Google Review QR Code: Create One for Free in 4 Steps

A well-placed review QR code remains the simplest and cheapest way to get more Google reviews. Customers don't have to search for anything: they scan, your profile's review window opens, they write. You still need the right link, the right size and the right placement.

The short answer. To create a Google review QR code for free, open business.google.com on a computer, click "Read reviews" then "Get more reviews", and save the QR code image (right-click, "Save image as"). Print it at 2 to 5 cm per side depending on reading distance, and place it where customers pay or pick up their order.

Create Your Google Review QR Code: The Official Method

Google itself provides the review link and QR code in Google Business Profile, for free and without any third-party generator. The process is described on the help page Create a Google link or QR code to request reviews and only works from a computer browser.

1. 1
   Sign in to Google Business Profile

   Open business.google.com on a computer, with the owner or manager account for the profile. If you manage several locations, select the right one.

2. 2
   Open the review request tool

   Click "Read reviews", then the "Get more reviews" share button. The label may vary slightly depending on the interface.

3. 3
   Download the QR code and copy the link

   Right-click the QR code, then "Save image as". Also click "Copy" to keep the link: you'll use it in your emails and text messages.

4. 4
   Test before printing

   Scan with two phones, including one not signed in to your Google account. The rating window should open in a single screen. If it shows another business's profile, start again from the right profile.

Free Generators: One Precaution

If you'd rather create the code yourself from the copied link, use a generator that produces a static QR code: the Google link is written directly into the code. Many "free" generators create a dynamic code that routes through their own server and stops working at the end of a trial period. Your printed materials then become useless overnight. Export in high resolution (PNG or SVG) to avoid a blurry code once enlarged.

What Size to Print for Each Medium

The right size depends on the distance between the code and the phone: the further the customer, the bigger the code. A code that's too small, or printed on glossy paper that reflects light, is the leading cause of failed scans.

These are field benchmarks, not a standard. Keep a white margin around the code, strong contrast (dark code on a light background), and avoid folding or cropping it.

Think about wear too. A table tent gets splashed, a counter sticker gets rubbed by card terminals and bags: choose matt laminated card or a rigid acrylic stand, and reprint as soon as a corner lifts or the ink fades. Keep the image file somewhere safe so you can reprint in minutes rather than starting the whole process again.

Does a Google Review QR Code Work for Every Customer?

Almost every one. France's digital barometer reports that 91% of people aged 12 and over own a smartphone, 61% of them have a 5G-capable handset and 7% go online from their phone only (Arcep, 2025 survey, in French). Nearly all of your customers can therefore scan your code, as long as it stays readable and shows up at the right moment.

A few exceptions remain, to be handled without pushing: the customer whose phone is not within reach, the one whose camera does not open links automatically, and the one with no Google account, which is required to post a review. For them, keep the review link in a short form you can send later by email or text message if they agreed to it. The request goes out the same way to every customer, with no condition and nothing offered in return.

Where to Place the QR Code for Your Trade

The universal rule: place the code at the moment the customer is done and waiting for something, with a minute to spare. The entrance and the window catch the eye but come before the experience.

• Restaurant: bill folder and receipt first, customers hold them right after the meal. As extras, a table tent and the bottom of the last menu page.
• Hair or beauty salon: checkout counter or a card handed out with the next appointment.
• Hotel: check-out desk and paper invoice at departure. For the rest of the hotel journey, see how to get more Google reviews.
• Healthcare practice: reception desk on the way out, with no insistent verbal follow-up.
• Garage, tradesperson: invoice or vehicle or job handover document.
• Shop: receipt, bag, display near the exit.

Avoid restrooms, busy walkways and practice entrances. Always add a short line next to the code, such as "Your Google review helps us": a black square with no context rarely gets scanned.

Takeaway and Delivery

For takeaway and delivery, the QR code is often the only way to get a Google review. Slip a card into the bag or print the code on the packaging: customers open their order at home, taste, and scan right away. Delivery platforms collect reviews in their own system, which doesn't feed your Google profile. Same logic in retail for a parcel or a click-and-collect order. When the order came through messaging, the review request can go out on the same thread: see asking for a Google review on WhatsApp.

NFC Google Review Plates: A Useful Complement

An NFC plate holds the same link as the QR code: customers tap their phone instead of scanning. It's handy on a counter where customers wait, but it doesn't replace the QR code.

Three things to check before buying one:

1. The plate also shows a QR code. NFC reading isn't enabled on every phone, and many customers don't know where the chip sits on theirs.
2. It points straight to your Google review link. Some plates route through the vendor's website: if the subscription ends, the plate leads nowhere. Ask whether you can rewrite the chip yourself.
3. No preliminary question. Refuse plates or landing pages that first ask for a rating and only send high scorers to Google. Google prohibits selectively soliciting positive reviews.

The Five Mistakes That Kill Efficiency

Most review QR codes that bring in nothing suffer from one of these five mistakes, all easy to fix in a morning:

1. A code that's too small or badly printed. Follow the sizes in the table and test on two phones.

2. A code with no accompanying line. Customers don't know what it's for, so they don't scan.

3. A code that opens the profile instead of the review window. Customers have to hunt for the "Write a review" button and give up. Use the code provided by Google Business Profile.

4. A code at the wrong point in the journey. Move it closer to the till or the exit.

5. A code tied to a reward. "Scan, leave a review and win a coffee" is prohibited by Google, even if the review may be negative. The review QR code stands alone, with no game or discount.

Measure What Your QR Code Brings In

To know whether your QR code works, compare the number of new reviews in the four weeks before installation with the four weeks after. Don't judge on a few days: Google says it can take up to 2 weeks for a new review to be reflected in the displayed score (Google help on review scores).

If you have several media (dining room, terrace, delivery), you can create one code per medium using a redirect link that counts scans and then sends people straight to Google, with no intermediate step. You'll quickly see which placement is worth keeping.

A QR code only reaches customers who are on site. For the others, add a text message review request sent to customers who opted in, at the best time for your trade. Also polish the profile the code leads to: hours, photos and categories are covered in our Google Business Profile guide.

If you manage several locations or want ready-to-use displays for your trade, Ma Belle Note review collection generates your QR codes and centralises the reviews and private feedback you receive. Try it with the free 7-day trial, no credit card required.