How to programme an NFC review stand
If you have a blank stand, or you need to change the link on one you already own, this is the whole job. It takes about two minutes and needs nothing but a phone and a free app. No cables, no computer, no account to set up.
BY CHRIS EVANS · UPDATED 15 SEPTEMBER 2026 · 4 MIN READ
Copy your Google review link. Install a free NFC writer app on a phone with NFC, an iPhone XS or newer, or almost any recent Android. Choose to write a new record, set the type to URL, paste your link, then hold the back of the phone against the stand until it confirms. Test it on a second phone before the stand goes on the counter. Leave the tag unlocked unless the stand will sit somewhere unattended.
What you need
- Your Google review link. The short one that opens the star box directly. If you do not have it yet, find your Google review link first, it takes two minutes.
- A phone that can write NFC tags. Android: almost anything from the last several years, with NFC turned on in settings. iPhone: XS or newer.
- A free writer app. Search your app store for “NFC tools” or “NFC tag writer”. The well-reviewed ones are free for what you need here.
That is it. The chip in the stand is rewritable and needs no power, so there is nothing to charge and nothing to pair.
Step 1: get your review link
Sign in to the Google account that manages the business, search your own business name, and look for Ask for reviews in the management panel above the results. Google shows a short link. Copy it exactly.
Send it to yourself in a message or email so it is on the phone you will write with. Retyping a review link by hand is the most common way this goes wrong.
Step 2: install a writer app
Both major stores have several free options. Look for one that writes a plain URL record and has a large number of reviews. You do not need anything with automation, batch writing or cloud features.
On Android, open settings and confirm NFC is switched on before you start. It is usually under connected devices or connection preferences. On iPhone there is nothing to enable, the hardware is always ready.
Step 3: write the link
The wording differs between apps, but every one of them follows the same three moves.
- Choose Write, then add a record.
- Set the record type to URL or Link. Not text, not a bookmark, not a custom record. A text record will show the link as words rather than opening it, which is the single most common mistake.
- Paste your review link, confirm, then hold the back of the phone flat against the stand until the app says it is done.
Hold still for a second or two. If nothing happens, move the phone slowly across the face of the stand, the antenna in most Android phones sits near the top of the back, and on an iPhone it is along the very top edge.
Step 4: test it properly
Use a different phone from the one you wrote with, and make sure it is not signed into Google as the business owner. Check three things:
- The review box opens on its own, with the stars ready to tap.
- The business name and address are the right branch.
- It opens within a second or so of the tap, without a menu or a chooser appearing.
Do not leave a test review from a staff phone or a personal account connected to the business. Reviews from people with a connection to the business breach Google’s policy and can be removed, sometimes along with others.
Step 5: decide whether to lock it
Most writer apps offer to make a tag read-only. This is worth understanding before you tap it, because locking cannot be undone. A locked tag can never be rewritten, so if you move premises, rebrand or your listing is merged, that stand becomes scrap.
Lock it if the stand will be somewhere the public can handle it unsupervised. Leave it unlocked if it sits on a staffed counter, which is almost all of them. The realistic risk of a stranger deliberately rewriting your stand is much smaller than the chance you will want to change the link yourself one day.
Send us your link and we do it before it ships
Programming is included at no extra cost. Give us your Google review link at checkout and the stand arrives ready for the counter. Or order blanks and do it yourself with the steps above. £19.99 either way, free UK delivery.
Get Your StandWhen it does not work
The app says the tag is read-only
It has been locked, either by you or by whoever wrote it. There is no way back, and the stand will keep opening whatever link is already on it. If that is one of ours and you did not lock it, email us.
The phone reads it but nothing opens
The record was probably written as text rather than a URL. Rewrite it, taking care to choose the URL record type, and check the app is not adding anything before the address.
Nothing happens at all
Check NFC is enabled, the screen is unlocked, and you are holding the right part of the phone against the stand. Metal surfaces directly underneath can also interfere, so lift it off the counter and try again in your hand.
It opens the wrong branch
You have a link for the wrong listing, which happens easily when several branches share a name. Build the link from that branch’s Place ID instead, which never picks the wrong one.
Common questions
Can I programme an NFC stand with an iPhone?
Yes, on an iPhone XS or newer, using a free writer app. Older models from the iPhone 7 onwards can read tags but cannot write to them, because Apple only opened up writing in iOS 13 and only on the hardware from the XS onwards. If you have an older iPhone, borrow an Android phone for the two minutes it takes.
Do I need to pay for an app?
No. The well-known writer apps are free for writing a plain web link, which is all a review stand needs. Paid tiers exist for batch writing and automation, neither of which you need for one stand.
What happens if I write the wrong link?
Nothing permanent, as long as you have not locked the tag. Just write over it with the correct link. The old one is replaced, not appended.
Should I lock the tag?
Only if the stand will be somewhere the public can reach it unattended, and only once you have tested the link properly. Locking is irreversible: the tag can never be rewritten, so if your listing changes you will need a new stand. For a counter you can see, leave it unlocked.
Can someone else overwrite my stand?
In practice, no. Writing requires a specific app, deliberate intent, and the phone held against the stand while the write happens. It is not something that happens by accident, and an unlocked tag on a staffed counter is a risk worth taking for the ability to change your own link later.
Why does my phone not detect the tag?
On Android, check NFC is switched on in settings, then move the phone slowly across the stand. The antenna is usually near the top rear of the phone, not the centre. On iPhone it is at the very top edge. Cases are rarely a problem unless they contain metal or a card holder.
How many times can the chip be rewritten?
Far more than you will ever need. These chips are rated for around one hundred thousand writes, so rewriting it once a year, or once a week, makes no practical difference.
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. If you would rather not do any of this, send us your review link and we programme the stand before it ships at no extra cost.