QR code trends in business: where codes are used now, and where to put yours
By Online Business Cards Editorial Team | Published | Updated | Sharing your card
QR codes have gone from novelty to everyday tool. Here are the trends that matter for small businesses, and the practical places to put your own digital business card code.
Your digital business card comes with a QR code that opens your profile. Most people put it on a printed card, or show it on their phone. But the same code can work anywhere people might want your details: at a counter, on an invoice, in a shop window or on the back of a van.
Because the code points to your card's link, and that link stays the same when you update your details, you can print it once and keep using it. This guide goes through the most useful places, with practical tips for each.
QR code trends that matter for small businesses
A few changes explain why QR codes now work so well for business:
- Cameras read them directly. Recent iPhone and Android cameras recognise QR codes without an app, so customers no longer need to be told how to scan.
- Codes are normal at tables, counters and on receipts. Many customers are used to scanning a code for a menu, a booking or a review link.
- Codes are moving onto products. GS1, the organisation behind product barcodes, describes an industry ambition known as Sunrise 2027 for retail checkouts to scan 2D barcodes, including QR codes, so one code on a pack can serve both the till and the shopper's phone.
- People are more careful about what they scan. Warnings about fake codes on car park signs and posters mean a code needs to look trustworthy. Our guide to QR code scams explains how fake codes work.
For your own business, the practical result is simple: a clear, labelled code that opens your digital card can go almost anywhere customers meet you.
First, three rules that apply everywhere
- Size for the distance. A code people hold in their hand can be about 2 cm across. A code people read from a metre away needs to be about 10 cm. Our QR code size and placement guide has a full table.
- Say what it does. "Scan to save our contact details" works better than a bare code. People are rightly wary of scanning codes they do not understand.
- Print a short web address underneath for people who cannot or would rather not scan.
Shop counters and reception desks
A small sign by the till or on the reception desk lets customers save your details, see your opening hours or book their next appointment while they wait.
- Use a stand or holder about the size of a postcard, with the code around 5 cm across.
- Place it where people naturally pause, such as next to the card machine.
- If you are on the Business Plan, point people to bookings or reviews: "Scan to book your next visit".
Our guide for restaurants, cafés and pubs covers counter and table signs in more detail.
Shop windows and doors
A code in the window helps people who pass when you are closed. They can save your number or check your hours and come back later.
- Make it large, around 15 to 20 cm, because people read windows from a step or two away.
- Place it at eye level, away from reflections.
- Use a matt, non-reflective print if possible. Glare from glass is a common reason codes fail.
Invoices, quotes and receipts
Customers keep invoices. A small code next to your contact details lets them find you again when they need you, months later.
- Keep it small, about 2 cm, because the invoice will be held in the hand or opened on a screen.
- On a PDF invoice, add your card link as well. People reading on a screen cannot scan a code on the same screen.
Packaging and product inserts
If you sell products, a small insert in the package with your QR code lets customers save your details, see your other products or leave a review.
- Keep the message short: "Scan to see care instructions and our full range", for example.
- Test the printed code on the actual paper or card stock. Glossy or textured finishes can make codes harder to read.
Vans and vehicles
Vans are seen by many people, but usually while they are moving or from a distance, which makes QR codes tricky.
- Phone number and website first. Someone driving cannot scan a code, and should not try.
- A code on the back doors or near the side door works when the van is parked at a job and neighbours walk past.
- Go big. On a van, think 20 to 30 cm across, and test it from a few metres away.
Our guide for tradespeople has more ideas for builders, plumbers and electricians.
Name badges and lanyards
At conferences, trade shows and networking events, a code on your name badge saves you getting your phone out every time. Our events guide covers what to do before, during and after.
Slides and screens
If you give talks, put your code on your final slide with your name and short link, and leave it up for a few seconds. The same works on screens in a waiting room or at an exhibition stand. See our guide to sharing your details on video calls for online presentations.
Places a QR code does not help
- Email signatures. People reading an email cannot easily scan a code on the screen they are reading it on. Use a link instead.
- Moving vehicles and motorway hoardings. Nobody can scan safely at speed.
- Places with no mobile signal, such as some basements or rural sites. Make sure your phone number is printed too.
Keep your codes trustworthy
Fake QR codes stuck over real ones have become a common scam, especially on parking machines. Print your code as part of your design rather than on a sticker, and check public signs now and then to make sure nobody has covered your code with theirs. Our guide to QR code scams explains how to make your codes easy to trust.
One code, many places
You can use the same code everywhere, which keeps things simple. Analytics show you how often your card is opened overall, so if you add a new location, such as a window sign, watch for a change in the weeks after.
Where to put your QR code, and how big
Place | Typical scanning distance | Rough minimum size
Business card or invoice | Hand's length, about 20 cm | 2 cm
Counter stand or table card | About 50 cm | 5 cm
Shop window or door | A couple of metres | 20 cm
Van door | About 3 metres | 30 cm
A code scans from roughly ten times its own width, as our QR code size guide explains. Test a printed sample from the real distance.
As a mini-website for a local business
For a local shop, café or trade business, the code works best when it opens a page that answers the next question: opening hours, prices, how to book and where to leave a review. That turns a window sticker or van sign into a small website people can save.
Which plan you need
Both plans include your QR code. Brand Presence (£45, one-off) covers your details, social links, gallery, products and analytics. The Business Plan (£90, one-off) adds bookings, Get Reviews, enquiries and forms, which give counter signs and invoices a clear next step. Compare them on our plans, or see the QR code business card.
Read next: Putting your QR code on printed business cards and QR code business cards. You can also browse all our guides.
For a wider look at where sharing contact details is heading, see the future of networking: what is already here and what to plan for.
Frequently asked questions
What are the current QR code trends in business?
QR codes are now read directly by phone cameras, are common at tables, counters and on receipts, are moving onto product packaging through GS1's Sunrise 2027 ambition, and are scanned more cautiously because of fake-code scams.
Can I use the same QR code on my card, invoices and shop sign?
Yes. The code points to your card's link, which stays the same, so you can use one code everywhere and it will always open your latest details.
How big should a QR code be on a shop window?
Around 15 to 20 cm across, placed at eye level and away from reflections. Test it from where people will actually stand.
Should I put a QR code on my van?
Only alongside your phone number and website, and somewhere it can be scanned when the van is parked, such as the back doors. Nobody should scan a code on a moving vehicle.
Should I put a QR code in my email signature?
A link works better. People reading your email cannot easily scan a code on the same screen.