How to choose an NFC Google review stand: a buyer’s guide
Search for an NFC review stand and you will find hundreds that look almost identical in the photographs. The differences that matter are invisible: how your link is stored, what you pay after the first month, how long it survives a busy counter, and which phones can actually read it. This guide covers what to check before you buy, whoever you buy from.
BY CHRIS EVANS · UPDATED 2 OCTOBER 2026 · 7 MIN READ
Choose a stand with your Google review link written directly to the chip, so it keeps working whatever happens to the seller. Prefer a one-off price over a subscription unless you need a dashboard. Look for an NTAG213 or similar NTAG chip, a solid acrylic or moulded body rather than card or stickers, clear phone compatibility, and pre-programming if you want it working the day it arrives.
1. How your link is stored
This is the question most buyers never ask, and the one that matters most. There are two ways a stand can send customers to your review page.
Your Google review link on the chip
The chip holds your own review link. Nothing sits in between, so the stand keeps working even if the seller changes its systems or closes. You can rewrite it yourself if your listing changes.
The seller’s link on the chip
The chip holds a link on the seller’s website, which forwards customers to your review page. It allows remote changes and tracking, but it depends on the seller keeping that link running, often only while you pay.
Neither is wrong. Just know which one you are buying, and what happens to the redirect if you ever stop paying.
2. Subscription or one-off
Headline prices are hard to compare because they measure different things. A stand at a low upfront price with a monthly fee can cost several times more than a one-off stand over two or three years.
- Subscriptions make sense if you genuinely need a dashboard, tap tracking, or the ability to change links across many sites remotely.
- A one-off purchase makes sense if you want one stand that opens your Google review page, which describes most single-site businesses.
- Always ask what the total cost is over three years, and whether the stand still works if you cancel.
3. The chip
For a review link, the standard choice is an NFC Forum Type 2 chip such as the NTAG213. It holds a web address comfortably, is read by almost every NFC phone, and can be rewritten many times. Larger chips such as the NTAG215 and NTAG216 hold more data, which a single link does not need, so they add nothing for this job.
Be cautious of listings that do not name the chip at all. A seller who knows what is inside will usually say.
4. Material and build
A counter stand gets handled, knocked, wiped and moved every day. The material decides whether it still looks right in a year.
5. Pre-programmed or blank
- Pre-programmed stands arrive with your review link already written and tested. Nothing to set up, and the best choice for most businesses.
- Blank stands suit people who are comfortable writing the link themselves with a free phone app, or agencies setting up stands for several clients. It takes about two minutes. Our programming guide shows how.
Either way, check the chip is rewritable and not locked, so you can change the link if your listing ever changes.
6. Phone compatibility
Almost every modern smartphone reads NFC, but a good seller will explain the details rather than claim “works on all phones”.
- iPhone XS and newer read the stand automatically with the screen unlocked.
- iPhone 7 to iPhone X need the NFC reader opened from Control Centre first.
- Android phones with NFC read it as long as NFC is switched on in settings.
- Metal counters can weaken the signal if the chip sits directly on metal. A raised stand usually reads normally.
Our phone compatibility guide has the full detail.
Six checks before you buy
Check how the link is stored
Ask whether your Google review link is written directly to the chip, or whether the stand points at the seller’s own redirect link. Direct links keep working whatever happens to the seller.
Check the price model
Look for the total cost over two or three years, not the headline price. A low upfront price with a monthly fee usually costs more.
Check the chip
An NTAG213 or similar NTAG chip is the standard choice for a single review link. It is widely supported and rewritable.
Check the material
Cast acrylic or a solid moulded body lasts and wipes clean. Thin card, laminated paper and stickers wear out on a busy counter.
Check phone support
The seller should say which phones read the stand and what older iPhones need to do. Test it on your own phone when it arrives.
Check what happens after delivery
Pre-programming, a guarantee, and a clear route to change the link if your listing ever changes.
How EvoMaxTap stands compare
We built our stands around the answers above, so here they are in one place.
- Link: your Google review link is written directly to the chip. No redirect through us.
- Price: one-off, from £19.99, with no subscription and free UK delivery.
- Chip: NTAG213, sealed inside, rewritable and left unlocked.
- Build: cast acrylic that stands on its own and wipes clean.
- Setup: pre-programmed and tested before it ships, or sent blank if you prefer.
- Cover: a thirty-day money-back guarantee and a five-year hardware guarantee.
A stand you buy once and keep
Your review link on the chip, programmed before it ships. From £19.99 with free UK delivery, our thirty-day money-back guarantee and five-year hardware guarantee.
Get Your StandCommon questions
What chip should an NFC review stand use?
An NFC Forum Type 2 chip such as the NTAG213 is the usual choice. It holds a web address easily, is read by almost every NFC phone, and can be rewritten. Larger chips such as the NTAG215 or NTAG216 store more data, which a review link does not need.
Are NFC review stands with a monthly subscription worth it?
Sometimes, if you need features such as a dashboard or changing many links remotely. For a single business that wants one stand opening its Google review page, a one-off purchase is usually cheaper. Check what happens to the stand if you stop paying.
What happens to a subscription stand if I cancel?
It depends on how it works. Many subscription stands point at the seller’s own redirect link rather than your Google link. If the subscription ends, that redirect may stop working. A stand with your review link written directly to the chip keeps working regardless.
Should I buy a pre-programmed or blank NFC stand?
Pre-programmed if you want it working the day it arrives. Blank if you are comfortable writing the link yourself with a free phone app, or you are setting up stands for several clients. Our programming guide covers the blank route.
Do NFC review stands work on every phone?
They work on almost every modern smartphone. iPhones from the XS onwards read NFC automatically with the screen unlocked. iPhone 7 to iPhone X need the NFC reader opened from Control Centre first. Most Android phones read NFC as long as it is switched on in settings.
Will an NFC stand work on a metal counter?
Metal directly under an NFC chip can weaken the signal. A raised stand that holds the chip away from the surface usually reads normally. If you have a metal counter, test the stand in place when it arrives.
Is an NFC stand better than a QR code?
For a counter, usually. A tap takes one movement and needs no camera or lining up. A QR code is a useful fallback for phones without NFC. Our NFC versus QR guide compares them in detail.
Do you offer support?
Yes. We are a UK team and you can reach us seven days a week during normal office hours at sales@evomaxtap.com.