WHAT IS A NO PURCHASE NECESSARY (NPN) ENTRY?
The Canadian law that requires the STQ also prohibits “requiring consideration for playing the games”. So basically, a contest sponsor cannot require a purchase for entry. A national brand who inserts special contest PIN codes and advertise “get a pin to enter on specially marked packages”, must also offer a free method of entry, which is called a “No Purchase Necessary” (NPN) method of entry. Some examples of NPN entries include writing an essay and mailing the entry to the company or providing a reasonable hand-drawn facsimile of the product UPC code. Canadian contests online may also provide a way for you to obtain the required UPC or get a pin directly on the contest page. Not all contests require this when filling out the contest form — but some might require a PIN, UPC, and similar. If you do not have this, then read the official contest rules for how to obtain an entry through the NPN method.
