website, so the user is not required to manually enter the web address QR codes have become common in consumer advertising. Typically, a
smartphone is used as a QR code scanner, displaying the code and converting it to some useful form (such as a standard
URL for a website, thereby obviating the need for a user to type it into a
Web browser). QR codes have become a focus of advertising strategy to provide a way to access a brand's website more quickly than by manually entering a URL. Beyond mere convenience to the consumer, the importance of this capability is the belief that it increases the
conversion rate: the chance that contact with the advertisement will convert to a sale. It coaxes interested prospects further down the
conversion funnel with little delay or effort, bringing the viewer to the advertiser's website immediately, whereas a longer and more targeted sales pitch may lose the viewer's interest. Although initially used to track parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR codes are used over a much wider range of applications. These include commercial tracking, warehouse stock control, entertainment and transport ticketing, product and loyalty marketing, and in-store product labeling. Examples of marketing include where a company's discounted and percent discount can be captured using a QR code decoder that is a mobile app, or storing a company's information such as address and related information alongside its alpha-numeric text data as can be seen in telephone directory
yellow pages. They can also be used to store personal information for organizations. An example of this is the
Philippines National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) where NBI clearances now come with a QR code. Many of these applications target
mobile-phone users (via
mobile tagging). Users may receive text, add a vCard contact to their device, open a URL, or compose an
e-mail or text message after scanning QR codes. They can generate and print their own QR codes for others to scan and use by visiting one of several pay or free QR code-generating sites or apps.
Google had an
API, now deprecated, to generate QR codes, and apps for scanning QR codes can be found on nearly all smartphone devices. QR codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, on buses, on business cards, or on almost any object about which users might want information. Users with a
camera phone equipped with the correct reader application can scan a QR code to display text and contact information, connect to a
wireless network, or open a web page in the phone's browser. This act of linking from physical world objects is termed
hardlinking or
object hyperlinking. QR codes may also be linked to a location to track where a code has been scanned. Either the application that scans the QR code retrieves the geo information by using GPS and cell tower triangulation (aGPS) or the URL encoded in the QR code itself is associated with a location. In 2008, a Japanese stonemason announced plans to engrave QR codes on gravestones, allowing visitors to view information about the deceased and for family members to track visits. Psychologist
Richard Wiseman was one of the first authors to include QR codes in a book, in ''
Paranormality: Why We See What Isn't There'' (2011).
Microsoft Office and
LibreOffice have a functionality to insert QR code into documents. QR codes have been incorporated into currency. In June 2011, The
Royal Dutch Mint (
Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt) issued the world's first official coin with a QR code to celebrate the centenary of its current building and premises. The coin can be scanned by a smartphone and originally linked to a special website with content about the historical event and design of the coin. In 2014, the Central Bank of Nigeria issued a 100-naira banknote to commemorate its centennial, the first banknote to incorporate a QR code in its design. When scanned with an internet-enabled mobile device, the code directs the user to a website that tells the centenary story of Nigeria. In 2015, the
Central Bank of the Russian Federation issued a 100-
rubles note to commemorate the
annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. It contains a QR code into its design, and when scanned with an internet-enabled mobile device, the code goes to a website that details the historical and technical background of the commemorative note. In 2017, the
Bank of Ghana issued a 5-
cedis banknote to commemorate 60 years of
central banking in
Ghana. It contains a QR code in its design which, when scanned with an internet-enabled mobile device, goes to the official Bank of Ghana website. In September 2016, the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched the eponymously named
BharatQR, a common QR code jointly developed by all the four major card payment companies –
National Payments Corporation of India that runs
RuPay cards along with
Mastercard,
Visa, and
American Express. It will also have the capability of accepting payments on the
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform.
Augmented reality QR codes are used in some
augmented reality systems to determine the positions of objects in 3-dimensional space.) devices can now natively scan QR codes, without requiring an external app to be used. The camera app can scan and display the kind of QR code along with the link. These devices support
URL redirection, which allows QR codes to send
metadata to existing applications on the device.
Virtual stores QR codes have been used to establish "virtual stores", where a gallery of product information and QR codes is presented to the customer, e.g. on a train station wall. The customers scan the QR codes, and the products are delivered to their homes. This use started in
South Korea, and Argentina, but is currently expanding globally. Walmart, Procter & Gamble and Woolworths have already adopted the Virtual Store concept.
QR code payment QR codes can be used to store bank account information or credit card information, or they can be specifically designed to work with particular payment provider applications. There are several trial applications of QR code payments across the world. In developing countries including China, India QR code payment is a very popular and convenient method of making payments. Since
Alipay designed a QR code payment method in 2011, mobile payment has been quickly adopted in China. As of 2018, around 83% of all payments were made via mobile payment. In November 2012, QR code payments were deployed on a larger scale in the
Czech Republic when an open format for payment information exchange – a
Short Payment Descriptor – was introduced and endorsed by the
Czech Banking Association as the official local solution for QR payments. In 2013, the
European Payment Council provided guidelines for the
EPC QR code enabling
SCT initiation within the
Eurozone. In 2017,
Singapore created a task force including government agencies such as the
Monetary Authority of Singapore and
Infocomm Media Development Authority to spearhead a system for e-payments using standardized QR code specifications. These specific dimensions are specialized for Singapore. The e-payment system, Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR), essentially merges various QR codes into one label that can be used by both parties in the payment system. This allows for various banking apps to facilitate payments between multiple customers and a merchant that displays a single QR code. The SGQR scheme is co-owned by MAS and IMDA. A single SGQR label contains e-payments and combines multiple payment options. People making purchases can scan the code and see which payment options the merchant accepts.
