Google Review QR Code: Point Guests at Your Review Page
A review QR code removes the search step between a good experience and a public review. The guest scans, the review form opens, and the rating is two taps away. The code is only the transport: the destination is your Google Business Profile review link, and the rules around how you ask are Google’s, not the QR standard’s.
Build the review link
Google exposes a review form for each Business Profile through a Place ID: https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=<PLACE_ID>. Find the Place ID in the profile’s sharing tools or a Place ID lookup, then test the link in a private browser window while signed out. For print, wrap it in a short path on your own domain so a future platform change can be absorbed by the redirect.
- Use the review form URL, not a search results page for your business name.
- Test signed out; a link that only works for the owner is worse than no code.
- Keep the printed URL short — a 200-character tracking link produces a dense symbol.
Short links and platform policy
Google’s review policies prohibit review gating: you may not ask only happy customers for a review, and you may not filter or suppress negative feedback before it reaches the platform. A single code that says “Leave a review” is compliant. A code that opens a survey first and routes four- and five-star answers to Google while hiding the rest is not.
Where to put the code
Put it at the moment the experience ends: the receipt, the bill folder, the table tent, the exit door. Add one sentence of context — “Happy with your visit? Leave a review” — and never block the exit with a tablet. Staff asking verbally plus a visible code converts better than a code alone, and it keeps the ask honest.
Measure feedback without filtering reviews
Count scans on the redirect you control, and compare them with the review count on the profile over the same period. Do not attach a unique code per server or per table if the goal is to pressure guests; do use separate codes for separate locations, which is a legitimate operational distinction.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Google review QR code cost anything?
No. The review form is part of your Business Profile, and a static QR code is free to generate and print.
Can I offer a discount for a review?
Google prohibits incentives for reviews. A discount contingent on leaving one risks removing the reviews and penalising the profile.
Why does the link open a sign-in page?
Reviewing requires a Google account. If the link opens the wrong business, the Place ID is wrong — retest it signed out before printing.
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