How to Set Up an NFC Review Card: Order, Test, Place

Get your Google review link from your Business Profile and test it before you order. Paste it at checkout and decide whether you want the yearly editable-link option. When the card arrives, tap it with an iPhone and an Android phone, check the QR code, keep it away from metal and show staff how to offer it.

Before you order

The card opens exactly the link you give us, so start with the link. Sign in to the Google Account that manages your Business Profile, copy the review link from the profile tools, and open it in a private browser window to check it shows your review form. Our step-by-step guide shows how to find your Google review link and test it.

Then make two choices:

• The version. Choose one with a QR code if some customers might have NFC switched off. Add your name if the card will leave your premises.
• The editable-link option. Without it, the card opens the link you give us, permanently. With it, you can change the link later from a dashboard. It is billed yearly — $12 a year in this store — and the price is shown before you pay. Choose it if you might move premises or open a new profile.

Our Google review NFC card guide compares the four card versions.

Common mistakes before ordering

• Copying the address of your Google Maps listing instead of the review link from the profile tools.
• Copying a link while signed in to a personal account that does not manage the business.
• Running the link through a third-party shortener that could expire or change.
• Using one location’s link for every site.
• Skipping the QR version when some customers may have NFC switched off.

At checkout

On the Google review NFC card page, paste the whole link into the review link field before you add the card to your bag. Check it again at checkout. A missing character or an extra space breaks the link, and a printed card cannot be corrected without the editable-link option.

When it arrives: test it

Test every card before it goes out. It takes a minute and catches almost every problem.

1. Unlock an iPhone and hold the top edge against the card. A notification or browser tab should open your review form.
2. Unlock an Android phone. Check that NFC is on in Settings — often under “Connections” or “Connected devices”. Hold the middle of the back of the phone against the card.
3. Scan the QR code, if your version has one, with the phone camera.
4. Check the page that opens shows your business name and the review form.
5. Repeat with a phone in a case, as most customers use one.

Do not post a test review. Owners and staff must not review their own business under Google’s policy.

What customers see after the tap

A tap or scan opens your Google review form: your business name, an empty row of stars and a text box. If the customer is not signed in to a Google Account, Google asks them to sign in first; Google requires an account to leave a review. Nothing is pre-filled, and the card cannot choose a rating.

Testing a batch of cards

If you ordered several cards, test every one, not just the first. Lay them out, tap each with the same phone, then scan each QR code. Put any card that does not open the right page aside and contact us with your order number. Keep a note of which cards you tested and where each one goes.

Phone cases and metal

NFC works over a few centimetres. Thin phone cases usually let the signal through. Thick, metal or magnetic cases, and cases with card wallets, can block it. If a tap does not work through a case, the QR code is the fallback.

Metal is the more common problem with placement. A card or sticker laid flat on a metal counter, a steel fridge or the back of a metal frame may not read reliably. Keep the chip away from metal surfaces, or use a stand that lifts the card off the counter.

Placing it

• Where every customer finishes the visit: the till, the bill folder, the reception desk, the van.
• Beside the card machine, not on top of its tap area, so people do not confuse paying with reviewing.
• At a height everyone can reach, including seated and wheelchair users.
• With a short instruction nearby if the item is not printed with one: “Tap your phone or scan to review us on Google.”

If you are choosing between formats for different spots, our comparison of review stands, cards, stickers and plaques covers where each one fits.

Telling staff

Show everyone how the card works and agree one neutral line, used with every customer: “If you’d like to leave us a Google review, just tap your phone here or scan the code.” Then set the rules:

• Offer it to every customer, not only the happy ones. Choosing who gets it is review gating.
• Never offer anything in return — no discount, freebie or prize draw.
• Never mention stars, and never ask customers to name a staff member.
• No review targets for staff.

Several locations

Each location has its own Google Business Profile and its own review link. Order cards for each site with that site’s link, label the packs before they leave head office, and test each card at the site where it will be used. A card with the wrong location’s link sends reviews to the wrong profile.

Troubleshooting

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

Keep it working

Tap one card a month with a phone to confirm the link still opens your review form, keep spares in a drawer, and replace cards that are bent or worn. If your Business Profile changes, create the review link again and update everything that carries it.

A card cannot promise stars or a number of reviews. It makes asking easier — and the rules still apply: Google does not allow incentives, review gating, or fake, bought or swapped reviews (Google’s policy).

Questions

How do I set up an NFC review card?

Copy your Google review link, paste it when you order, then test the card on an iPhone and an Android phone when it arrives and place it where every customer finishes their visit.

Do I need to programme the card myself?

No. We set the chip, and the QR code on QR versions, to open the link you give us at checkout.

Why does my card not work on an Android phone?

NFC is probably switched off. Turn it on in the phone’s settings and hold the middle of the back of the phone against the card.

Can I stick a review card or sticker on metal?

Metal can stop NFC from reading reliably. Keep the chip away from metal surfaces, or use a stand that lifts it off the counter.

Can I change the link later?

Only with the editable-link option, which is billed yearly and shown with its price before you pay.

Should I post a test review to check it works?

No. Open the form to check it, but do not post. Owners and staff must not review their own business.