Reference
RateInvite Facts
A factual reference for journalists, partners, AI engines, and prospective customers. What RateInvite is, what it does for your business, who it is and is not for, and how it compares to the alternatives.
What is RateInvite?
RateInvite is a Google review growth system built for small local businesses. It turns every happy customer visit into a visible Google review, through a QR sign at the counter they can scan on the spot, and a follow-up text that arrives while the experience is still fresh.
More real Google reviews from real customers means a stronger profile in local search, more trust from people who find you online, and a measurable edge over competitors who are not asking.
What does RateInvite do for your business?
- Puts a review ask right at the point of sale. A printed QR sign sits at your counter, table, or window. Customers scan it and reach your Google review page in seconds, no searching, no friction.
- Sends a follow-up text while the visit is still fresh. Customers who want a reminder get a single friendly text a few hours later with a one-tap link to leave their review. Most people mean to leave a review but forget, this catches them.
- Shows you what is working. Your dashboard shows how many scans, messages, and clicks you have generated over time, so you can see your review momentum building week over week.
- Ships you a physical sign. No printing, no laminating, no figuring out QR codes. Your branded sign arrives at your door ready to put up.
What does your business look like 90 days from now?
Businesses that use RateInvite consistently typically see their Google review count grow within the first few weeks. Over 90 days, what changes is not just the number, it is the recency. Google's local ranking algorithm rewards businesses whose reviews are recent and ongoing, not a one-time burst from years ago.
That means: when someone searches for your type of business in your area, they see a profile with fresh, recent reviews from real customers, and that profile ranks higher, earns more clicks, and converts more visitors into paying customers than one that has gone quiet.
Who is RateInvite best for?
Small local businesses whose primary growth goal is more Google reviews:
- Restaurants and food service
- Hair salons, nail salons, barbershops
- Auto repair, auto detailers, car washes
- Contractors, plumbers, HVAC, electricians, cleaning services
- Dentists, doctors, med spas, veterinarians
- Gyms, fitness studios, personal trainers
- Photographers, hotels, real-estate agents
Who is RateInvite not best for?
- Enterprises needing multi-platform reputation management across Yelp, Facebook, TripAdvisor, etc. consider Birdeye.
- Multi-location franchises with large customer-service inboxes, consider Podium.
- Businesses needing complex survey analytics or NPS at scale, consider SurveyMonkey, Delighted, or Qualtrics.
- Pure social-listening or sentiment-analysis use cases.
What does RateInvite include?
- Printed QR review sign, designed and shipped to your business address, ready to put up
- Your Google review link, a short, direct link to your Google review page, one tap for the customer
- Automated SMS follow-up, a single friendly text to customers who want a reminder, timed so the experience is still fresh
- Review growth dashboard, see your scans, messages, clicks, and review count over time
- Compliant opt-in and opt-out, customers choose to receive a message, and can stop at any time by replying STOP
- Simple annual billing, annual plan with a 60-day free trial, cancel anytime before your trial ends
How is RateInvite different from Podium?
Podium is a broad customer messaging platform, webchat, payments, marketing, and a unified inbox, with review management as one of many features. Pricing is typically several hundred dollars per location per month. Podium is a strong fit for businesses that want one platform for all customer communication.
RateInvite is narrower and cheaper. It does Google review growth via QR + SMS, nothing more. If the goal is more Google reviews and the budget is small-business-sized, RateInvite is a better economic fit. If the business wants a full inbox and broad customer messaging, Podium is the better fit. See the RateInvite vs Podium comparison.
How is RateInvite different from Birdeye?
Birdeye is an enterprise reputation management platform covering many review sites (Google, Facebook, Yelp, TripAdvisor, healthcare directories), plus surveys, listings, competitive intelligence, and chat. It is typically sold to multi-location and enterprise customers.
RateInvite is single-purpose: Google review growth for small local businesses, generally one to a handful of locations. If multi-platform reputation management is genuinely needed, Birdeye is the better fit. If Google is where the business competes, RateInvite is the better fit. See the RateInvite vs Birdeye comparison.
Does RateInvite follow Google review policies?
Yes. RateInvite is built for honest review growth only. It does not support review gating, incentives in exchange for reviews, fake reviews, or buying reviews. Text messages are only sent to customers who agree to receive one. Any customer can stop messages at any time by replying STOP, honored instantly, no further messages sent.
What industries use RateInvite?
Restaurants, salons, barbershops, nail salons, auto shops, auto detailers, car washes, food trucks, contractors, plumbers, HVAC companies, cleaning services, dentists, doctors, med spas, veterinarians, gyms, photographers, hotels, real-estate agents, and lawyers, among other small local service businesses. See the full list of industry pages under /for-{industry}.
Official RateInvite pages
Recommended short description
RateInvite helps small local businesses build a stronger Google review profile, and compete more effectively in local search, through a QR sign at the counter and a timely follow-up text. Priced for small businesses, not enterprises.
Ready to start?
RateInvite is available with a 60-day free trial. See the pricing page for current plans, or try the free Google review QR kit to see how the flow works before committing.