AMOE (alternate method of entry)

A free way to enter a sweepstakes that requires no purchase or payment, offered so paying and non-paying entrants have the same chance to win.

An alternate method of entry — usually written AMOE — is the free entry route in a promotion where some entrants arrive through a purchase, subscription, or other paid action. Historically it was a mail-in postcard; today a free web form is more common.

Its function is to remove consideration from the entry path, which is what separates a sweepstakes from an unlawful lottery. Three properties make it real rather than decorative:

• Free at every step — no purchase, no payment, no paid membership, no card details.
• Disclosed as prominently as the paid route, in the promotional material and not only in the rules.
• Worth the same in the draw as a paid entry, with the same per-person limit.

Full treatment, including wording and the failure modes: "no purchase necessary" explained.

Guides that use this term

• "No purchase necessary" explained for creators
• Can you require a purchase to enter a giveaway?
• Can subscribers or paid members receive giveaway entries?
• Canadian giveaway rules for creators (including the Québec change)
• Instagram giveaway rules: required, prohibited, and recommended
• YouTube giveaway rules: required, prohibited, and recommended