A customer is standing in their driveway while you load the truck. They say the job looks great. That’s the best moment to ask for a review, but they aren’t going to type your business name into Google Maps right then. A QR code they can scan from your invoice or a card is a quicker way to get them to the review box.
It’s a common question. On the Local Search Forum, one owner asked simply: “How do i generate a QR code for GBP reviews.” Most of the replies pointed to outside QR generators. You don’t need one. Google makes the code for you.
Where Google gives you the code
Google’s help page for Business Profiles says:
“To make it easier for customers to leave reviews on your Business Profile, you can create and share a link or QR code to request reviews.”
There’s one catch. Google says:
“Currently, reviews QR codes can only be generated on a computer browser, not on mobile devices.”
So sit down at a computer, sign in with the Google account that manages your profile, and follow Google’s steps:
- Go to your Business Profile.
- Select Read Reviews, then Get more reviews.
- Right-click the QR code.
- Select Save image as...
The same screen has your review link. If you also want the link for emails and texts, we cover that in where to find your Google review link. This page is about what to do with the code once you’ve saved it.
Do you need an outside QR generator?
No. Google’s own code points straight to your review box. If you do use another generator, our suggestion is to pick one that puts your Google link directly into the code, not one that sends scans through its own short link first. One reply in that same forum thread made the point: you don’t want your codes to “die if there’s an issue with the redirect domain or the QR maker goes under.” Once a code is printed on 500 invoices, you can’t change it.
Where to put it (for trades and home services)
Google lists a few places to use the link or code:
“Include it on your receipts
Include it in thank you emails
Add it at the end of a chat interaction
Print and display the QR code in your store”
Most service businesses don’t have a store, so the job site and the paperwork matter more. These are our suggestions, not Google rules:
- The invoice or receipt. It’s the one piece of paper every customer gets. Put the code near the total with a short line such as “How did we do? Scan to leave a Google review.”
- A leave-behind card. A business card or door-hanger with the code on the back, left on the counter when the job is done.
- The estimate folder or warranty sheet. Anything the customer is likely to keep in a drawer.
- The truck. A code on the vehicle is mostly seen by people who haven’t hired you yet, so it’s less useful for reviews. If you put one there, make it large and test it from a few steps away.
Keep the line next to the code honest and plain. Ask for a review, not a five-star review.
Print it so it scans
A QR code that won’t scan wastes every card you print. Some practical checks (again, our suggestions):
- Don’t shrink it too far. Tiny codes on a crowded invoice often fail. Test the printed size, not just the file on your screen.
- Leave white space around it. Don’t let text or a logo touch the edge of the code.
- Dark on light. Black squares on a white background are the safest choice.
- Test on more than one phone. Scan a printed proof with an iPhone and an Android phone before you order a full run, and check that it opens your own business’s review box.
- Keep the original file. If you have more than one location, each has its own Business Profile, so label each code with the location it belongs to.
The rules still apply
A QR code is just a faster way to reach the same review box, so Google’s review rules apply the same way. Google’s help page puts it next to the QR instructions:
“Offering incentives, like free or discounted goods or services, to customers in exchange for reviews is considered fake engagement and is strictly prohibited.”
So “Scan for 10% off your next visit” next to the code is out. We explain why in can you offer a discount for a Google review?
Google’s Maps content policy also says merchants “should not require or pressure users to leave ratings or write reviews while on the premises.” Handing a customer your phone with the code open and waiting while they type is the kind of thing to avoid. Leave the code with them and let them review in their own time.
And give the card to every customer, not only the ones who seemed happiest. Google doesn’t allow businesses to “selectively solicit positive reviews from customers.”
The short version
Google makes a free review QR code for you. On a computer, open your Business Profile, choose Read Reviews, then Get more reviews, then right-click the code and save it. Put it on the invoice and a leave-behind card, test the printed version on two phones, give it to every customer, and never offer anything in exchange for a review.
Rapid Feedback helps local service businesses get more Google reviews.