Where to Put a Google Review QR Code: 7 Places That Get Scans

Most review QR codes get ignored. Here are the 7 places UK tradespeople actually get scans — and why placement beats a verbal ask every time.

A QR code only works if it's in the right place. Here are the 7 best spots for a Google review QR code — ranked for UK tradespeople — plus why placement beats a verbal ask.

TapReview 10 min read Google Reviews

Key Takeaways

You paid to have a QR code made. Maybe it's printed on your invoices. Maybe there's one stuck to the dash of the van, or on a little card by the door. And the scans? Barely a trickle. Sound familiar?

Here's the thing nobody tells you when you generate a Google review QR code: the code isn't the problem. Where you put it is. A QR code is completely passive — it only does anything if the customer clocks it, gets their phone out, and decides to scan. Stick it in the wrong place and it'll sit there for months doing nothing.

This guide is the fix. Seven places UK tradespeople actually get scans, ranked roughly best to worst, with the specific trade examples and the small details that make the difference. Plus the honest bit at the end: where even a perfectly placed QR code loses out — and what beats it.

The short version

Why most review QR codes barely get scanned

Most review QR codes underperform because they're passive, and passive asks get ignored. A code printed on an invoice or stuck on the van relies on three things happening in a row: the customer has to notice it, get their phone out, and decide it's worth their time. Drop off at any step and you get nothing.

The data is sobering. QRLynx's 2026 analysis of more than five million scans found the median QR code gets just two scans in its entire lifetime, and around a third of codes never get scanned even once. That's not because QR codes don't work — Google review QR codes are actually one of the fastest-growing categories going, up roughly 280% between 2024 and 2026. It's because most codes end up somewhere nobody's looking.

Compare that to an actual ask. BrightLocal's 2026 survey found 83% of customers will leave a review when they're asked properly. The gap between "83% when asked" and "a couple of scans a year when left to chance" is the whole story. The QR code isn't your review strategy — it's one layer of it, and it only pulls its weight when it's in the right place.

Does placement actually make a difference?

Yes — scan rates vary hugely depending on where the code lives. IMQRScan's 2026 data is blunt about it: the same code performs completely differently depending on placement. The principle is simple. The best spot is wherever the customer already has their phone in their hand, is paying attention to you, and is in a moment where leaving a review feels natural — usually right after you've finished and they're chuffed with the work.

The worst spots are the opposite: somewhere the customer glances past, phone in their pocket, thinking about anything but reviews. A QR code on a parked van ticks every one of those boxes, which is why it's near the bottom of this list despite being the one everybody asks about.

Here are the seven places, best first.

The 7 best places to put your Google review QR code

1. A printed card you hand over at the end of the job

This is the best passive method going, and it beats a purely verbal ask every time. When you finish up — boiler fired, bathroom signed off, fuse board tidied — hand the customer a small card with your QR code and a line like "Scan here to leave a quick Google review."

Why it works: the customer leaves with the link physically in their hand. A verbal "leave us a review if you get a sec" relies on them remembering to search for you three days later, and most won't bother. A card removes the searching. Keep it credit-card sized, matte (gloss reflects and kills scans), and give the code plenty of white space.

Real example: a Bristol gas engineer keeps a stack in the van and hands one over with the Gas Safe certificate. The certificate's the moment of trust — the review ask rides on the back of it.

2. The footer of your invoice

Your invoice is one of the few documents a customer reads end to end — they're checking the figure. That makes the footer prime real estate. Put your QR code bottom-right with a short line: "Happy with the job? A 30-second Google review means the world."

It works best on a paid invoice or receipt, not the original bill — nobody's in a reviewing mood while they're about to part with money. If you invoice digitally (most do now), make the code big enough to scan off a phone screen, and bear in mind plenty of customers read the PDF on the same phone they'd scan with — so give them a tappable link too. More on using reviews across your quotes, invoices and van here.

