The Alternative Method of Entry — commonly abbreviated as AMOE — is one of the most important concepts in sweepstakes law, yet it's one of the most frequently misunderstood. Brands either skip it entirely (creating an illegal lottery), include it as a technicality that's nearly impossible to use (legally insufficient), or overcomplicate it unnecessarily (creating friction that undermines the promotion).

The AMOE is the mechanism that converts a lottery into a legal sweepstakes. It's the free path to entry that removes "consideration" from the three-element test. Get it right and your promotion is legal. Get it wrong — even if you technically include an AMOE — and you may still be running an illegal promotion.

What Is an AMOE?

An Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE) is a way to enter a sweepstakes without making a purchase or paying any fee. It exists because sweepstakes that require payment to enter are classified as lotteries — illegal for private companies. By providing a free entry path with equal odds, sponsors eliminate the "consideration" element from the lottery test, making the promotion legally compliant.

The AMOE must be:

  • Genuinely free: No purchase, payment, fee, or significant commercial effort required
  • Equally accessible: As easy to find and use as the purchase-linked entry
  • Equal odds: Free entries must have the same probability of winning as purchase entries
  • Clearly disclosed: In official rules, on entry forms, and in advertising where required
Valid AMOE Invalid AMOE
Cost to enter Completely free Requires any payment
Accessibility Easy to find and use Hidden, hard to find, or buried
Odds vs. purchase entry Equal odds of winning Fewer or worse odds than purchase entry
Documentation Described in official rules Omitted from rules
Effort required Minimal (form fill, mail-in card) Extensive creative work with commercial value

Types of Valid AMOEs

Mail-In Entry (The Classic AMOE)

Mail-in entries are the original AMOE and remain the gold standard. They're accepted by all state regulators, satisfy federal postal lottery requirements, and have decades of legal precedent supporting their validity.

How it works: Entrants handwrite their name, address, and any required information on a 3" x 5" card (or plain paper) and mail it to a P.O. box maintained by the sponsor. The entry is then included in the drawing pool.

Requirements:

  • P.O. box must be open for the full entry period (plus time for mail to arrive)
  • Entries must be handwritten (not photocopied or mechanically reproduced)
  • One entry per outer envelope per entry period (prevents bulk mailing abuse)
  • Postmark deadline must be reasonable (at least 7 days before drawing if mail-in is the sole AMOE)
  • Entries must be included in the same drawing pool as purchase entries

3x5 card requirement isn't universal

While '3x5 card' is the traditional mail-in format, what matters legally is that the entry is handwritten and submitted via mail. Plain paper is fine. The 3x5 specification is a convention that simplifies sorting and processing, not a legal requirement. However, your official rules should specify a consistent format to manage entries efficiently.

Online Free Entry Form

For digital-first sweepstakes, an online entry form (accessible without any purchase, account, or subscription) is the most practical AMOE. It's faster to process than mail-in and eliminates the P.O. box cost.

Requirements:

  • Form must be accessible to anyone who could otherwise enter via purchase — no login, subscription, or paid account required
  • The URL must be prominently disclosed in official rules and advertising
  • Form must be accessible on mobile devices (not just desktop)
  • Collect only the same information as the purchase-linked entry (don't add friction to the free path)
  • Must be available for the same duration as the purchase-linked entry

Phone or Text Entry

Toll-free phone entry or text-to-enter (to a short code) are valid AMOEs when they're genuinely free to the entrant. Note: standard text messaging rates may apply to text entry, which creates a potential consideration issue for entrants on limited or prepaid plans. Use a toll-free option or note that entrants should confirm their plan has free texting before entering via this method.

The Equal Odds Requirement: The Most Misunderstood Rule

Including an AMOE that gives free entrants worse odds than purchase entrants does not satisfy the no-purchase-necessary requirement. The legal standard requires that purchase and non-purchase entries have equal probability of winning.

What equal odds means in practice:

Setting Up Equal Odds

1
One purchase = one free entry (1:1 parity)

The simplest approach: each qualifying purchase earns one entry, and each free (AMOE) submission also earns one entry. All entries — purchased and free — go into a single combined drawing pool. This is universally accepted.

2
Multiple purchase entries allowed? Free entries must match

If your promotion allows multiple entries per purchase (e.g., each $10 spent earns an entry), your free entry structure must allow equivalent entry frequency. Options: allow multiple mail-in/online entries per entry period, or provide a free path to earn entries at the same rate as purchase.

3
Bonus entry mechanics need free equivalents

If your promotion awards bonus entries for specific actions (scan a receipt, register a product, review a purchase), each bonus entry mechanism needs a free equivalent action with equal value. If you can earn 5 bonus entries by registering a purchase, free entrants must also have access to 5-entry bonus mechanisms.

4
Document your entry pool

Keep records of all entries — purchased and free — in a single pool. Never run a separate drawing for free entries. Your winner selection process must demonstrably pull from the combined pool.

