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Short answer
The direct review link looks like this:
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJ...Replace ChIJ... with your business Place ID. Anyone opening the link lands straight on the star rating box, already pointed at your listing. Paste the Place ID in the generator above to get the link and a printable QR code.
Why the direct link matters
The gap between "could you leave us a review?" and a link that opens the form is measured in steps. Without a link the customer has to open Google, search the right name (and there are often three similar ones on the same street), scroll to the reviews section, find the button. That is five chances to get distracted, and distraction usually wins.
With the direct link there are two steps: tap and type. The review gets written while the customer is still at the table or at the counter, which is the only moment they actually feel like writing it.
Where to find the Place ID
Two routes, both official.
- Google's Place ID Finder. It is the tool in the Google Maps documentation: search the business name and it returns a string that almost always starts with
ChIJ. That string is the Place ID. - Your Google Business Profile. In the management panel, the option that offers to ask for reviews generates a short link shaped like
g.page/r/…/review. It behaves exactly the same: it opens the same box.
The generator takes either one: paste the bare Place ID or the whole address you copied it from, and the ID gets pulled out for you.
Where to put the QR code
| Placement | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Receipt or bill | Arrives at the exact moment the customer has finished and is still seated. |
| Table tent | Stays in view for the whole service. |
| Card in the parcel | For shops that ship: the review lands right after the box is opened. |
| Sticker at the till | Costs nothing and works every day. |
| Email signature | No printing at all: the plain link with one line around it. |
One rule: put a sentence next to the QR saying what happens if you scan it. Nobody scans an unexplained black square.
Google's rules, briefly
Asking for a review is allowed. There is no ambiguity here: you can ask in person, by email, with a QR code on the counter.
Two things are not allowed, and they are worth knowing before printing a thousand flyers:
- Incentives. Discounts, a free coffee, loyalty points or prize draws in exchange for a review breach Google's content policy. That holds even when the incentive is small.
- Gating. Sending everyone to a page that first asks "how many stars would you give us?" and forwarding only the four and five star answers to Google is review gating, and it is explicitly prohibited. The link must go to the same place for everyone.
A direct link is the clean version of the request: it selects nobody, promises nothing, and only removes friction.
One detail that wastes time
The Place ID belongs to the listing, not to the name. If the listing is merged with a duplicate, recreated after a move or switched to another category, the identifier can change and the old QR code leads to a page that no longer exists. It is not common, but it happens: after any significant change to the listing, scan your own QR code with a phone before reprinting.
Does the customer need a Google account?
Yes. Publishing a review requires a Google account: that is a Google condition, not a limit of the link. Without one they can see the listing but cannot write.
Is asking for reviews against the rules?
No. Asking is allowed. What is prohibited is offering incentives in exchange for a review, and filtering customers by the rating they would give.
What is the difference between the placeid link and the g.page one?
None for the customer: they open the same box. The first is built from the Place ID, the second is generated by your Business Profile.
Does the link expire?
No, as long as the Google listing exists. If the listing is merged with a duplicate or recreated, the Place ID can change and the QR code has to be redone.
Can I print the QR code on the receipt?
Yes. That is where it performs best, because it arrives right when the customer has finished. Add a line of text next to it explaining what it opens.