Google Review Tap Card Setup Instructions — AR Methods

What you need

• An NFC card or tag (NTAG213 is fine for a review link)
• Access to the Google Business Profile you want reviews for
• A phone with NFC and a writer app such as NFC Tools
• A second phone to test the tap before handing the card over

Step-by-step setup

1. 01

   Copy your Google review link

   Sign in to the Google Business Profile you want reviews for (google.com/business or search your own business name while signed in).

   Open Ask for reviews (sometimes shown as Get more reviews). Google generates a short link that looks like https://g.page/r/XXXXXXXX/review.

   Copy that exact link. It opens the star-rating box directly, which is what makes the tap feel instant.

2. 02

   Install an NFC writer app

   Android: NFC Tools (free) is the standard choice. Make sure NFC is turned on in Settings > Connected devices.

   iPhone XS or newer: NFC Tools also works — iPhone 7 and newer can write tags, and reading is always on with no app needed.

   Any app that writes NDEF URL records will do. Avoid apps that only write plain text — text records will not open a browser.

3. 03

   Write the review link to the card

   Open the app and choose Write, then Add a record, then URL/URI.

   Paste your g.page review link and confirm. Then press Write.

   Hold the card flat against the phone's NFC antenna — the top edge on iPhone, the middle of the back on most Android phones — and hold still until you see 'Write complete'.

4. 04

   Test on a second phone

   Tap the card with a phone that is not signed in as the business owner.

   The Google review form should open in the browser within a second, with no app install.

   If nothing happens, move the card slowly across the back of the phone to find the antenna, and check the phone's screen is on and unlocked.

5. 05

   Lock the tag (do this last)

   In NFC Tools go to Other > Lock tag. This makes the tag permanently read-only.

   Locking stops anyone from overwriting the link with their own URL once the card is sitting on a counter.

   Locking cannot be undone — only lock after the tap has been tested and the link is correct.

Troubleshooting

Nothing happens when I tap

Antenna placement is the usual cause. iPhones read at the top edge near the cameras; most Android phones read from the centre of the back. The screen must be on and unlocked. Thick cases and metal surfaces also block the signal — lift the card off metal counters.

It opens a text note instead of the browser

The tag was written with a text record, not a URL record. Rewrite it and choose URL/URI, including the https:// prefix.

The link opens the business listing, not the review box

You used the Maps listing URL. Go back to Ask for reviews in your Google Business Profile and copy the g.page/r/.../review short link instead.

The card stopped working after a customer tapped it

An unlocked tag can be overwritten by any phone with a writer app. Rewrite the link, test it, then lock the tag.

Which tag chip should I use?

NTAG213 (144 bytes) is plenty for a review URL and is the cheapest. NTAG215/216 only matter if you want to store more data. All three work with iPhone and Android.