How do I set up a Google review QR code for my trade business?

Create your direct Google review link from your Google Business Profile, paste it into a free QR code generator, and print the code on your invoices, a van magnet, or a laminated card you hand over at job completion. The whole setup takes under five minutes, costs nothing, and removes the single biggest friction point between a happy customer and a five-star review: having to search for your business on Google themselves.

Updated 09/10/2026

How do I find my direct Google review link?

Your Google Business Profile carries a built-in short link that opens the review form directly, skipping the search step entirely. To find it:

• Search for your business name on Google while signed in to the Google account that manages the profile.
• Click the 'Ask for reviews' button in the management panel that appears above the search results (or inside the Google Business Profile dashboard under 'Get more reviews').
• Copy the short link. It looks like g.page/r/your-business/review. This is the URL you will turn into a QR code.

If you manage your profile through the Google Maps app on your phone, tap your business name, then tap 'Customers', then 'Reviews', then 'Get more reviews'. The same short link appears. Save it somewhere you will not lose it: your phone notes, a pinned message in your work chat, or a bookmark in your browser.

How do I turn the link into a QR code?

Paste the review link into any reputable QR code generator. Several free options produce a high-resolution image suitable for print:

• QR Code Generator (qr-code-generator.com). Free tier produces a static QR code in PNG or SVG at up to 1000 px. No account required.
• QRCode Monkey (qrcode-monkey.com). Free, no signup, produces high-resolution PNG and vector (SVG, EPS, PDF) downloads with optional colour and logo customisation.
• Canva. The free plan includes a QR code generator under Apps. Useful if you already use Canva for marketing materials and want the code embedded in a design.

Download the QR code as a vector file (SVG or PDF) if you plan to print it larger than a business card. A raster image (PNG) at 300 dpi or higher works for invoice footers and small stickers. Test the code with your phone camera before you print a batch: scan it, confirm it opens your Google review form, and check it works on both iPhone and Android.

Where should I put the QR code?

The best placement is wherever the customer sees it immediately after the job, while the result is fresh and their satisfaction is highest. In practice, these five placements cover most trade businesses:

• Invoice footer. The customer opens the invoice, pays, and the QR code is right there. If you use ServiceM8, Tradify, simPRO, or any job management app that lets you customise your invoice template, add the QR image to the footer alongside a short line: "Happy with the job? Scan to leave a quick Google review."
• Laminated handover card. A credit-card-sized laminated card you hand over in person when you walk the customer through the finished job. One side: your business name and the QR code. Other side: a short thank-you line. Print a batch of 100 at any office supply shop for under $40 (prices vary by supplier)
• Vehicle magnet. A magnetic panel on the back or side of your ute or van. Neighbours and passersby will not scan it often, but it reinforces professionalism and reminds YOU to ask
• Email signature. If you send quotes or completion emails, a small QR image in your email signature gives the customer a second chance to leave a review days later
• Completion SMS. If your job management app sends an automated completion or follow-up text, include a direct link (not the QR image, because QR codes do not work inside a text message, the customer is already on their phone). Our guide to asking for reviews politely covers the wording and timing for this text

What are the rules around asking for reviews in Australia?

Incentivised reviews breach Australian Consumer Law (ACL s29) and attract civil penalties of up to $100,000,000 for a company (statutory maximum for conduct on or after 28/03/2026; for earlier conduct the cap was $50,000,000). Google's review policies prohibit offering or accepting money, products, or services in exchange for reviews. The ACCC has made fake and incentivised reviews an enforcement priority.

In practice, these three rules keep your review process clean:

• Never offer a reward. No discount on the next job, no gift card, no entry into a prize draw. A simple "We'd really appreciate a Google review" is all you need
• Ask every customer, not just the happy ones. Selectively soliciting positive reviews while discouraging negative ones is review gating, which breaches Google's policies. As Google Business Profile Help states: "Don't discourage or prohibit negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers."
• Comply with the Spam Act for any electronic message. Commercial electronic messages (including review-request SMS) require consent, sender identification, and a functional unsubscribe honoured within five business days under the Spam Act 2003. If you send a review-request text through your job management app, the customer must have consented to receive messages from you, and the message must identify your business and include a way to opt out

For a deeper look at how to handle a bad Google review when one does come in, or how to get more reviews without nagging, those guides walk through the response and the long game.

How many reviews do I need before the QR code makes a real difference?

There is no magic number, but the pattern matters more than the count. A business with 50 reviews averaging 4.7 stars (a common profile for a well-regarded local tradie) outperforms a business with 200 reviews that arrived in two suspicious bursts. Google's local ranking algorithm weighs review recency and velocity alongside the total count, so a steady trickle of one to two reviews per week signals authenticity better than a batch of 20 in a single day, which can trigger a review filter.

Treat the figures above as a directional industry estimate, not a promise. The QR code does not change HOW MANY customers are willing to review you. It changes how many of those willing customers actually follow through. The gap between "I'd be happy to leave a review" and "I actually left one" is almost entirely friction: the customer has to search for your business, find the right listing, and tap the review button. The QR code collapses that to a single scan. If you are already asking politely at the right moment, adding a QR code typically lifts the follow-through rate.

What mistakes should I avoid with a review QR code?

Most tradies who try a QR code and see no results are making one of these errors:

• Printing the code too small. A QR code smaller than 2 cm x 2 cm can be difficult for older phone cameras to scan. On an invoice footer, aim for at least 2.5 cm square
• Using a dynamic QR code from a service that expires. Some free QR generators create dynamic codes that redirect through their own server. If the service shuts down or puts the code behind a paywall, your printed QR codes stop working. Use a static QR code (the review URL is baked directly into the code pattern) or a generator whose free tier produces permanent static codes
• Not testing after printing. Scan the actual printed code, not the screen preview. Low print quality, reflective laminate glare, or a dark background behind the code can all stop it scanning
• Forgetting the verbal ask. The QR code is a convenience tool, not a replacement for asking. A code on an invoice that the customer never opens does nothing. Hand the card over in person, say the words, and point to the code
• Linking to the wrong listing. If you have a duplicate or old Google Business Profile, the QR code might send reviews to a listing you do not manage. Verify you are linking to your verified, active profile

Can my job management app generate the QR code automatically?

Most job management apps (ServiceM8, Tradify, simPRO, AroFlo, Fergus) do not generate a review QR code natively, but they do let you customise invoice and email templates. The practical approach is to generate the QR code once, save it as an image, and embed it in your invoice template as a static image in the footer. It does not need to change: your Google review link stays the same unless you create a new Google Business Profile.

If you use ServiceM8 or Tradify with AI automation, the completion text or email can include the direct review link (as a tappable URL, not a QR image). The QR code is for printed and in-person touchpoints; the link is for digital ones. Both point to the same place.

For tradies running automated review generation, the QR code is the physical-world complement: the automation handles the digital follow-up, and the card or invoice sticker catches the customers who respond better to a face-to-face ask.

Ready to turn your happy customers into visible proof?

A QR code is a five-minute setup that compounds over months. Pair it with the verbal ask, an automated follow-up text from your job management app, and the discipline to ask every customer (not just the easy ones), and your Google review count grows steadily without any ongoing effort from you.

If you want to understand where reviews fit into the bigger picture of getting more leads and more jobs, book a free 15-minute discovery call and we will walk through your current digital footprint together.