For most businesses with a counter, a till or a reception desk, a Google review stand is worth the money. It sits where customers already stand and wait, they tap their phone on it, and your Google review page opens. It works best when staff mention it once ("there's a stand there if you'd like to leave us a review"), and it works poorly when it's tucked behind the card machine where nobody sees it.
What a Google review stand is
A Google review stand is a small free-standing sign for a counter or table with an NFC chip built into it. The chip holds the link to your business's Google review page. When a customer holds their phone near the tap area, the phone opens that link straight away, so they go directly to the box where they choose a star rating and write their review. The customer doesn't need an app, and the stand doesn't need power or batteries.
The point is to save the customer from searching for your business, finding the right listing and hunting for the review button. Our stands are NFC only. If you'd also like a QR code for the few customers whose phones don't have NFC, Google gives you one for free in your Business Profile, and you can print it on a menu, a receipt or a small sign nearby.
Where a stand works well
- Cafés, takeaways and shops, next to the card machine, where people stand for a few seconds while paying.
- Reception desks at salons, clinics, dentists, gyms and vets, where people wait to check in or pay.
- Hotel and B&B front desks at check-out.
- Restaurant tables, if you have a few stands to spread around.
- Garages and MOT centres, on the desk where customers collect their keys.
The common thread is a moment where the customer is standing still, has their phone out or close to hand, and has just had the service.
Where a card is a better choice
If your staff go to the customer rather than the other way round, a stand won't get seen. Tradespeople, mobile hairdressers, cleaners, delivery drivers and dog walkers are better off with a Google review card they can carry and hand over at the end of a job. The same goes for restaurants where the server takes the card machine to the table, because the server can show the card at the same time.
How to get more reviews from a stand
- Put it where the customer's hand already goes. Right beside the card machine works much better than at the far end of the counter.
- Keep the area in front of it clear, so customers don't have to reach over leaflets or a tip jar.
- Have staff mention it once at the end of each visit, with one plain sentence such as "if you've got a second, we'd really appreciate a Google review".
- Test it with a few phones when it arrives, including an iPhone and an Android, so you know exactly where people need to tap.
- Check your Google reviews each week and reply to them, good and bad. A business that answers its reviews tends to get more of them.
What a stand can't do
A stand makes reviews easier to leave, but it doesn't persuade anyone. If staff never mention it, most customers walk straight past it. It also depends on the customer's phone. Nearly all iPhones from the XS onwards and most Android phones read NFC without any setup, but a few people have NFC switched off, and very thick phone cases can block it.
It's also worth remembering Google's rules. You can ask every customer for a review, but you can't offer anything in return for one, and you can't only point the stand out to customers you expect to be happy. A stand that's simply there for everyone is fine.
Is it worth buying?
A stand is a one-off cost with no subscription, and it keeps working for as long as it sits on your counter. If customers already stand at your counter and your staff are happy to mention it, we think it's worth having. Our Google review stand is £35 and arrives programmed with your own review link. If you'd like customers to choose between Google, Tripadvisor or Trustpilot, the multiple review platform stand does that for the same price.
Common questions
Does a Google review stand need charging?
No. The NFC chip is powered by the customer's phone for the split second it's being read, so the stand has no battery.
Will it work with every phone?
It works with the large majority of smartphones in use in the UK. iPhone XS and later read it automatically. iPhone 7, 8 and X can read it through the NFC Tag Reader in Control Centre. Most Android phones read it as long as NFC is switched on, which it usually is by default.
Is a review stand better than a QR code poster?
A tap is quicker than opening the camera and lining up a code, and it works in poor light. A QR code works on every smartphone, including the few without NFC. We've written a separate guide comparing NFC and QR codes for Google reviews.
Can I use one stand for more than one location?
No. Each Google Business Profile has its own review link, so each location needs its own stand programmed with that location's link.