What Is a Google Review Card? (Full Guide + How It Works)

A Google Review Card is a credit-card-sized PVC card with a small NFC chip inside, programmed to open your Google Business Profile review page when a customer taps it with their phone. Most cards also carry a printed QR code, so customers whose phones can't read NFC can scan it with the camera instead. No app is needed. For UK high-street businesses, it's a simple way to turn "I'll leave you a review" into a review left there and then.

Inside the card sits a passive NFC chip (an NTAG-series tag) that stores your Google review link. It has no battery; the phone powers it for a moment when it's held close. iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later read the card in the background, so the customer just holds the top of the phone to it. iPhone 7 to X can read it using the NFC tag reader in Control Centre (iOS 14 or later). Android phones need NFC switched on in settings. The printed QR code works with any phone camera. To post a review, the customer needs a Google Account.

For counters, a review stand keeps the tap point visible; for waiting areas, a wall plaque works well.

Review cards are a one-off purchase with no subscription, and they arrive pre-programmed with your link. An optional editable-link add-on lets you change the link later without reprinting. Prices vary, so see current prices on the product page. Whether a card is worth it depends on how many customers you see in person and how consistently your team uses it; the card makes the ask easier, but it doesn't replace the ask.

Google allows businesses to share a review link or QR code, and a card that simply opens your review page, with no incentive or filtering, fits Google's policy. The rules to respect are the same as for a verbal ask: offer it to every customer, never reward reviews, and never write reviews for customers. In the UK, the DMCC Act 2024 has banned fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews since 6 April 2025 — see our guide to the DMCC Act review rules.