Do you need to buy Google review cards? What to check first

Short answer: only if you want someone else to do the printing. Google gives every business a review link and QR code from its Business Profile at no cost, so a bought card adds paper, design and postage. Whatever you order, the code must point at your own profile and the wording must stay honest, because a card that offers a reward or targets only happy customers breaks Google’s rules.

What a Google review card actually is

It is a piece of card with a code on it. Point a phone camera at the QR code and the phone offers to open your Google review page. Some cards also carry an NFC chip, so a customer with a compatible phone can tap it against the card instead. Both routes end at the same page.

Search for review cards and almost every top result is a shop selling them, some QR only, some with a tap chip. Several lean on lines like “easy 5-star reviews”. That wording matters, and we will come back to it.

The part you can get for free

The thing that makes a card work is the link, and Google hands it over for nothing. Its help page on creating a review link or QR code sets out the steps: go to your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and either copy the link or right-click the QR code and save the image. Google notes that the QR code can currently only be generated in a computer browser, not on a phone. It even suggests printing the QR code and displaying it in your shop.

If you get stuck, how to find your Google review link walks through it. Once you have the link, open it on a phone and check it lands on your business, and on no other branch or similarly named place nearby.

What you are paying for if you buy cards

Printing, design and convenience. Someone puts your code on decent card stock, maybe adds your logo and an NFC chip, and posts the lot to you. That is a fair thing to pay for if you would rather not spend a Sunday evening with a printer and a guillotine.

You are not buying reviews. A card cannot make anyone leave one. It removes a little friction for people who were already willing to write something, and a seller who promises more is selling a feeling.

Five checks before you order

1. Where does the code go? Scan a sample or ask to see the destination. It should be your own Google review page, the same link you could copy yourself.
2. Who controls it? If the code points at the seller’s own web address and redirects from there, you are relying on them to keep it working. Ask what happens if you stop paying or they close down.
3. What does it say? Read every word on both sides. Printed wording cannot be unprinted, and some stock designs borrow the seller’s marketing lines (more on that below).
4. Print quality. A code that is too small, too pale or printed on glossy stock that throws glare back at the camera is a card that fails at the counter.
5. Can you order a small run? Get a few, test them, then order the box.

Test the card like a customer would

Scan the code with a phone that is not yours, ideally an older one, first in normal light and then in the dimmest spot of your counter. It should open quickly and land on your review page with the option to write a review. Google’s help page says customers must be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review, so a sign-in prompt is normal.

If the card has an NFC chip, tap it with a phone that supports NFC and check it opens the same page. Then hand the card to someone who has never seen it, with no explanation. If they hesitate, your customers will too.

Last, hold it at arm’s length. Can you tell what it is for in a couple of seconds?

What a card must never say

Google’s policy on fake engagement and rating manipulation is plain. Businesses must not offer incentives such as payment, discounts or free goods or services in exchange for a review. They must not discourage negative reviews or selectively ask for positive ones, which is review gating: sending happy customers to Google and steering everyone else somewhere else. Google also says businesses should not pressure people to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises, or ask for specific content to be included.

So a card must never say:

• “Leave us 5 stars and get a free coffee” (an incentive, plus a request for a rating)
• “Happy? Review us on Google. Unhappy? Tell us here instead” (gating)
• “Easy 5-star reviews”, or any line asking for a particular rating
• “Mention Sarah in your review” (asking for specific content)

Whether you can ask for a 5-star review covers the rating question in more depth, and the rules for asking for Google reviews sets out the rest. What works is plain wording, such as “Tell us how we did” or “We’d love your honest review”.

UK law points the same way. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans fake consumer reviews and reviews that hide the fact they were incentivised, and the CMA has published guidance for businesses on it. Our guide to UK fake review law explains what that means for a small business.

When a printed card is not the right tool

If all you need is a QR code on paper, a bought card is more than the job needs. The free review QR card maker makes one you can print on whatever you have: a counter sign, a table card, a slip in the bag.

If most customers buy online or book by phone and you never hand anything over, a box of cards will sit in a drawer. A link in a follow-up message does the same job with no printing. Cards suit places where people stand in front of you with a phone in their pocket.

Where to put cards so they get used

Put them where there is a natural pause: at the till, at the end of an appointment, in the bag with the receipt, on the table with the bill. Google’s own suggestions are similar: on receipts, in thank-you emails, and a printed QR code in the shop.

The worst spot is a pile on a shelf nobody looks at, slowly curling at the corners. Hand the card over with one easy sentence, such as “If you’ve got a minute later, we’d love an honest review”. Keep the ask light and leave it there, because Google asks businesses not to pressure people into reviewing on the premises. For more on tone, see asking for an honest review.

Give the card to every customer, with the same link for everybody. That keeps you on the right side of the rules, and it means the reviews you collect reflect everyone who walked through the door.

Questions people ask

Where can I buy Google review cards?

Plenty of online printers and specialist sellers offer them, with a QR code, an NFC chip or both. You do not have to buy them: Google gives you a review link and QR code free from your Business Profile, and you can print that yourself. If you do buy, scan a sample first, check where the code goes and read every word printed on the card.

How do I find my QR code for my business on Google?

Google's help page says to go to your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews. From there you can copy the review link, or right-click the QR code and choose Save image as. Google says review QR codes can currently only be generated in a computer browser, not on a mobile device.

How do I tap a Google review card?

Hold a phone that supports NFC flat against the card for a moment. If your phone has an NFC setting, it needs to be switched on. If nothing happens, the card may be QR only or your phone may not support it, so scan the QR code with the camera instead.

How do I scan a QR code to leave a review?

Open your phone's camera, point it at the code and tap the link that appears. It should open the business's Google review page. Google says you need to be signed in to a Google Account to leave a review, so you may be asked to sign in before you choose a star rating and write.

Are Google review cards allowed?

Yes. Google itself suggests printing and displaying your review QR code in your shop. The card must not offer a reward for a review, ask for a particular star rating or specific content, or send only happy customers to Google. Google's policy prohibits all of these, and UK law bans fake reviews and reviews that hide an incentive.