Google Review QR Code: How to Make It and Where to Put It

A Google review QR code takes two minutes to make. Most Ottawa businesses that have one grabbed it from a random generator, taped it by the till and never saw a bump. The code isn't the problem.

A QR code is a door. It doesn't invite anyone in. People still need a reason, a moment and a nudge to scan it.

Here's how to make the code properly, straight from Google, where to put it, how to design it so phones can read it, and what to pair it with so reviews actually show up. None of it costs money, and most of it takes one afternoon.

How to make a Google review QR code (free, from Google)

1. Use a computer. Google says review QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on a phone.
2. Find it. In your Business Profile, select Read reviews, then Get more reviews.
3. Save both. Copy the link for texts and emails. Right-click the QR code and choose Save image as for print.
4. Test it. Scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone before you print anything.

Skip the random "free QR" sites. Some create dynamic codes that route through their own servers, so if that service changes its terms or shuts down, every code you printed can break. Google's code points straight at your review form.

So-what: the code is free and takes minutes. Don't pay a monthly fee for something Google gives you.

Where to put your Google review QR code

Google's own list is a good start: receipts, thank-you emails, the end of a chat and a printed code in your store. Put it where people pause, not where they rush.

• Checkout counter. At eye level beside the payment terminal, where phones are already out.
• Table tent or bill folder. For restaurants, the best moment is after the meal. Our Ottawa restaurant review system covers the timing.
• Receipts and invoices. Great for trades like HVAC, since the invoice arrives when the job is done.
• Waiting rooms. Dental offices, salons and spas have built-in downtime.
• Takeout bags and packaging. The customer finds it at home, when they have time.
• Your website and email signature. The same link works anywhere online.

One rule: the code can sit on your counter, but you can't stand over someone while they type. Google says businesses shouldn't require or pressure customers to review while on the premises.

So-what: placement beats design. A plain code in the right spot beats a beautiful one by the exit.

Design tips that get scans

• Leave white space. The QR standard needs a clear margin, or quiet zone, four modules wide on every side. Don't crop it or crowd it with graphics.
• Go big and high-contrast. Dark code on a light background, printed large enough to scan from where people stand.
• Add one line of copy. "Enjoyed your visit? Scan to leave an honest Google review." Never "5 stars please," since Google bars businesses from trying to influence the rating.
• Say where it goes. A small "Opens Google reviews" under the code tells people it isn't a menu or a coupon.
• No offers. "Scan for 10% off" is an incentive, and Google bans those.
• Protect it. Laminate counter and table codes, and replace them when they get scratched or faded.

So-what: if your staff can't scan it in two seconds from where a customer stands, neither can your customers.

Why a QR code alone is not a review system

A QR code is passive. It waits. Reviews come from asks, and BrightLocal's 2026 survey found 28% of consumers will always write a review when asked, up from 16% a year earlier.

BrightLocal's advice matches ours: send timely email or SMS requests, and put links and QR codes on printed materials. The code catches people in the room. A same-day text catches everyone else, and our CASL-safe text templates cover that part.

Recency matters too. The same survey found 74% of consumers only care about reviews from the last three months, so a code that brings a burst and then fades won't hold your rating up.

Then measure it. Count reviews per week before and after the code goes up, and reply to every one (Google's AI review replies can help). The review ROI calculator shows what the lift is worth.

So-what: a QR code is one piece of a review system. On its own, it's a sticker.