A Tripadvisor review card is a card with an NFC chip inside that holds the link to your Tripadvisor review page. When a guest taps their phone on it, that page opens, so they can write a review without searching for you on Tripadvisor first. Hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, pubs and attractions use them most, usually handing the card over at check-out or with the bill.
How the card works
The chip in the card is the same kind used in contactless bank cards. It has no battery and holds one web link. When a guest holds their phone against the card, the phone reads the link and opens it, in the same way it would open a link in a text message. Guests don't need to download anything to read the card.
The link takes them to the page on Tripadvisor where they write a review of your business. To post it, they'll need to be signed in to a Tripadvisor account, which many regular travellers already are. Someone who has never used Tripadvisor will be asked to create an account first, so expect a few guests to give up at that point.
Getting the right link on the card
The card is only as good as the link on it, so it's worth checking you have the right one. Open your listing on Tripadvisor and choose the option to write a review. The address of the page that opens is your review link. Check that it's for the correct listing, especially if your business has changed name, or if you have a hotel and a restaurant listed separately. Tripadvisor's Management Center, which you can use once you've claimed your listing, also has free tools for collecting reviews.
If you order a programmed card, you give the seller that link and they write it to the chip. Test it with your own phone when it arrives, and make sure it opens your business and not a similar one in the same town.
When to hand it over
- Hotels and B&Bs. At check-out, while the guest is settling up and saying goodbye. In a small B&B, the last breakfast is often a relaxed moment to mention it.
- Restaurants and pubs. With the bill, or when you clear the table and ask how everything was.
- Attractions and tours. At the end of the visit or tour, before people head off.
Keep the request to a sentence or two, for example "If you enjoyed your stay, we'd be really grateful for a review on Tripadvisor. You can just tap your phone on this card." Our guide on getting more Tripadvisor reviews has more on timing and follow-up emails.
Tripadvisor's rules
Tripadvisor is happy for businesses to ask guests for reviews, and a review card is simply a faster way of doing that. What isn't allowed is much the same as on Google:
- Offering a discount, upgrade, free drink or prize draw entry in return for a review.
- Only asking guests you expect to be happy, or steering unhappy guests somewhere else.
- Owners, staff or their families reviewing the business.
Hand the card to every guest, not just the ones who seemed delighted. Fake reviews and paying for reviews are also against UK consumer law.
Tripadvisor, Google or both?
Asking one guest for two reviews is usually too much. Many hotels and restaurants ask most guests for a Google review, because that's what people see first when they search locally, and focus on Tripadvisor where visitors and tourists make up a big share of their trade. Our article on choosing between Google, Tripadvisor and Trustpilot goes into this.
If you'd rather let guests choose, a multiple-platform card or stand gives them the option of more than one site, which takes the decision away from staff.
What ours cost
Our Tripadvisor review cards are £30 each and arrive programmed with your own Tripadvisor review link. There's no monthly fee and UK delivery is free. For guests who might prefer Google or another site, there are multiple review platform cards at £25 and multiple review platform stands at £35.
Common questions
Do guests need the Tripadvisor app to use the card?
No. The phone opens the review page from the card. Guests do need a Tripadvisor account to post the review, and they can sign in or create one on the page.
Do Tripadvisor review cards work on iPhone?
Yes. iPhone XS and later read the card when it's held near the top of the phone while the phone isn't locked. Most Android phones read it near the middle of the back.
Can one card do Google and Tripadvisor?
A single-site card holds one link. A multiple-platform card lets the guest pick which site to review you on.
What about guests whose phones don't have NFC?
Print a QR code for your Tripadvisor review page on the bill or a room card, so they can scan it with the camera instead.