3. Your quote or quote PDF

A quote gets read carefully — the customer's deciding whether to trust you with their money. A QR code here does double duty: it's a review prompt for past customers, and it's social proof for a prospect who hasn't hired you yet. They scan, see your 4.9 and 60 reviews, and you've half-closed the job.

Put it near your credentials, not buried at the bottom. A line like "See what 60+ customers say — scan to read our Google reviews" turns the code into a trust signal rather than just an ask.

4. Your business card

A business card sticks around — in a wallet, on the fridge, in a kitchen drawer — long after you've left. Printing your review QR code on the back turns a dead bit of card into a standing invitation.

It won't drive volume on its own (it's the definition of passive), but it costs nothing to add when you next reorder, and it catches the customer who digs the card out weeks later to recommend you to a neighbour. Pair it with your rating in text — "4.9 ★ on Google" — so the code has a reason to be scanned.

5. The van

Right, the van. Everybody wants a QR code on the van, so let's be straight about it. It's the most visible bit of kit you own, but it's also the worst-converting place for a review code — and there are a couple of things to get right.

Visibility and legality: keep it well away from your number plate so it can't be mistaken for part of it, and don't site it anywhere that could distract you while driving. The realistic use case isn't a moving van — nobody's scanning a code at 30mph — it's a van parked outside a job, where a curious neighbour might scan it. Make it large (think 10cm or more), high-contrast, and on a flat panel — rear doors or a side panel, not over a curved wheel arch.

Honest take: treat the van code as a branding and discovery play, not a review-collection workhorse. The neighbour who scans it is more likely to be a future customer than a reviewer.

6. Your email signature

If you send quotes, confirmations or follow-ups by email, a small QR code in your signature is a free, set-and-forget prompt sitting at the bottom of every email you send.

The catch: most people read email on their phone, and you can't scan a code that's on the same screen you'd scan with. So in an email signature a plain tappable link usually beats the code — keep the QR for printed materials and use a link where the customer's already on a device. Here's how to get your direct review link.

7. A leave-behind sticker

The last one's a sleeper: a small sticker with your QR code left on the kit you've installed or serviced. A heating engineer puts one inside the boiler cupboard next to the service label. An electrician sticks one by the consumer unit. A plumber leaves a fridge magnet.

Why it can work: it surfaces months later, at exactly the moment the customer's thinking about you again — the next service, the next fault, the "who did our boiler?" conversation. It's a long game, but it's nearly free and it plants your code where the customer will eventually look.

Does the QR code style matter? Black vs green

For scanning reliability, black on a white background wins — it gives a phone camera the strongest contrast to lock onto, which matters in the bad lighting of a meter cupboard or a dim hallway. You can absolutely brand it (a green code on white, your logo in the middle), but keep two rules: high contrast between the code and its background, and a clear "quiet zone" — the white border around the code. Crowd the edges or go low-contrast and you'll get scan failures, which is worse than no code at all, because the customer tries once and gives up.

A centre icon is fine — QR codes carry enough error correction to stay readable with a small logo in the middle. TapReview's free Google review QR code generator builds one with the TapReview mark in the centre so it looks the part, and lets you download it as a crisp 1024×1024 PNG — big enough to print sharp on everything from a business card to a van panel without going fuzzy.

The honest limit of any QR code

Here's the bit most "QR code for reviews" guides skip. Even with perfect placement, a QR code is still passive. You're hoping the customer notices it and chooses to act. Get everything right and you'll lift your scan rate — but you're still leaving most of your reviews on the table.

The method that actually fills your profile is an active ask: a message that lands on the customer's phone, by name, right after the job, with a direct review link they tap once. WhatsApp is the one for UK trades — it's the app your customers already live in, and messages there get opened by almost everyone (it's the open rate the channel is known for — around 98%, with most messages read within minutes). Stack that against the median QR code's two lifetime scans and it's not a close contest. We broke the channels down with real numbers in WhatsApp vs SMS vs email, and compared the passive-versus-active methods head to head in NFC cards vs QR codes vs WhatsApp.

