What Is a QR Code?

A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode that can store information such as a website link, contact card, email address, WiFi login, event details or plain text.

What QR codes are used for

QR codes are used when someone needs to move quickly from the physical world to a digital destination. A restaurant can place a QR code on a table to open a menu. A tradesperson can add one to a business card. A school can use one on a letter to send parents to an online form.

The appeal is simple: the user points a phone camera at the code and opens the linked content without typing a long address. That makes QR codes useful wherever printed materials, signs, packaging or screens need a fast digital link.

What the letters QR mean

QR stands for Quick Response. The format was designed to be scanned quickly and to hold more information than a traditional one-dimensional barcode.

Why businesses use QR codes

Businesses use QR codes because they reduce friction. Instead of asking a customer to remember a web address, search for a brand, or type a coupon code, the QR code can send them directly to the relevant page.

Common business uses include menus, reviews, booking pages, contact cards, app downloads, customer surveys, payment pages, instructions and marketing campaigns.

Important limitations

A QR code is only as useful as the destination behind it. If the linked page is slow, broken, confusing or unsafe, the scan experience will be poor. Always test your code and the destination page before publishing it.