Which QR code your business should use
Google review, WhatsApp, a contact card or Wi-Fi: what the phone does on a scan, and why you should check the code before it goes to print.
In this article
A QR code on the counter, on a flyer or on the shop door only works when the phone does one clear job. Sending everyone to the homepage makes them hunt for the phone number, the review or the menu. Pick one task and let the scan open it.
One job per code
These are the ones service businesses in the U.S. actually use, and what happens on the phone:
| The code | On a scan |
|---|---|
| Google review | The review page for that business opens, not a generic search. |
| The chat opens on your number, with a message already written if you want one. | |
| Contact card | The contact opens so it can be saved. The person confirms with a tap. |
| Phone call | The phone asks to dial that number. It does not save the contact. |
| Wi-Fi | The phone joins that network. If it has a password, the password sits inside the code. |
What you print stays that way
This code carries the content inside it. It is not a shortcut you can edit later from a dashboard. If the phone number, the review link or the Wi-Fi password changes, the old paper still opens the old destination. Make a new code and print it again.
- Check the full number before the file goes to the printer.
- Scan a sample with someone else's phone, not only yours.
- Very long text is hard for many phones to read. A short destination works better.
Where each one belongs
- 01
Counter
The review code, next to the register. The person just paid and the phone can open the Google page right there.
- 02
Flyer or door hanger
WhatsApp or a phone call. Someone on the sidewalk wants to write or dial, not tour your site.
- 03
Business card
The back of a business card fits a contact to save, with your name and company.
- 04
Table or waiting room
The guest Wi-Fi. The private network, the one with the real password, does not need to be posted.
Make sure a print can be read
A logo can sit in the center if the contrast stays high: dark marks on a light background. Print one sheet and scan it with the camera, not from a zoomed photo on the screen. A PDF on letter-size paper keeps the code large enough to trim or to stick on a sign.
Key takeaways
- One code, one job: a review, WhatsApp, a contact, a call or Wi-Fi.
- Printing locks it. A new detail needs a new code.
- Test a paper sample before you print the batch.
Once the code is ready, we can put it on cards, flyers or door hangers.
See printing →Want to apply this to your business?
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