Mobile ticket There is a system whereby a QR code can be displayed on a device such as a smartphone and used as an
admission ticket. Its use is common for
J1 League and
Nippon Professional Baseball tickets in Japan. In some cases, rights can be transferred via the Internet. In
Latvia, QR codes can be scanned in
Riga public transport to validate
Rīgas Satiksme e-tickets.
Restaurant ordering Restaurants can present a QR code near the front door or at the table allowing guests to view an online menu, or even redirect them to an online ordering website or app, allowing them to order or possibly pay for their meal without having to use a cashier or waiter. QR codes can also link to daily or weekly specials that are not printed on the standardized menus, and enable the establishment to update the entire menu without needing to print copies. At table-serve restaurants, QR codes enable guests to order and pay for their meals without a waiter involved – the QR code contains the table number so servers know where to bring the food. This application has grown especially since the need for social distancing during the
2020 COVID-19 pandemic prompted reduced contact between service staff and customers. A
MeCard-like format is supported by Android and iOS 11+. • Common format: WIFI:S:;T:;P:;H:;; • Sample: WIFI:S:MySSID;T:WPA;P:MyPassW0rd;;
Funerary use Adrian Warburton at Durnbach War Cemetery in
Gmund am Tegernsee,
Germany. The code links to his Wikipedia entry. A QR code can link to an
obituary and can be placed on a
headstone. In 2008, Ishinokoe in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan began to sell tombstones with QR codes produced by IT DeSign, where the code leads to a virtual grave site of the deceased. Other companies, such as Wisconsin-based Interactive Headstones, have also begun implementing QR codes into tombstones. In 2014, the
Jewish Cemetery of La Paz in Uruguay began implementing QR codes for tombstones.
Electronic authentication QR codes can be used to generate
time-based one-time passwords for
electronic authentication.
Loyalty programs QR codes have been used by various retail outlets that have
loyalty programs. Sometimes these programs are accessed with an
app that is loaded onto a phone and includes a process triggered by a QR code scan. The QR codes for loyalty programs tend to be found printed on the
receipt for a purchase or on the products themselves. Users in these schemes collect award points by scanning a code.
Counterfeit detection Serialised QR codes have been used by brands and governments to let consumers, retailers and distributors verify the authenticity of the products and help with detecting counterfeit products, as part of a
brand protection program. However, the security level of a regular QR code is limited since QR codes printed on original products are easily reproduced on fake products, even though the analysis of data generated as a result of QR code scanning can be used to detect counterfeiting and illicit activity. A higher security level can be attained by embedding a
digital watermark or
copy detection pattern into the image of the QR code. This makes the QR code more secure against counterfeiting attempts; products that display a code which is counterfeit, although valid as a QR code, can be detected by scanning the secure QR code with the appropriate app. The treaty regulating
apostilles (documents bearing a seal of authenticity), has been updated to allow the issuance of digital apostilles by countries; a digital apostille is a PDF document with a
cryptographic signature containing a QR code for a canonical URL of the original document, allowing users to verify the apostille from a printed version of the document.
Product tracing Different studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of QR codes as a means of conveying labelling information and their use as part of a food traceability system. In a field experiment, it was found that when provided free access to a smartphone with a QR code scanning app, 52.6% of participants would use it to access labelling information. A study made in South Korea showed that consumers appreciate QR code used in food traceability system, as they provide detailed information about food, as well as information that helps them in their purchasing decision. If QR codes are serialised, consumers can access a web page showing the supply chain for each ingredient, as well as information specific to each related batch, including meat processors and manufacturers, which helps address the concerns they have about the origin of their food.
COVID-19 pandemic After the
COVID-19 pandemic began spreading, QR codes began to be used as a "touchless" system to display information, show menus, or provide updated consumer information, especially in the hospitality industry. Restaurants replaced paper or laminated plastic menus with QR code decals on the table, which opened an online version of the menu. This prevented the need to dispose of single-use paper menus, or institute cleaning and sanitizing procedures for permanent menus after each use. Local television stations have also begun to utilize codes on
local newscasts to allow viewers quicker access to stories or information involving the pandemic, including testing and immunization scheduling websites, or for links within stories mentioned in the newscasts overall. This shift also prompted discussion about digital access, as reliance on QR codes assumes the availability of smartphones, internet connectivity, and digital literacy, which may exclude some users. In
Australia, patrons were required to scan QR codes at shops, clubs, supermarkets, and other service and retail establishments on entry to assist
contact tracing. Singapore,
Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and
New Zealand used similar systems. QR codes are also present on COVID-19 vaccination certificates in places such as
Canada and the
EU (
EU Digital COVID certificate), where they can be scanned to verify the information on the certificate. == Design ==