Google Review QR Codes: Guide + Printable Templates

Updated on 25 August 2026

In short

• A Google review QR code should open the review form directly, never an intermediate page.
• It stays valid as long as your listing's URL doesn't change — there's no expiration built into the code itself.
• Always test it with a phone not signed into your Google account before printing.
• The same code must be shown to every customer, without exception — see our article on what Google's review-gating rules actually prohibit.
• Three placements cover most restaurants: the check, the table, the window.

How to generate the right link

The QR code is just a visual wrapper around a link. What matters is the link itself.

1. Sign in to your Google Business Profile account.
2. Open your listing, Ask for reviews section.
3. Copy the short link Google provides — it opens the rating form directly, with no intermediate step.
4. Generate the QR code from that link, using a simple generator (Google Business Profile offers one directly, or any free QR generator).

Common mistake to avoid: using your general Google Maps listing link instead of the short "ask for a review" link. The first opens the full listing, where the customer still has to hunt for the review button — a friction step that tanks conversion.

Static or dynamic?

For an independent restaurant with one stable listing, static is more than enough. Dynamic becomes useful if you manage multiple locations and want to centralise updates.

Three placements that work

1. On the check

The most effective format: printed directly on the receipt, or on a card slipped in with the bill. The customer scans while waiting to pay.

Technical note: a QR code that's too small or poorly contrasted on thermal paper doesn't scan well. Aim for at least 2×2 cm with strong black-on-white contrast.

2. On the table (tent card or sticker)

Visible throughout the whole meal. Effective for customers who'd rather leave a review before they leave than think about it later.

3. In the window

Catches passersby and customers photographing the storefront. Less direct than the two above, but effortless and free once printed.

Text template to print

Short, with no steering toward a specific rating:

Your review helps us Scan to leave a Google review [QR CODE]

Avoid:

❌ "Leave us 5 stars!" ❌ "We'd love a great review"

These phrasings steer toward a specific rating, which counts as solicitation bias rather than a plain request.

Checklist before printing

[ ] The link opens the review form directly, not the full listing
[ ] Tested on a phone not signed into your Google account
[ ] Tested on both iOS and Android (scan behaviour sometimes differs)
[ ] Minimum size 2×2 cm if printed on thermal receipt paper
[ ] Black-on-white contrast, no colour that reduces contrast
[ ] Surrounding text doesn't mention a rating or any compensation
[ ] The same code is used for every customer, without exception

How long does a QR code stay valid?

Indefinitely, as long as your Google listing's URL doesn't change. The URL changes in rare cases: merging duplicate listings, a primary category change that triggers a listing rebuild, or the business relocating. In those cases, reprint.

There's no expiration date built into the QR format itself — unlike what some articles imply about "dynamic" versions tied to a third-party subscription, which do stop working if the subscription lapses.

For the full collection strategy, see 12 legal ways to get more Google reviews. For compliance details, see review gating and the FTC rule.

SEOresto generates and tracks your review QR codes, with scan statistics by placement. From €39/month. See pricing.

Source: Google Business Profile documentation — asking for reviews.

Author: Dmitrii Portnov, founder of SEOresto.