How to set up an NFC tap card for Google reviews

Step by step: choose the card, write your review link to it, test it on iPhone and Android, and put it where customers will tap.

Guide · Updated November 11, 2026

A tap card is a card, sticker or stand with a small NFC chip inside. When a customer holds a phone near it, the phone offers to open the link stored on the chip. For reviews, that link is your Google review link.

1. Get the cards

Any blank NFC card or sticker with an NTAG213 or NTAG215 chip will do. They are sold in packs online and hold a web link comfortably. Cards printed with "Review us on Google" work the same way.

If the card will sit on a metal surface, such as a till or a fridge, buy "on-metal" tags. Ordinary tags don't read well on metal.

2. Choose the link to write

With RaveCounter: on the Links page of your account, copy the tap card version of your link. Its opens are counted as taps, apart from your QR scans, and you can change where it points later without touching the card.
Without an account: use your plain review link from the review link generator.

3. Write the link to the card

Install an NFC writing app on your phone. There are several free ones for iPhone and Android.
Choose to write a link, sometimes labelled URL or URI.
Paste your link.
Hold the phone against the card until the app confirms.

Most apps offer to lock the card afterwards so that nobody can overwrite it. Locking cannot be undone.

4. Test it

iPhone: wake the phone and hold its top edge near the card. Recent iPhones read cards without any app. Older ones may need the NFC Tag Reader button in Control Centre.
Android: make sure NFC is on, then hold the middle of the phone's back to the card.

Test with a thick phone case too, since some cases get in the way.

5. Put it where people will tap

Place the card beside the till or card reader, within easy reach. Add a few words, such as "Tap your phone here to leave us a review on Google", and print a QR code next to it for anyone who would rather scan. The sign maker makes that part.

Then ask once and leave it to the customer. Google's rules on asking for reviews apply to tap cards exactly as they do to signs.

Frequently asked questions

Do customers need an app to use a tap card?

No. They hold their phone near the card and a notification offers to open the link. On Android, NFC has to be switched on in settings.

Is a tap card better than a QR code?

Neither is better for everyone. Tapping is quicker for people who know it, and everybody knows how to scan a QR code. Put both on the same sign or stand.

Can I reuse a card for a different link?

Yes, unless the card has been locked. Locking is permanent, so only lock a card that holds a link you can change later from your account.

Can a tap card stop working?

The card itself has no battery and rarely fails. What can change is the link written to it. That is the reason to write a short link you control, not a long address you can't edit.