An NFC Google review card lets customers open your review form by tapping their phone. Before buying, check how customers will use it, whether the card can be changed, which phones it supports, and what you’ll pay. A printed QR code from Google may be enough for your business.
Reviato doesn’t sell NFC cards or partner with card sellers. We offer a free QR code generator and print size calculator, linked below.
What an NFC review card is
NFC stands for near field communication. It’s the short-range wireless technology used for contactless payment. A review card contains a small chip, called a tag, that stores a web address. A compatible phone reads that address when held close to the card. The customer may then need to tap a notification to open your Google review form.
The tag has no battery: it draws power from the phone’s NFC field. Many review cards also have a printed QR code, so customers can choose how to open the link.
Check which address the card stores. That determines who controls the destination and what happens if the seller closes:
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| Type | How it works | If something breaks |
|---|---|---|
| Direct | The chip stores your Google review link itself | Works as long as the link is valid. Nobody else is involved |
| Redirect | The chip stores the seller’s web address, which forwards to your review link | Lets you change the destination later, but stops working if the seller’s service lapses or closes |
1. Make it clear what the tap does
A review card beside a payment reader could confuse a customer about what they’re tapping. Label it clearly: “Tap to review us on Google”. Keep it separate from the payment reader and explain what it opens if someone asks.
A clear label helps customers choose whether to open the form. A printed QR code gives them the option to review later too.
2. Check whether the card is locked
Some unlocked NFC tags can be changed with a phone app. Someone could replace your review link with another address. Ask the seller whether your card is locked against changes. For the NXP chips used in many cards, making the tag read-only is permanent. Check the address carefully before locking it (NXP datasheet, §8.5.2).
A researcher tested one vendor’s tip and review cards in Kaunas, Lithuania, and found that about half allowed the address to be changed. That finding doesn’t describe every review card, but it gives you a useful check to make (security report).
Inspect cards for damage or replacement, and test their destination regularly. A locked tag prevents rewriting the stored address; it does not prevent someone replacing the whole card.
QR codes need checks too. Someone can cover a printed code with a sticker that opens a different address. Regularly test anything customers scan or tap at your business.
3. Give customers another way to open the link
- Check phone support. NFC must be available and enabled on the customer’s phone.
- Allow for an extra step on iPhones. An iPhone XS or later can read a compatible tag without a reader app, but the customer must tap the notification to open the page. Older iPhones may need an app (Apple).
- Label the card. Tell customers that tapping opens your Google review form.
Include a printed QR code for customers who can’t or don’t want to tap. Test both options before giving the card to staff.
4. Check the full cost and the seller’s promises
Google gives you a review link and QR code for free. NFC cards cost money, and some come with ongoing fees.
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| Option | Upfront cost | Ongoing cost to check |
|---|---|---|
| Google’s review QR code, printed yourself | Printing only; Google provides the code free | None for Google’s code (Google) |
| QR card from a printer or review service | Card design, printing and delivery | Ask whether the link depends on a paid redirect service |
| NFC review card | Card, printing and delivery | Ask whether changing the destination or keeping the redirect active needs a subscription |
Ask for a quote for the number of cards you need. Check both the first bill and the cost of keeping the link working.
Two other things to weigh:
- What happens if the seller closes. With a redirect card, your card depends on their service staying up. Ask before you buy.
- Ranking promises. Google says you cannot pay for a better local ranking (Google). A card can make your review form easier to open; it cannot guarantee a search position or a number of new reviews.
Where you put the card matters to Google
A card on its own doesn’t break any rule. How it’s used can.
Google’s policy says that when merchants ask for reviews, they shouldn’t “require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises” (Google Maps content policy).
A card held out while staff wait for a review can create pressure. Make the request optional, and let customers review later if they prefer.
The same policy prohibits asking only happy customers for reviews. Give everyone the same public review option and let them choose their own rating. Avoid any card or service that filters who gets to Google or promises to select five stars for the customer.
Check the cards you already have
- Use an NFC reader app that can show the stored address and whether the tag allows changes.
- Tap the card and read the stored address. Check that it’s your Google review link, or the seller’s redirect address if you bought a redirect card.
- Check whether the tag is locked. The app should show whether the tag is writable. If it is, ask the seller to lock it, or lock it yourself once you’re sure the link is right. Remember that locking is permanent.
- Ask the seller about redirects: who controls the destination, what it costs, and what happens if they close.
- Add a printed QR code and a clear label (“Scan or tap to review us on Google”) if the card doesn’t already have one.
- Check the card regularly, and after any time it’s been left unattended. Make sure the card or sticker still opens the intended address.
The simpler option: a printed QR code
For most businesses, Google’s own QR code does the job. On a computer, open your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews, and save the QR code image. Google says review QR codes can only be generated in a computer browser for now (Google).
A QR code lets customers open the same review form using a phone camera that supports QR scanning. Google’s code costs nothing beyond printing.
Be honest about the limits. A QR code needs the customer to open their camera, and a sticker can be covered by a fake. Check it now and then, as you would a card.
Placement still matters. Put it somewhere customers can use it in their own time, like the table, the receipt, the room or the takeaway bag, rather than only next to the card reader. And label it clearly.
If you want a printable version with your own label, our free QR code print size calculator generates the code from your standard Google review link and estimates a suitable print size. Test a final-size print before making more copies. It doesn’t filter anyone. For every way to get the link itself, see How to get your Google review link, and for sizes and scan distances, the QR code print size guide.