How do I find my Google Business Profile review link?

Open your Google Business Profile (either through Google Maps by searching your own business, or via business.google.com if you manage it there), find the option labeled 'Ask for reviews' or 'Share review form,' and copy the link it generates. That link, when opened, takes any visitor directly to the review-writing screen for your business — it's the same link you'll encode into your QR code.

What should a QR code review card say?

Keep it to a short, neutral invitation — something like 'Enjoyed your visit? Scan to leave us a Google review' — plus the QR code itself and your business name. Avoid conditional phrasing like 'only if you loved it' or 'leave us 5 stars,' which crosses into review-gating and incentivized-review territory, both against Google's policy, and avoid any offer of a discount or freebie in exchange for leaving a review.

Should I laminate my QR code cards?

Yes, if they'll sit on a table, counter, or anywhere near food, drinks, or hands — laminating (or using a plastic card holder/stand) keeps the code scannable despite spills, grease, and general wear. A card that's smudged or torn within a week either stops scanning correctly or just looks neglected, which undercuts the ask.

How do I know if my QR code review card is actually working?

Track two separate numbers, not just one: how many people scan the code, and how many of those scanners actually complete a review click afterward. If scans are high but review-clicks are low, the problem is in the flow after scanning (too many steps, confusing screen). If scans themselves are low, the problem is placement or visibility, not the flow — and no amount of fixing the review-writing screen will help until people are actually scanning it.

QR Code Review Cards: A Complete Setup Guide

Setting up a QR code review card is one afternoon of work, but most of the ones you'll see taped to a counter were clearly done in five minutes with no thought given to wording, placement, or whether they're even being scanned. Here's the actual step-by-step, including the parts people skip.

Step 1: Get your real Google review link

Before generating any QR code, you need the specific link that takes a customer straight to your business's review-writing screen — not your general Google Maps listing, which makes them hunt for the review tab themselves.

On your phone, search your business name in Google Maps, open your Business Profile, and look for "Ask for reviews" — tapping it generates a shareable link.
Alternatively, if you manage your listing through business.google.com, the same "Get more reviews" option is under your profile's home screen.
Copy that link exactly. It's usually a g.page/r/... style short URL. This is the link — not your homepage, not your Maps pin — that everything downstream depends on.

If you manage multiple locations, each one has its own separate review link tied to its own Business Profile listing — don't reuse one branch's link for another, or you'll be routing reviews to the wrong location's profile entirely.

Step 2: Generate the QR code

Once you have the link, turn it into a QR code. A few things matter more than people expect at this stage:

Error correction level. A QR code generated with a higher error-correction setting stays scannable even if it gets a bit scuffed, has a logo embedded in the center, or is printed slightly small. Basic online generators often default to the lowest level, which is fine for a large, pristine printout but risky for anything handled daily.
Size at output, not just on screen. A code that looks fine on your laptop can be too small to scan reliably once shrunk onto a table tent. As a rule of thumb, don't print a review QR code smaller than about 3×3 cm for close-range table use, and larger — 6×6 cm or more — for anything viewed from a short distance, like a counter standee.
Static vs. dynamic codes. If you might ever need to update the destination link (say, you switch review platforms or fix a typo), a QR tool that lets you edit the destination without reprinting the physical code saves you from redistributing new cards every time something changes.

If you run more than one branch, generate a separate QR code per branch, each pointing to that branch's own review link — this is also what makes it possible to see which location is actually driving scans, rather than lumping all branches into one undifferentiated number.

Step 3: Design the card — wording that works, and wording to avoid

The card's job is to get noticed and get scanned, not to be clever. A few principles:

Do:

Lead with a short, warm invitation: "Enjoyed your visit? Tell us on Google" or "Loved your coffee? Leave us a quick review."
Include your business name and, if there's room, a small logo — customers should recognize instantly whose card this is.
Make the QR code itself the largest visual element on the card. It should be unmissable, not a footnote.
Add a one-line instruction for less tech-comfortable customers: "Point your phone camera at the code."

Avoid:

Conditional phrasing — "Only leave a review if you had a great time," "5-star reviews only," or anything that filters who's being asked based on predicted sentiment. This is textbook review-gating and against Google's policy; see Understanding Google's Review Policies for exactly what's and isn't allowed.
Incentive language — "Leave a review, get 10% off your next visit." Offering anything in exchange for a review, positive or otherwise, is also prohibited, separate from the gating issue.
Overcrowding the card with logos, offers, social handles, and the QR code all competing for attention. One clear ask, one code, done.

Sizing and format by placement

Placement	Suggested size	Format
Table tent (restaurant/cafe)	~8×12 cm standee	Laminated card or acrylic stand
Counter/till standee	~10×15 cm	Laminated card or small acrylic display
Receipt-printed	Small — needs high error correction	Thermal print, tested for smudging
Packaging/bag insert	~5×5 cm sticker or slip	Printed sticker or insert card

Step 4: Print and protect it

Paper alone doesn't survive a busy counter for long. Laminate any card that'll sit near food, drinks, or general handling — spilled chai or coffee rings across a QR code will eventually make it unscannable, and a torn, curling card just looks neglected, which undercuts the ask before anyone even reaches for their phone. For counters, a small acrylic stand looks more intentional than a taped-down sheet of paper and tends to get noticed more.

Step 5: Test it yourself before rollout

This step gets skipped constantly, and it's the one that catches real problems. Before putting cards out for customers:

Scan the code yourself, from a normal arm's length, in the actual lighting where it'll be placed (a dim restaurant corner scans differently than a bright test under office lights).
Confirm it opens the review flow for the correct branch, especially if you run more than one location.
Walk through the entire flow as if you were a customer — rate, optionally add a comment, and confirm the "Review us on Google" button actually opens your real Google review page in a new tab, not a placeholder.
If you're using a tool with AI-assisted or template-generated review drafts, check that the draft it produces sounds reasonable and doesn't invent details you never provided.

Step 6: Set up analytics so you know if it's working

A card that's printed and placed isn't automatically a card that's working. The two numbers that actually tell you anything are:

Scans — how many people physically pointed a camera at the code and opened the link.
Review-click conversion — of those scanners, how many went on to tap through to actually post on Google.

If scans are healthy but conversion is low, the issue lives in the flow after the scan — too many steps, an unclear screen, or a draft that feels awkward to edit. If scans themselves are low, no amount of polishing the post-scan experience will help; the problem is that people aren't seeing or noticing the card at all, which is a placement problem, not a flow problem — covered in more depth in QR Code Placement Ideas That Actually Get Scanned.

ReviewLoop generates this per-branch QR code, tracks scans and review-click conversion automatically on your dashboard, and builds the review draft from what the customer actually rated and typed — never inventing detail. If you're setting this up for the first time, see the plans to find the right starting point for a single branch or multiple locations.