The principle
A QR code works when the customer has their phone in hand, a quiet moment and the wish to say it went well. So put it where that happens: at payment, when you hand over the invoice, in the message that follows the service.
Google itself suggests putting your link or QR code on receipts, in thank-you emails, at the end of a conversation or on a display in store (help page “Create a link or QR code to ask for reviews”).
Create your QR code before printing
Paste your Google review link, download the QR code and print the A4 poster. No account needed.
Open the free toolA few rules for every support
Test the QR code with two different phones before printing: your listing’s review form should open straight away.
Print it big enough. A square of about 3 cm per side is a good base for a receipt or a card, larger for a poster seen from a distance. Keep some white space around it.
Add a short sentence saying what to do, without steering the answer: “Scan to leave a review on Google”.
Use the same QR code everywhere: one link, one code to track.
Restaurant, café, bar
The right moment is when the bill arrives. Slip a small card with the QR code into the bill folder, or print it on the back of the receipt. A stand near the till or the card terminal works too.
Avoid putting it in the middle of the table during the meal: the customer is eating, not available, and it looks like advertising.
Bakery, shop, local store
Put the QR code next to the till or the card terminal, at eye level, with the invitation sentence. A sticker or a small card slipped into the bag completes the setup.
For a shop where people don’t linger, also put it on the window, facing inward, visible when they leave.
Tradesperson, home services
The end of the job is the best moment: the customer sees the result. Put the QR code and the clickable link on the invoice (as a PDF the link opens in one click) and on the signed quote for the customers you’ll see again.
A thank-you text or email the next day with the direct link works well too. Your business card can carry the QR code on the back.
Hairdresser, beauty salon, practice
Put a small card with the QR code in the receipt or appointment card handed over at the desk, and add the link to the confirmation message of the next appointment.
For practitioners, check the rules of your profession on what you may display: some regulate advertising.
Garage, repairs
The ideal moment is when the vehicle is handed back: the QR code goes on the invoice and in the document folder. The “your vehicle is ready” text can carry the link too.
Give it to every customer, including those whose file was complicated. Picking only the happy customers is forbidden by Google.
Online and by message
For online sales and appointments, a QR code makes no sense: send the direct link. Put it in your email signature, in the thank-you email after the order or the service, and in the text sent at the end of the appointment.
A message a few hours or a day later works better than an immediate request.
What not to do
Don’t offer anything in exchange for a review: a discount, a free product, a free coffee. Google treats benefits offered in exchange for reviews as artificial engagement, which is strictly forbidden.
Don’t show the QR code only to customers you know are happy, and don’t write “5 stars” on the poster.
Don’t have your team or your friends and family write reviews.
Measure what it brings
Note the number of reviews on your listing the day you put the QR code up, then look again a month later. With a free SwimUp account you can also see how many people scanned your code or clicked your link. A scan doesn’t mean a review was published.