This is exactly the gap TapReview fills: it's a £15/month tool that gets UK tradespeople more Google reviews by sending an automated request via WhatsApp and SMS after every job — the active ask, done for you, so you're not relying on someone spotting a code.

None of this means bin the QR code. Use it — on the card, the invoice, the quote. Just don't expect it to do the heavy lifting on its own. The code catches the motivated few; the active ask catches the rest. For the full playbook, see our complete guide to Google reviews for UK businesses and our step-by-step guide to getting more reviews as a tradesperson.

Frequently asked questions

Where's the best place to put a Google review QR code?

The single best spot is a small printed card you hand the customer at the end of the job. They leave with your review link in their hand, which beats a verbal "leave us a review" that relies on them searching for you days later. After that, the footer of a paid invoice and your quote PDF work well — both are documents customers actually read. The van and email signatures look obvious but convert poorly, because the customer isn't holding their phone in a reviewing frame of mind. Put the code where attention and phone-in-hand overlap.

Do Google review QR codes actually work?

They work, but they're passive — and passive asks get ignored more than you'd think. QRLynx's 2026 analysis of over five million scans found the median QR code gets just two scans in its whole life, and a third never get scanned at all. A review code earns its keep as one layer of your strategy — on a card, an invoice, a quote — not as the whole plan. The reviews that actually stack up come from an active ask: a message sent to the customer right after the job with a direct link they tap once.

How do I make a Google review QR code for free?

Use a free generator — TapReview's Google review QR code generator builds one in under a minute. You point it at your Google Business Profile, it generates the code, and you download it. TapReview's version puts the TapReview mark in the centre so it looks professional rather than generic, and exports a 1024×1024 PNG — sharp enough to print on anything from a business card to a van panel. Once you've got the PNG, drop it onto your card, invoice or quote template. There's no ongoing cost for the code itself.

Can I put a Google review QR code on my van?

Yes, but set your expectations. A van is the most visible thing you own and the worst-converting place for a review code — nobody scans a code at 30mph, so the realistic use is a curious neighbour clocking it while the van's parked at a job. If you do it: keep the code well away from your number plate, put it on a flat panel like the rear doors, make it big (10cm or more) and high-contrast, and don't site it anywhere that distracts you while driving. Treat it as branding and discovery, not your main review channel.

Does the colour of the QR code matter?

For scanning, black on white is the most reliable — it gives a phone camera the strongest contrast to lock onto, which matters in the dim lighting of a meter cupboard or hallway. You can brand it (a green code, your logo in the middle) and it'll still scan, thanks to the error correction built into QR codes. Just keep two things right: high contrast between the code and its background, and a clear white border — the quiet zone — around it. Low contrast or crowded edges cause scan failures, and a customer who fails once usually won't try again.

What size should a printed Google review QR code be?

As a rule of thumb, a QR code needs to be about a tenth of the distance it'll be scanned from. For a card or invoice held at arm's length (around 30cm), roughly 2-3cm square is plenty. For a van panel scanned from a metre or two away, you want 10cm or bigger. Err larger — an oversized code always scans, an undersized one fails. And whatever the size, keep the white border around it clear, because the scanner needs that quiet zone to find the code.

Is a QR code better than asking in person?

A printed QR card beats a purely verbal ask, because the customer walks away with your review link in their hand instead of a vague intention to find you on Google later. But neither beats an active follow-up. The highest response rates come from a message sent shortly after the job — by name, with a direct link they tap once. BrightLocal found 83% of customers leave a review when asked properly; the trick is making the ask land at the right moment and removing every step between them and the review form.

Will a QR code break any of Google's review rules?

