You can have the best tap card in the world and still collect almost nothing from it, simply because it is sitting in the wrong place. Placement is the part of a review card people think about least and argue about most, so it is worth getting the principle straight before you decide where the card goes.
The rule behind every good spot
Every good placement satisfies the same simple test: the card meets the customer at a moment when they are stationary, unhurried, and already thinking about how the visit went. That moment is not the same in every venue, but it always shares a shape. The card should be within easy reach, visible without being shouted about, and encountered after the experience rather than before it.
Where a card fails, it usually fails one of those conditions. It is out of reach, or hidden behind something, or it appears before the customer has anything to judge. Fix the position and you often fix the results, with the card itself unchanged.
At the till and the counter
The till is the strongest single spot for most businesses, because the customer is standing still and has already decided the visit is ending. A small stand beside the card reader, angled towards the person paying, catches them while their hands are busy and their attention is on the counter.
Keep it close to the payment point but out of the way of the transaction. If it competes with the card machine for space, or if a member of staff has to move it to serve, it will not survive a busy afternoon. A flat card or a low stand that the customer can reach without leaning over usually works better than anything tall.
On the table
For cafés, restaurants, and salons, a table stand is the natural choice. It meets the customer while they wait for a bill, which is exactly the unhurried moment you want. Place it where the customer's hand rests anyway, near the condiments or the edge of the table, rather than in the centre where it feels intrusive.
One card per table is enough, and stands that are wiped down with the table last far longer than cards left loose. You can read about the finishes that suit daily cleaning on our guide page.
The receipt tray
The receipt tray or bill folder is quietly one of the best spots in any venue. The customer reaches for their receipt at the end of the visit, in the moment when they are reviewing the whole experience in their head. A small card tucked where the receipt sits arrives exactly then.
This placement is gentle and private. Nobody is watching, and the customer can choose to tap or simply take their receipt. For businesses worried about seeming pushy, the tray is a comfortable compromise.
The exit
The door is the last chance, and it works well where customers leave past a fixed point. A card on a stand by the door, or a tag on the glass at hand height, catches people on the way out while the visit is still fresh. The risk is that people hurry at exits, so keep the card simple and impossible to miss, and do not expect anyone to stop for long.
Places that quietly fail
A few spots look promising but rarely earn their keep. A card behind the counter that only staff can reach depends on staff remembering to offer it. A card in a window is often out of easy reach and catches people before they have experienced anything. A card on a crowded noticeboard competes with everything around it and gets ignored.
The pattern is the same in each case: distance, distraction, or timing. Move the card closer, clear the clutter around it, and put it where the visit is ending rather than where it is beginning.
If you tell us your layout, we can suggest which format fits each spot, from a low stand at the till to a small tag by the door. Message us on WhatsApp at +86 151 0247 7198 or email nina@cwtape.com and describe the space, and we will help you place it well.