NFC Review Stand vs Card vs Sticker vs Plaque: Which Fits?

Choose a stand for a counter or reception desk, a card for moments when staff hand something over, a sticker for doors, tables and card readers, and a plaque for a wall or entrance. All four open your Google review link with a tap; versions with a QR code also work for phones without NFC.

The four formats at a glance

Every format does the same job: an NFC chip, and on most versions a printed QR code, opens the Google review link you give us when you order. The difference is where it lives and how customers meet it. If you are new to NFC review products, our Google review NFC card guide explains how a tap works.

Prices are shown in your store’s currency and come from the same list checkout uses. Every item is posted to you, with no delivery fee added at checkout.

Counter businesses: a review stand

If customers stand at a counter to pay or check in, a Google review stand is usually the best single choice. It sits next to the card machine or on the reception desk, it is always visible, and it works without staff remembering to hand anything over. Customers tap or scan while they wait for a receipt or a coffee.

Stands come in three versions: NFC only, NFC + QR, and a large NFC + QR stand that is easier to see from a distance. Choose a QR version if some customers might have NFC switched off. Coffee shops, bakeries, pharmacies, dry cleaners, hotel receptions and clinics are typical homes for a stand.

Handed-over moments: a review card

A card suits businesses where staff finish the visit in person and something changes hands: the bill, the invoice, the keys. It goes where the customer is — the table, the salon chair, the van, the taxi — and the customer can keep it and review later.

Cards come in four versions, from a simple tap-only card to one with a QR code and your name printed on it. Restaurants with table service, hairdressers, tradespeople, cleaners, driving instructors and holiday lets tend to prefer cards. Our card guide compares the four versions in detail.

Mirrors, tables and doors: a review sticker

Stickers go where a stand would be in the way. A small 3 cm sticker fits on a card-reader cradle, a menu holder or the corner of a salon mirror. The 10 cm round sticker, which comes with a matching card, is easier to spot on a door, a window or a table top.

Stickers suit businesses with many touch points — a restaurant with twenty tables, a gym with several desks, a salon with a row of stations — where one sticker per spot is simpler than a stand for each. They stick best to clean, smooth, dry surfaces. Only the 10 cm NFC + QR version has a QR code, so pick it where some customers may not have NFC switched on.

Walls and entrances: a review plaque

A plaque is the permanent option. Mount it by the exit, beside the reception desk or in a waiting area, and customers see it at the end of their visit. It has both an NFC chip and a printed QR code, and comes in a normal and a large size.

Plaques suit premises where most customers leave the same way — restaurants, clinics, offices, hotel lobbies — and owners who want one fixed review point rather than loose cards that go missing.

Placement tips that make a difference

• Put it where people pause. Customers tap while they wait: for change, for a coffee, for a receipt. A stand at the far end of a counter is easy to miss.
• Keep it beside, not on, the payment spot. A stand or sticker next to the card machine is easy to find; covering the machine’s own tap area confuses people paying.
• Add a short instruction. Most items are printed with one; if yours is not, a small sign saying “Tap your phone or scan to review us on Google” helps.
• Think about reach. Place stands and plaques where a seated or wheelchair user can reach them too.
• Test after you place it. Tap with an iPhone and an Android phone where the item will live. Thick surfaces under a sticker are rarely a problem, but metal behind it can be.
• Keep spares. Cards walk away. A few extra in a drawer means the request never stops.

Single-platform or multi-platform?

Most formats here open your Google review link. If customers in your sector mainly review on Tripadvisor or Trustpilot, choose a card made for that platform. If they are split, a multi-platform card can open one page that lists all your review profiles, so each customer picks the site they already use.

Typical choices by business type

These are starting points, not rules. Each linked business type has its own guide. Watch where customers actually pause in your space and put the item there.

Combinations for multi-location businesses

Businesses with several sites usually combine formats. A common pattern is a stand at each till, cards for staff who finish visits in person, and a plaque by each entrance. Two points matter more than the mix:

• Each location has its own Google Business Profile and its own review link. Order items for each site with that site’s link, and label them before they go out.
• Keep a simple list of which link is on which item. If a site moves or its profile changes, you will know what to replace — or choose the editable-link option where it is offered, so the link can change without new items.

If you are ordering five or more items for several locations, contact us and we will help you get the links right.

How to decide in two minutes

1. Where do customers pay or check in? If at a counter, start with a stand.
2. Does staff hand over a bill, invoice or keys? Add cards.
3. Are there tables, doors or many stations? Add stickers.
4. Do most people leave through one entrance? Add a plaque.
5. Could some customers have NFC switched off? Choose versions with a QR code.

Then make asking a routine. Our guide to getting more Google reviews without breaking the rules covers the right moment to ask and neutral scripts for staff. You can see every format side by side on our NFC review cards and products page.

Looking after them

• Stands and plaques: wipe with a soft, damp cloth. Avoid harsh cleaners that can cloud acrylic.
• Cards: keep a stock in a drawer and replace any that are bent, cracked or worn at the edges.
• Stickers: clean and dry the surface before you apply them, press firmly, and give them time to bond before cleaning over them.
• All formats: tap each item with a phone once a month. It takes seconds and tells you the link still opens your review form.

If an item arrives faulty, contact us with your order number. Returns and refunds follow our refund policy.

The rules are the same for every format

A stand, card, sticker or plaque only opens your review link. It cannot promise stars or a number of reviews, and the review is always the customer’s own. Google does not allow incentives for reviews (discounts, freebies, prize draws), asking only happy customers (review gating), fake, bought or swapped reviews, or reviews by owners and staff — see Google’s policy. Put the item where every customer can see it, or offer it to everyone, and give nothing in return.

Questions

Which is better, an NFC review stand or a card?

A stand suits counters and reception desks because it is always visible. A card suits businesses where staff hand over a bill or invoice. Many businesses use both.

Do all formats have a QR code?

Plaques always have one. Stands and cards have QR versions, and the 10 cm NFC + QR sticker has one. The 3 cm sticker, the simple card and the NFC-only stand are tap only.

Can I put a review sticker on glass?

Yes, on clean, smooth, dry glass such as a door, window or mirror. Phones read NFC through a thin sticker on glass.

How much does a Google review stand cost?

The price for your store is shown in the table and price box on this page, from the same price list checkout uses. Items are posted to you with no delivery fee added at checkout.

Can one item open reviews for several locations?

Each item opens one link. Order items for each location with that location’s review link, or use the multi-platform card with a page that lists your profiles.

Will a stand get me more reviews than a card?

No format can promise a number of reviews. The best format is the one every customer actually sees or is offered.