What is a Google review QR code?
A Google review QR code is a square code customers scan with their phone camera to open your Google review form. They don't type anything, don't search for your business, and don't scroll around looking for the "Write a review" button. They point the camera, tap the link that pops up, and the stars are on screen.
That's why it works so well at a counter, in a waiting room or at the end of a meal. You ask, and the customer can act on it right there, phone already in hand.
The code this tool creates is static. It contains Google's own review link (search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=...) and nothing else, with no redirect through FullReviews or any other service. In practice:
- it never expires, even if you never create an account with us;
- it can be scanned as many times as you like;
- nobody tracks who scans it.
The flip side is that a static code gives you no scan statistics. More on that further down.
If you'd rather send your link by text or email, the Google review link generator gives you the same link with ready-made messages.
Where to put your review QR code
Put it where customers wait, pay or wrap up their visit. A few ideas by type of business:
- Restaurants and cafés: table tent cards, the bottom of the menu, the bill folder, takeaway bags.
- Hair and beauty salons: next to the till, at each station's mirror, on the appointment card.
- Hotels and B&Bs: in the room, on the key card sleeve, at reception during check-out.
- Shops: the counter, receipts, packaging, the bag you hand over.
- Tradespeople: a sticker on the van, your quotes and invoices, a business card left behind after the job.
- Garages, driving schools, agencies: the reception desk and the waiting area.
- Online: as an image in your email signature or order confirmation. Customers reading on a computer can scan it with their phone.
One well-placed code does more than ten scattered ones. Start with the spot where customers naturally pause, see how it goes, and add more later.
Printing tips so the code scans every time
If the code doesn't scan on the first try, you've probably lost that review. A few rules keep that from happening:
- Size: at least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide for anything scanned up close, like a business card or a receipt. A poster read from a few steps away needs a much bigger code. A common rule of thumb is a code about one tenth of the scanning distance, so roughly 10 cm (4 in) for someone standing 1 m (3 ft) away.
- Contrast: dark code on a light background. Avoid pale colors on white, and avoid reversed codes (light on dark), which some phones struggle to read.
- Margin: leave an empty border around the code, called the quiet zone. Don't let text, frames or photos touch it.
- Paper: matte paper or a matte laminate. Gloss reflects ceiling lights and can make scanning harder.
- Testing: before you print 200 copies, print one and scan it with two different phones, from where a customer would actually stand.
For a print shop, download the SVG. It's a vector file, so it stays sharp at any size, from a small sticker to a window poster. The high-resolution PNG is fine for an office printer or for dropping into a document or a design tool.
What to write next to your QR code
A QR code on its own doesn't say what it does. People are more willing to scan when they know where it leads and how long it takes, and a headline plus one short line underneath is enough to tell them.
Headline ideas:
- "Enjoyed your visit? Leave us a review on Google"
- "How did we do? Tell us on Google"
- "Scan to review us on Google, it takes a minute"
- "A Google review helps our small team a lot"
Lines to put underneath:
- "Just point your phone camera at the code"
- "Thank you from the whole team"
- "We read every review" (only if you really do)
Steer clear of anything that hints at a reward ("Review us and get 10% off") or asks for a score ("Give us 5 stars!"). Both go against Google's rules.
QR code or NFC review card?
NFC review plates and cards work by touch: the customer holds their phone against them and the link opens. They look smart on a counter, but they come with limits. The phone needs NFC switched on, the customer has to know to tap the right spot, and some older phones can't read those tags without an app. And a plate costs money.
A QR code works with the camera of any recent smartphone, and you can print it on almost anything for next to nothing.
You don't have to choose. If you already own an NFC plate, keep it at the till for regulars who know the gesture, and put a printed QR code next to it with "Scan or tap" for everyone else.
Rules to follow with a review QR code
Google's review policies apply to a QR code exactly as they do to any other review request:
- Show it to everyone. Don't keep it under the counter and bring it out only for customers who seem happy.
- Don't offer anything for a review: no free dessert, no discount on the next visit, no prize draw.
- Don't make it conditional. No "Scan if you were satisfied", and no survey that reveals the code only to happy customers.
- Your staff can mention it ("There's a QR code if you'd like to leave us a review"), but shouldn't insist, hover while the customer types, or ask for a particular rating.
Google can remove reviews collected in breach of these rules. Honest reviews, a few of them mixed, with good replies underneath, will serve you better than a perfect score that looks too clean. When a reply is hard to write, the review response generator gives you a starting point.
How to measure what your QR code brings in
A static QR code has no scan counter. We can't see who scans it, and neither can you. To measure its effect, watch your Google profile instead:
- Write down your review count and rating on the day the code goes up. The tool shows both when you search for your business.
- Check again after four weeks, then after eight.
- Change one thing at a time (placement, headline, staff mentioning it) so you know what moved the numbers.
You can also compare your pace with nearby competitors using the competitor review analysis. And as new reviews arrive, reply to them, since Google recommends it. FullReviews connects to your Google Business Profile, replies to every review automatically and tracks views, clicks and calls from Google Search and Maps, so you can see what changes once the QR code is up. Our article on automated review responses explains how that works in practice.