Growth · 2026-06-08

How to make a Google review QR code (free) and where to put it

A QR code is the lowest-friction way to collect reviews in person: one scan and the customer is on your review box, no searching, no typing your business name. It costs nothing to make. Here is exactly how to create one, where to put it, and the one limit you should plan around.

01First, get your Google review link

A QR code is just a link in visual form, so you need the right link first — the short URL that opens your review box directly, not your general profile. There are two easy ways to get it:

• From your Google Business Profile. Sign in at business.google.com, open your business, and look for "Get more reviews" or "Ask for reviews." Google generates a short link like g.page/r/…/review that drops the customer straight onto the star selector.
• From Google Maps. Find your business, tap Share, and copy the link — then add the review parameter, or use the "Get more reviews" link above, which is cleaner.

Test the link on your phone before you do anything else. It should open the five-star "Rate and review" box for your business in one tap. If it opens your general listing instead, you have the wrong link.

02Turn the link into a QR code (free, no app)

Any free QR generator works — you do not need to pay or install anything. The quickest option is our own free Google review QR code generator: paste your review link and download the PNG. Or open any generator in your browser, paste your review link, and download the image. A few honest pointers:

• Use a free, static generator. Search "free QR code generator." Avoid ones that force a "dynamic" account-locked code — for a single review link you do not need it, and a static code never expires or depends on a third party staying online.
• Download as PNG or SVG. SVG if you will print it large (it stays sharp at any size); PNG is fine for a small sticker.
• Keep it big and high-contrast. Dark code on a white background, at least 2 cm / ~1 inch square for a counter, larger for a poster. Phones struggle with tiny or low-contrast codes.
• Test it with two or three different phones before you print a hundred copies.

03Where to put it

The best spot is wherever the customer is happy and has thirty idle seconds. Good places:

• The counter or checkout — a small standing sign right where they pay.
• The receipt — printed at the bottom, or on the card machine slip.
• The table (cafes, restaurants, bars) — a table tent or sticker.
• The treatment room or chair (clinics, salons, spas) — on the mirror, the tray, or the aftercare card.
• Packaging and bags — a sticker on the box for takeaway and retail.
• Your business card and appointment cards.

04How to get people to actually scan it

A QR code on its own gets ignored. What lifts the scan rate is a short, specific instruction and a human nudge:

• Tell them why and how long. "Scan to leave a Google review — takes 10 seconds" beats a bare code with no words.
• Pair it with a verbal ask. "If you have a sec, a quick Google review really helps us — the code's right there." A real person asking is the single biggest factor.
• Ask at the right moment — right after they say the meal was great, the haircut looks perfect, the appointment went well. (More on timing in how to ask for reviews without being pushy.)
• Never offer a reward for it. Paying or discounting in exchange for reviews violates Google's policy — see our full guide to getting more reviews.

05The one limit of QR codes — and how to cover it

Here is the honest catch: a QR code only reaches people who are physically in front of it, in the moment. It does nothing for the customer who already left, the one who ordered online, the one who was delighted but walked out before noticing the sign. That is most of your happy customers.

So the QR code is one half of a review strategy, not the whole thing. The other half is a follow-up that reaches people after they leave — a short message (SMS, email, or LINE/WhatsApp) with the same one-tap link, sent the same day. Together they cover both the in-person moment and everyone who slips past it.

Doing that follow-up by hand works until you get busy, and then it stops. That is the whole idea behind ReviewHub: connect your Google Business Profile and it sends each customer the friendly request automatically after their visit, so the reviews you have earned actually show up — the QR catches the room, the follow-up catches everyone else.

Related posts: How to get more Google reviews · How to ask without being pushy · Why respond to reviews at all?