Most happy customers never leave a review. They are not unwilling. Nobody asked at a moment when it was easy. A small QR sticker or a line on a receipt fixes both problems: it asks, and it makes the next step one tap.
Where a review QR code works best
Put it where people pause, not where they rush:
- At the till or counter, while they wait for a card machine or a coffee.
- On tables, for cafés, restaurants and waiting rooms.
- On the receipt or invoice, where people look at least once.
- On the door or window, as they leave.
- In the delivery bag or box, for takeaways and online orders.
- On a follow-up email or text, for service businesses that finish on site.
Avoid places customers only see when something has gone wrong, such as the complaints counter. You want to ask everyone, during a normal visit.
What to write next to the code
Keep it short and human:
- "Loved your visit? Tell others in 30 seconds."
- "How did we do? Scan to leave an honest review."
- "Your review helps a small business. Thank you."
Say "honest review", not "five-star review". Asking only for positive reviews is a form of review gating, which Google prohibits. Our guide to review gating explains why.
Never attach a reward
"Scan for 10% off your next visit" turns a review request into an incentive. Google prohibits offering money, products or services in exchange for reviews, and the FTC's rule on consumer reviews, in force since October 2024, bans incentives conditioned on what the review says, with civil penalties of up to $51,744 per violation in 2024. Keep loyalty offers completely separate. More in the rules on incentivised reviews.
Make the scan land somewhere simple
A QR code that opens a long form or a login page loses people. The best landing page:
- Shows your business name and logo, so people know they are in the right place.
- Has one clear button to write the review.
- Works on any phone without installing anything.
Receipts and invoices
Add a single line with a short link or small QR code at the bottom: "Tell us how we did: [link]". For invoices sent by email, put it under the total, not in the footer where nobody reads.
Print it properly
- Make the QR code at least 2 cm (about 0.8 inches) wide for stickers, larger for windows.
- Use dark code on a light background, and test it with two different phones before printing a batch.
- Use weatherproof sticker paper for doors and windows.
How Reputfy helps
Reputfy's review sticker maker builds a square sticker, a table card or a receipt strip with your logo, your name, a headline you choose and a QR code. Download a PNG or SVG, or print a sheet. Customers who scan see your name and one button to write a review, on the web or in the Reputfy app, and every review is sealed so nobody can quietly change it later.