No — a QR code that links to your genuine Google review form is completely fine. What breaks Google's rules (and UK law under the DMCC Act 2024) is gating reviews — only asking happy customers — or offering anything in exchange for a review. The code itself is neutral: it just shortcuts the customer to the review page, which they're free to fill in honestly. Ask every customer, don't filter or incentivise, and you're on the right side of both Google and the law. Our complete guide covers the policy in full.

Related reading

TapReview helps UK tradespeople collect Google reviews automatically via WhatsApp. Built in Britain, designed for how trades actually work. Try it free →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where's the best place to put a Google review QR code?

The single best spot is a small printed card you hand the customer at the end of the job. They leave with your review link in their hand, which beats a verbal "leave us a review" that relies on them searching for you days later. After that, the footer of a paid invoice and your quote PDF work well — both are documents customers actually read. The van and email signatures look obvious but convert poorly, because the customer isn't holding their phone in a reviewing frame of mind. Put the code where attention and phone-in-hand overlap.

Do Google review QR codes actually work?

They work, but they're passive — and passive asks get ignored more than you'd think. QRLynx's 2026 analysis of over five million scans found the median QR code gets just two scans in its whole life, and a third never get scanned at all. A review code earns its keep as one layer of your strategy — on a card, an invoice, a quote — not as the whole plan. The reviews that actually stack up come from an active ask: a message sent to the customer right after the job with a direct link they tap once.

How do I make a Google review QR code for free?

Use a free generator — TapReview's Google review QR code generator builds one in under a minute. You point it at your Google Business Profile, it generates the code, and you download it. TapReview's version puts the TapReview mark in the centre so it looks professional rather than generic, and exports a 1024×1024 PNG — sharp enough to print on anything from a business card to a van panel. Once you've got the PNG, drop it onto your card, invoice or quote template. There's no ongoing cost for the code itself.

Can I put a Google review QR code on my van?

Yes, but set your expectations. A van is the most visible thing you own and the worst-converting place for a review code — nobody scans a code at 30mph, so the realistic use is a curious neighbour clocking it while the van's parked at a job. If you do it: keep the code well away from your number plate, put it on a flat panel like the rear doors, make it big (10cm or more) and high-contrast, and don't site it anywhere that distracts you while driving. Treat it as branding and discovery, not your main review channel.

Does the colour of the QR code matter?

For scanning, black on white is the most reliable — it gives a phone camera the strongest contrast to lock onto, which matters in the dim lighting of a meter cupboard or hallway. You can brand it (a green code, your logo in the middle) and it'll still scan, thanks to the error correction built into QR codes. Just keep two things right: high contrast between the code and its background, and a clear white border — the quiet zone — around it. Low contrast or crowded edges cause scan failures, and a customer who fails once usually won't try again.

What size should a printed Google review QR code be?

As a rule of thumb, a QR code needs to be about a tenth of the distance it'll be scanned from. For a card or invoice held at arm's length (around 30cm), roughly 2-3cm square is plenty. For a van panel scanned from a metre or two away, you want 10cm or bigger. Err larger — an oversized code always scans, an undersized one fails. And whatever the size, keep the white border around it clear, because the scanner needs that quiet zone to find the code.

Is a QR code better than asking in person?

A printed QR card beats a purely verbal ask, because the customer walks away with your review link in their hand instead of a vague intention to find you on Google later. But neither beats an active follow-up. The highest response rates come from a message sent shortly after the job — by name, with a direct link they tap once. BrightLocal found 83% of customers leave a review when asked properly; the trick is making the ask land at the right moment and removing every step between them and the review form.

Will a QR code break any of Google's review rules?

No — a QR code that links to your genuine Google review form is completely fine. What breaks Google's rules (and UK law under the DMCC Act 2024) is gating reviews — only asking happy customers — or offering anything in exchange for a review. The code itself is neutral: it just shortcuts the customer to the review page, which they're free to fill in honestly. Ask every customer, don't filter or incentivise, and you're on the right side of both Google and the law. Our complete guide covers the policy in full.