Feedback kiosk vs QR code vs comment cards: which should you use?
By Matúš Marcin, founder of Sensa · Updated
For collecting feedback on-site, a tablet kiosk at the exit usually gets the most answers, because it takes one tap and nothing else. QR codes are cheaper and work anywhere, but every extra step — phone out, camera, page load — loses people. Paper comment cards collect rich comments from a few motivated visitors, but they’re slow to analyse and skew towards the very happy and the very upset.
Here’s how the three compare, and when each one is the right choice.
What the tablet shows once it's locked down
The Sensa kiosk in the two most common setups — a smiley scale and a 0–10 scale. Tap one to try it; nothing is submitted.
Smiley scale, 0–10 NPS, or Likert. Your choice, changeable anytime.
At a glance
| Tablet kiosk | QR code | Comment cards | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effort for the visitor | One tap per question | Phone, scan, load, answer | Pen, write, post |
| Typical answer volume | Highest | Low to medium | Low |
| Who answers | Broad mix of visitors | Phone-comfortable visitors | Motivated minority |
| Bias | Low — answering is effortless | Younger, tech-comfortable | Strong — extremes over-represented |
| Analysis | Live dashboard | Live dashboard | Manual typing, often never done |
| Per-location results | Built in | Needs one code per location | Manual sorting |
| Up-front cost | A tablet (often one you already own) | Printing | Printing + box |
| Best for | Measuring continuously | Low-traffic or spread-out spaces | Detailed comments, no tech |
Tablet kiosk
A tablet in a stand near the exit, showing one question at a time. Visitors tap an answer and walk on.
Why it works: the barrier is as low as it gets. There’s nothing to take out of a pocket, no page to load, no keyboard. That reaches people who’d never fill in a card or scan a code — which means a fairer picture of the average visit, not just the extremes.
Watch out for: placement (it has to be in the walking line, not behind a desk), power (keep it plugged in), and lock-down (the tablet should only show the survey — see our iPad kiosk mode guide). You also need someone to notice if it stops working.
Choose it when: you have a clear exit point, steady foot traffic, and want a number you can track week after week.
QR code
A printed code on a poster, table tent or receipt that opens a survey on the visitor’s phone.
Why it works: it’s almost free, can go anywhere — every table, every room, a receipt — and suits places without a single exit.
Watch out for: each step loses people. Many visitors won’t bother to take out a phone for a survey, and those who do skew younger and more tech-comfortable. A survey opened on a phone also invites longer questionnaires, which lose people further.
Choose it when: traffic is low or spread out, there’s no sensible place for a tablet, or you want a code on receipts to catch people later.
Paper comment cards
Cards and a box, the classic.
Why it works: no technology, and people who do write often write a lot — specific, quotable detail you won’t get from a scale.
Watch out for: few people fill them in, and the ones who do are mostly delighted or annoyed, so averages from cards are unreliable. Someone has to read and type them up; in practice, piles of cards go unread. There’s no trend line unless that typing happens.
Choose it when: you specifically want long-form comments, or you’re testing whether anyone wants to give feedback at all.
Combining methods
They aren’t exclusive. A common setup is a kiosk at the main exit for the headline score, plus a QR code in rooms or areas without a natural exit point, both feeding the same survey so the numbers add up. Keep one optional open-text question at the end of the kiosk survey and you’ll get much of what comment cards gave you, without the typing.
How to choose
- Count your exits. One or two clear exits → kiosk. Many entrances or no real exit → QR codes.
- Estimate traffic. A few dozen visitors a week won’t produce stable numbers by any method; with hundreds, a kiosk pays off quickly.
- Decide what you need: a number to track over time (kiosk or QR) or detailed stories (open text or cards).
- Check who’d look after it. A kiosk needs a plug and a weekly glance; cards need someone to read them.
- Start with one location for a month, then roll out what worked.
Frequently asked questions
- Do QR code surveys work?
- Yes, for some places — especially low-traffic or spread-out spaces. Expect fewer answers than a kiosk, from a younger, more tech-comfortable slice of visitors.
- Are comment cards still worth it?
- For detailed, personal comments, sometimes. For measuring satisfaction over time, no — too few answers, too much bias, and too much manual work.
- Do I need to buy special hardware for a feedback kiosk?
- No. Any recent iPad or Android tablet in a stand works; old tablets are often perfect for the job.
- Can I use a kiosk and QR codes together?
- Yes. Point both at the same survey and location so the results combine.
- What about smiley-button terminals?
- Dedicated button terminals work on the same principle as a tablet kiosk — one tap, no friction — but tie you to proprietary hardware. A tablet can ask several questions and change them any time.
Sensa runs as a feedback kiosk on any tablet you already own — anonymous, one tap, results per location, with a free plan to try it at 1 location.
Start free with one locationRelated guides
- SetupiPad kiosk mode: how to lock an iPad to one appLock an iPad to one app with Guided Access — free and built in. Setup steps, the checklist that keeps a kiosk running, and when to outgrow it.
- MetricsWhat is Net Promoter Score (NPS), and why is it worth measuring?The question, the formula, a worked example, what counts as a good score — and how to collect NPS from walk-in visitors, not just email lists.