Sponsor, not to any platform. You don't need a social media account to enter.

3. Eligibility

Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Not eligible: employees, owners, and contractors of the Sponsor or the Administrator, and their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, children, and each of their spouses) and people living in the same household. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.

4. Giveaway period

Each Giveaway runs for one calendar month. It starts at 12:00:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the first day of the month and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on the last day of the month (the "Entry Period"). [OR SPECIFY: START DATE/TIME and END DATE/TIME.] Each month is a separate Giveaway, and entries don't carry over to future months. The Administrator's clock is the official timekeeper.

5. How to enter

There are two ways to enter. Both have an equal chance of winning.

Method 1: Upload page. Scan the QR code at [SHOP NAME] or visit [UPLOAD PAGE URL]. Upload at least one photo or video, check the box to enter the giveaway, and provide your first name and a valid email address. You don't need to buy anything to upload. You can photograph the storefront, a menu, or the space. Uploads must follow the Customer Content License. Uploads that don't, or that are inappropriate, may be disqualified, but disqualification is based only on those rules and never on the quality of the photo.

Method 2: Free alternate method of entry (no upload, no purchase). [CHOOSE ONE OR BOTH:]

(a) By email: send an email to [AMOE EMAIL, e.g. [email protected]] with the subject "[SHOP NAME] Giveaway Entry" and your first and last name, email address, and state of residence; or
(b) By mail: hand-print your first and last name, email address, and state of residence on a 3"×5" card and mail it in a stamped envelope to: [SHOP NAME] Giveaway, [MAIL-IN ENTRY ADDRESS]. Mail-in entries must be postmarked by the last day of the Entry Period and received by [MAIL-IN RECEIPT DEADLINE, e.g. the 7th day of the following month].

Entry limit: one (1) entry per person per monthly Giveaway, no matter how many photos you upload or which method you use. Additional entries will be disregarded. Entries made with multiple or fake email addresses, bots, scripts, or other automated means are void. Entries are void if they're late, incomplete, illegible, or don't follow these rules. Proof of sending isn't proof of receipt.

6. Prize

One (1) winner per month will receive: [PRIZE DESCRIPTION, e.g. "a free dozen donuts" / "a $25 gift card to [SHOP NAME]"]. Approximate retail value ("ARV"): $[PRIZE VALUE]. Total ARV of all prizes per monthly Giveaway: $[TOTAL PRIZE VALUE].

[PRIZE CONDITIONS, e.g. "Must be redeemed in person at [SHOP NAME] within 60 days of notification. Not redeemable for cash. No change given."]

No substitution, cash equivalent, or transfer of the prize is allowed, except that the Sponsor may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the prize becomes unavailable. Any taxes are the winner's responsibility. If the winner's prizes from the Sponsor total $600 or more in a year, the winner must provide a completed IRS Form W-9 and will receive a Form 1099.

7. Odds

Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received during the Entry Period.

8. Winner selection and notification

The winner will be selected in a random drawing from all eligible entries received by both methods. The drawing will take place on or about [DRAWING DATE, e.g. the 10th day of the following month], conducted by the Administrator or Sponsor, whose decisions are final.

The potential winner will be notified by email within [NOTIFICATION WINDOW, e.g. 3 business days] after the drawing. The potential winner must reply within [RESPONSE DEADLINE, e.g. 7 days] to claim the prize and may be asked to confirm eligibility (age and residency) and sign an affidavit of eligibility and liability release where permitted. If the potential winner doesn't respond in time, is found ineligible, or doesn't comply with these rules, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner selected at random from the remaining eligible entries. [MAXIMUM ALTERNATES, e.g. "Up to two alternates will be drawn; after that the prize goes unawarded."]

9. Publicity

Except where prohibited by law, accepting a prize lets the Sponsor announce the winner's first name, last initial, and city or state (and social handle, if the winner agrees) on its social media and website, without further compensation. The winner's uploaded Content is used only as allowed by the Customer Content License, and never because the winner won.

10. Use of your information

Entry information (first name, email, and, for Method 2, the details you send) is used only to run this Giveaway, contact the winner, and keep records required by law. It won't be sold, and it won't be used for marketing unless you separately opt in. See the Privacy Policy.

11. General conditions

By entering, you agree to these Official Rules and to the decisions of the Sponsor and Administrator, which are final. The Sponsor may disqualify anyone who tampers with the entry process or acts in a disruptive, fraudulent, or unsportsmanlike way. If fraud, a technical failure, or anything else beyond the Sponsor's control corrupts the Giveaway, the Sponsor may cancel, modify, or suspend it and, where permitted, award the prize by random drawing from eligible entries received before the problem began. Any changes will be posted on this page. Florida residents: the Sponsor won't change the rules or prize after the Giveaway starts, except as allowed by law.

12. Release and limitation of liability

By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, the Administrator, and each of their owners, employees, and agents, and Instagram, Meta, TikTok, Google, and any other platform, from any claims, losses, or damages arising from your participation in the Giveaway or from accepting, using, or misusing the prize, to the extent allowed by law. They aren't responsible for lost, late, misdirected, or incomplete entries; email delivery problems; or technical failures.

13. Disputes

These rules are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania [OR THE SHOP'S STATE, IF NOT PENNSYLVANIA]. Disputes will be resolved individually, without class actions, in the state or federal courts located in [COUNTY], [STATE], to the extent allowed by law.

14. Winner's list

For the name of the winner (available after [WINNER LIST DATE, e.g. 30 days after the drawing]), email [SHOP CONTACT EMAIL] with the subject "[SHOP NAME] Giveaway Winner, [MONTH YEAR]" within 60 days after the Entry Period ends, or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to [MAIL-IN ENTRY ADDRESS].

Short version for social posts and QR signs (use with a link to the full rules):

🎁 Monthly giveaway: win [PRIZE DESCRIPTION] (ARV $[PRIZE VALUE]). NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal U.S. residents 18+. Ends [END DATE]. Odds depend on the number of entries. Free entry: email [AMOE EMAIL]. Void where prohibited. Rules: [RULES URL]. Not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Instagram, Meta, or TikTok.