A Google review QR code is a printed square that a customer scans with their phone camera to open your review page directly. No searching for your business, no scrolling to find the review button.
This guide shows two ways to make one, where to put it so people actually scan it, and one decision to make before you print anything.
Way one: make it inside Google
Google now makes the code for you. As of October 2026, the steps from Google's help page are:
- On a computer, open your Business Profile.
- Select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Right-click the QR code and choose Save image as.
Google says this only works in a computer browser for now, not on a phone. The same screen gives you the review link to copy, which you can send on WhatsApp or by email.
This costs nothing and works well. If it is all you need, use it.
Way two: make it with a link you control
The code from Google opens Google's address. That is fine until something changes: you move premises, your listing gets merged, or you open a second branch and need to send a counter to a different listing. Every stand, sticker and table card you printed now points at the old place, and the only fix is to print them all again.
The other way is to print a code for an address you control, which then sends people on to Google. When something changes, you change where that address points, and every printed code follows.
That is how Cardless Reviews works. Each review point you make, whether a stand, a card or a sticker, gets its own short address and its own QR code. The address sends people to your Google review page. You can change the Google link in your dashboard at any time, and nothing printed needs to change.
It also tells you something Google cannot: how many people opened your review page from a code.
The free Review Link plan includes the changeable address, a QR code for every review point, that count, and a table stand you can print on one sheet of A4. On Reviews+, each code is counted on its own, so a stand at reception and a sticker on table 4 show up separately and you know which one is earning its place. See pricing for what each plan includes.
Where to put it
A QR code works when three things are true: the customer is happy, has a free hand, and is waiting anyway. Put it where those overlap.
| Place | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Billing counter | Everyone passes it, and they are waiting for change or a card machine |
| Reception or waiting area | Clinics, salons and service centres, where people sit with their phones |
| On the table | Restaurants and cafes, after the food arrives and before the bill |
| Receipt or bill | Reaches people at home, when they have time |
| Takeaway bag or delivery slip | For orders where you never see the customer |
| Shop door, at eye level | Catches regulars on their way out |
Google itself suggests receipts, thank-you emails and a printed code in your store.
A few placements usually do badly: anywhere behind the counter where the customer would have to lean over, high on a wall, and in a corner where people do not stop.
How to print it so it scans
Most scanning problems are printing problems.
- Size. Keep the code at least a few centimetres across. A code the size of a thumbnail fails on older phone cameras.
- Contrast. Dark code on a light background. A light code on a dark background, or a code over a photo, fails often.
- Quiet space. Leave a clear white border around the code. Text or a logo pressed up against it confuses the camera.
- Finish. Glossy lamination reflects the lights above a counter. A matte finish scans more reliably.
- Words. Add one line that says what happens: "Scan to review us on Google". People are more willing to scan when they know where it leads.
- Test it. Scan the printed copy with two different phones before you print a hundred.
Add a tap for people who do not scan
Some customers are not comfortable pointing a camera at things. A card or stand with a small chip inside lets them hold their phone against it instead, and the same page opens. That is called NFC, and it is the same technology phones use to pay at a counter. Most phones made in the last several years support it, with no app needed.
Our review cards and stands are made to carry both the printed code and the chip, and they are not on sale yet. The printable A4 stand works today.
Two rules that come with asking
Whatever code you use, Google's contribution policy applies. As of October 2026 it says you must not offer anything in return for a review, and must not selectively ask only happy customers for one. Do not write "Scan and get 10% off" next to the code.
The longer guide on getting more Google reviews covers the rest of the rules.
Questions
Is a Google review QR code free?
Yes. Google makes one for free from your Business Profile. Our free Review Link plan also gives you one, with the address you control and a scan count.
Will my QR code ever stop working?
A code made inside Google keeps opening Google's address. If your listing changes, it may point to the wrong place. A code from Cardless Reviews keeps working whether or not you ever pay us, because somebody printed it.
Can I put my logo in the middle?
It often works, because QR codes can survive some damage. It also reduces how reliably the code scans, especially on older phones. If you add a logo, test it with several phones first.
Can I see how many people left a review after scanning?
No tool outside Google can see that. You can see how many people scanned and opened your review page. Whether they then wrote a review is only visible to Google.
What size should a table stand be?
A tent you can read from a seated position. Our printable stand is one sheet of A4, folded once.