Tiered entry systems are the highest-risk structure

Promotions that award more entries per dollar spent (e.g., 1 entry per $1 purchase) are high-risk for AMOE compliance. If free entrants can only get 1 entry regardless of how many times they submit, you've effectively given purchase entrants a significant odds advantage. Some courts and regulators have treated this as preserved consideration. If you use a tiered purchase entry system, your free entry alternative must allow equivalent entry accumulation — or structure the program with a fixed entry limit for all entrants.

AMOE in Your Official Rules: Required Language

Your official rules must describe the AMOE in full — not just mention that one exists. Required elements:

Alternative Method of Entry: No purchase is necessary to enter this Sweepstakes. To enter without purchase, handprint your full legal name, complete mailing address, date of birth, email address, and telephone number on a plain 3" x 5" card and mail it in a hand-addressed envelope with proper postage to: [Promotion Name] Sweepstakes, c/o [Company Name], P.O. Box [Number], [City, State, ZIP Code]. Mail-in entries must be postmarked no later than [Date] and received no later than [Date]. Limit one (1) mail-in entry per outer envelope. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. All entries, regardless of entry method, will be included in the same random drawing.

Additionally, your rules must include the explicit statement: "A purchase will not improve your chances of winning" — not just "no purchase necessary."

Where to Display AMOE Information

AMOE Disclosure Checklist

  • Official rules — full AMOE instructions in the 'How to Enter' section
  • Entry form (online or physical) — NPN statement and link/reference to AMOE
  • All advertising that references the sweepstakes — NPN statement prominently placed
  • Product packaging featuring the promotion — NPN statement
  • Social media promotional posts — NPN statement and link to rules
  • Email campaigns featuring the promotion — NPN statement in body
  • Landing page — AMOE instructions or prominent link to rules with AMOE

Practical AMOE Setup for Common Promotion Types

Receipt-Based Sweepstakes

Entry: Submit a qualifying purchase receipt for a chance to win. (See our full guide on how to run a purchase sweepstakes.) AMOE: Mail-in entry on a 3x5 card (name, address, receipt date without purchase info) OR free online entry form at a URL that doesn't require a receipt. Bonus entries for higher-value receipts? Free entrants must have an equivalent path to bonus entries.

Loyalty Program Sweepstakes

Entry: Points earned from purchases can be used to enter. AMOE: Free points awards for non-purchase actions (completing a profile, answering a survey question, visiting the website), OR a free entry tier that doesn't require points. Critical: if the drawing is weighted by points, free entrants must also be able to accumulate meaningful points through free actions. Loyalty sweepstakes with free entry tiers are also an effective first-party data collection strategy — free entrants provide profile data that has significant marketing value.

Purchase-Linked Instant Win

Entry: Each qualifying purchase reveals an instant-win result. AMOE: Request a free game piece by mail (3x5 card to P.O. box), or access a free online game play at a designated URL with no purchase required. Each free request = one game play. Equal odds mean each game piece (purchased or free) has the same probability of winning each tier.

Social Media "Comment to Win"

Commenting on a post is generally not considered consideration (it's minimal effort with no monetary value). However, if your entry mechanic requires purchasing something and posting proof, an AMOE is needed. Standard "comment to enter" without any purchase requirement doesn't need a separate AMOE — the comment itself is the free entry. See our social media contest legal requirements guide for platform-specific rules.

Revup Revup

Revup automatically includes AMOE configuration in all sweepstakes — mail-in, online, or both — with official rules language that satisfies federal and state requirements.

Try it free

Common AMOE Mistakes That Create Legal Exposure

AMOE Mistakes to Avoid

  • Omitting the AMOE entirely — the most common mistake, instantly converts a sweepstakes to an illegal lottery
  • Including AMOE in rules but not advertising it — if entrants don't know it exists, it's functionally inaccessible
  • Setting an AMOE deadline earlier than the purchase entry deadline — creates a period where only purchasers can enter
  • Requiring a purchase account to access the free online entry form
  • Giving purchase entrants more entries per period than free entrants can achieve
  • Processing mail-in entries separately from the main drawing pool
  • Requiring more information from AMOE entrants than from purchase entrants
  • Closing the P.O. box before the mail-in deadline has passed (accounting for mail delivery time)
  • Using AMOE as a legal technicality without genuinely intending to include free entries in the drawing

The AMOE is not optional and it's not just paperwork — it's the legal mechanism that makes your sweepstakes legal. When it's done right, it adds minimal operational complexity while providing the legal foundation for your entire promotion.

For more on no-purchase-necessary compliance, see our detailed guide on no purchase necessary law explained. For how to incorporate AMOE language into your official rules, see the official rules template. For the complete legal framework, see the Complete Guide to Sweepstakes, Contest & Instant Win Laws or use the interactive sweepstakes law map.