NFC Review Stands for Retail Shops: Till, Window and Packaging

Put a Google review stand at the till, where customers wait while you bag and take payment. Add your review QR code to receipts, a review card to parcels and click-and-collect bags, and a window sticker for customers who come back past the shop. Offer it to everyone and give nothing in return.

The till is your natural moment

In a shop, almost every customer stops at the till. They wait while the item is scanned, bagged and paid for, and they often have a phone in their hand. That short pause is the most reliable moment to offer a review link, and it needs no extra conversation.

A Google review stand next to the card machine turns that pause into a one-tap request. For the full routine — asking everyone, scripts and follow-ups — see our guide on how to get more Google reviews without breaking the rules.

Placements that work in a shop

Most shops start with a stand at each till and add one other placement. The stand does the work in the shop; a receipt QR code or a card in the bag catches customers who want to review later, at home.

Long queues and quiet shops

In a busy shop with queues, customers have time on their hands but staff do not. A stand that faces the queue, at the point where people wait to be served, does the asking for you. Staff do not need to say anything beyond thanks.

In a quiet shop, staff have time to talk, so the spoken line matters more. Mention the stand once, as the sale ends, and leave it there. Either way, the request should come after the purchase — at the till, not while someone is browsing.

Receipt QR codes

Your Google Business Profile can generate a review QR code. Google says review QR codes can currently only be generated in a computer browser, not on mobile (create a review link or QR code). Add it to your receipt template if your till system allows images, and print a test receipt to check it scans at that size.

We do not sell receipts or till software; the QR code comes from Google and your till provider. A stand or sticker at the till covers customers who decline a paper receipt.

Busy tills and several staff

In a shop with several staff and shifts, consistency matters more than enthusiasm. Agree one short line and use it at every till:

“If you’d like to leave us a Google review, you can tap your phone on the stand here. Thanks for shopping with us.”

• Use it with every customer, not only regulars or big spends.
• Never mention stars, and never add “if you’re happy”.
• Do not set staff targets for reviews, or compare tills or shifts. Google lists asking staff to collect a certain number of reviews as not allowed.
• Do not ask customers to mention a staff member by name.
• At a busy till, let the stand do the asking. Customers can review later.

Click-and-collect and online orders

Click-and-collect customers often spend less time at the till, so a review card in the bag works better than a spoken request. For online orders sent by post, a card in every parcel reaches customers at the moment they unpack.

If most of your sales are online, your customers may review you on Trustpilot rather than Google. Our guide to choosing between Google, Tripadvisor and Trustpilot review cards explains which platform fits which business. For the formats themselves, see our comparison of review stands, cards, stickers and plaques.

Put the card in every order — not only the ones you expect to go well. Choosing which parcels get a card is review gating.

Returns and complaints at the counter

A customer returning a faulty item is still a customer. Sort out the return or exchange first, politely, and do not make it depend on what they write. Then treat them like everyone else: if every customer sees the stand, so do they.

Do not hide the stand when someone looks unhappy, and do not move it away from the returns desk. Choosing who sees the request is review gating. If they leave a critical review, reply calmly and say what you did to put it right.

Window stickers for returning customers

A 10 cm NFC + QR sticker on the window or door lets customers who have already shopped with you leave a review as they pass by, without coming in. It is aimed at real customers. It is not an invitation to passers-by who have never bought anything: Google requires reviews to reflect a genuine experience.

Stick it on the inside of clean, dry glass at a height people can reach, and test it from outside with a phone.

Gift shops and visitors

Shops in tourist areas serve many visitors who will never come back. For them, the till is the only moment. A stand at the till and a card in the bag work better than a follow-up message, because you rarely have their contact details. Some visitor-focused shops also collect Tripadvisor reviews; our platform comparison covers when that makes sense.

Several branches

Each branch has its own Google Business Profile and its own review link. Order items for each branch with that branch’s link, label them before they go out, and keep a list of which link is on which item. If a branch moves or closes, you will know what to replace. Restaurants and cafés with several sites follow the same approach — see our restaurant and café setup guide.

Setting it up

1. Copy your Google review link and test it in a private browser window.
2. Order a stand for each till, cards for bags and parcels, and a window sticker if returning customers pass the shop.
3. Paste the link at checkout and check it again before paying.
4. Tap each item with an iPhone and an Android phone where it will live, and scan the QR codes.
5. Add your review QR code to the receipt template if your till allows it, and print a test receipt.
6. Brief every shift on the one-line script and the rules.

What a stand cannot do

A review stand opens your review link. It cannot promise stars, a rating or a number of reviews, and it cannot decide who reviews. Customers write what they want, when they want. If a review breaks Google’s policy, report it through your Business Profile rather than arguing in a reply.

Sales, events and busy seasons

During sales or the run-up to holidays, tills get busier and conversations shorter. That is when the stand earns its place: it keeps asking when staff do not have time. Keep the routine the same in quiet months, and never run a “review us to enter our draw” promotion — a prize draw is an incentive.

The rules, in short

Never offer incentives for reviews — discounts, vouchers, free gifts or prize draws. Never ask only happy customers (review gating). Never write, buy or swap reviews, and owners, staff and their families must not review the shop. The source is Google’s policy on fake engagement and rating manipulation, and Google’s tips to get more reviews list what you may do. A stand cannot promise stars or a number of reviews; each review is the customer’s own.

Questions

Where should a shop put an NFC review stand?

At the till, beside the card machine, where customers wait while items are bagged and paid for.

Can I print my Google review QR code on receipts?

Yes, if your till system supports images. Google generates the QR code in a computer browser from your Business Profile; print a test receipt to check it scans.

Should I put a review sticker in the shop window?

A window sticker helps customers who have already shopped with you review as they pass. It is not meant for people who have never bought from you.

Can I offer a discount voucher for a review?

No. Google does not allow discounts, vouchers, free gifts or prize draws in exchange for a review.

Can we give staff a review target?

No. Google lists asking staff to collect a certain number of reviews as not allowed. Check that the request is made, not how many reviews arrive.

What about click-and-collect?

Put a review card in every click-and-collect bag and parcel. It reaches customers when they unpack, without anyone having to ask.