40+ Types of QR Codes Explained
Every QR code looks the same. But scan one and different things happen. One connects you to WiFi. Another saves a phone number. Another opens a payment app. Pick the right one for your shop, restaurant, or business below.
Static or Dynamic? Pick One.
These are the two main types of QR codes. They look the same, but one you can change later and one you can’t. Here’s how to choose.
Static
What you scan is locked in forever. Great for a WiFi password or your home address. Bad if you might want to change it later, like a menu price or a campaign link.
- Free, forever
- Works without internet
- You can’t track scans or edit the link
Dynamic
The printed QR stays the same, but you can change where it goes anytime from your phone. You also see how many people scanned it, when, and where they were. Use this for menus, posters, packaging, anything you’ll update or want to measure.
- Change the link anytime, no reprint
- See who’s scanning and where from
- From $5/month
Payment QR Codes (Coming Soon)
Payment QR codes are on the way. Soon you’ll be able to let customers pay you by scanning. UPI in India, Venmo and PayPal in the US, crypto anywhere.
UPI QR Code
Coming soonCustomers open Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm and pay in two taps. The standard QR for shops, market stalls, and friends paying each other across India.
Venmo QR Code
Coming soonPrint it at your counter and customers can Venmo you in seconds. The go-to for small US businesses: food stalls, salons, freelancers.
PayPal QR Code
Coming soonCustomers scan and your PayPal opens, ready for them to pay you. Works in most countries. Good for online sellers, freelancers, and donation drives.
Payment QR Code
Coming soonUse this if your country’s payment app isn’t in this list. Works with any wallet or bank app that has a payment link.
Bitcoin QR Code
Coming soonFor shops accepting Bitcoin: customers scan, their wallet opens with your address ready to send. Print it at the till or on an invoice.
Crypto Wallet QR Code
Coming soonSame idea as Bitcoin, but for Ethereum, Solana, and other coins. One QR per wallet address.
Contact & Business QR Codes
Customers scan and your details save straight to their phone. No more “let me get a pen” or typos in your number. Great for business cards, shop windows, and real estate signs.
vCard QR Code
The classic digital business card. Scan it and your name, phone, email, company, and address all save to their contacts in one tap.
Business Card QR Code
Same as vCard but sized to print clearly on a business card, even on cheaper paper. The QR survives a few coffee stains and crinkles.
Digital Business Card
Instead of saving raw contact details, it opens a mini website with your photo, links, and a “save contact” button. Looks more polished for client-facing roles.
Email QR Code
Customers scan and their email opens with your address filled in, ready to type. Pre-fill the subject too, like “Quote request for [your business].”
SMS QR Code
Customers scan and a text to you opens, ready to send. Good for shops that take orders by text, or salons handling bookings on WhatsApp/SMS.
Phone QR Code
Coming soonCustomers scan and their phone dials your number. Best for service businesses where most enquiries come by call: plumbers, taxis, clinics.
Running Your Business
The day-to-day workhorses. Menus on tables, review requests on receipts, sign-up forms at the door. Most of these should be dynamic so you can update them without reprinting.
Menu QR Code
Customers scan and your menu opens on their phone. Change a price or add a daily special and it updates instantly. No reprinting table tents.
Google Review QR Code
Customers scan and the Google review page for your business opens right up. Put it on the receipt, takeaway bag, or counter card. Easiest way to grow your star rating.
Google Forms QR Code
Print it on a poster and customers can fill out your sign-up form, survey, or RSVP straight from their phone. No URL to type.
Event QR Code
Customers scan and the event saves to their calendar with date, time, and location. Stick it on flyers, invitations, or shop posters for sales and openings.
Coupon QR Code
Coming soonRun a “scan for 10% off” promo. Customers scan and the discount opens. With dynamic, you can see exactly how many people used it.
Bulk QR Code Generator
Need hundreds of QR codes at once? Upload a spreadsheet and we’ll make them all in one go. Handy for event badges, product batches, or store-by-store posters.
Documents, Videos & Photos
Give customers a file by scanning. A PDF menu, a how-to video, an audio guide, photos from yesterday’s event. Always use dynamic so you can swap the file later without reprinting.
PDF QR Code
Customers scan and your PDF opens on their phone. Use for product manuals, brochures, wine lists, warranty cards, or your full menu as a downloadable file.
File QR Code
Like the PDF version but for any file: Word docs, spreadsheets, ZIP folders, images. Good for sharing forms, price lists, or product specs.
Video QR Code
Customers scan and your video plays. Without YouTube branding. Stick it on packaging for an unboxing video, or on a flyer for a demo.
MP3 QR Code
Plays an audio file when scanned. Good for museum audio guides, language samples, podcast previews, or a recorded voice note on a greeting card.
Image QR Code
Coming soonOpens a photo or photo gallery when scanned. Wedding photos for guests, product photos on a shelf tag, or before-and-after pictures for salons.
Websites & Links
The original QR code use: scan it and a website opens. Simple, but still the most flexible. Any web page you have can sit behind a QR.
Website QR Code
Customers scan and your website opens. The everyday QR code. Use dynamic if you want to swap the link later (say, point to a Christmas sale page in December).
URL QR Code
Same as a website QR code. “URL” just means the link itself. Pick whichever word feels right.
Landing Page QR Code
Don’t have a website? Build a simple branded page right here on QRCodeStack and point the QR to it. Good for small shops, freelancers, and one-off campaigns.
Multi-Link QR Code
One QR, several buttons. Useful if you want one sticker that links to your menu, your booking page, and your Instagram all at once. Like Linktree in QR form.
App Download QR Code
Customers scan and it figures out if they’re on an iPhone or Android, then sends them to the right app store. No more “Android users tap here” instructions.
WiFi, Maps & Text
Quick utilities that do something useful on the phone itself: connect to your WiFi, open maps to your shop, or show a short message. Most are free.
WiFi QR Code
Guests scan the QR and their phone connects to your WiFi without typing the password. Print it on a card at the reception desk, on the back of a menu, or on a hotel room door.
Location QR Code
Customers scan and a map opens with your shop pinned. Stick it on your event invitation, your delivery van, or your business card so people can find you quickly.
Google Maps QR Code
Coming soonOpens Google Maps with directions to your business already started. Use this if your shop has a verified Google profile. It pulls in your hours, photos, and reviews too.
Plain Text QR Code
Just shows some text when scanned. No link, no action. Good for short notes on packaging, allergen info on menus, or fun riddles on event tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common type of QR code?
A QR code that opens a website. About 3 out of every 4 QR codes made are this type. After that, menu QR codes (restaurants), WiFi QR codes (cafés, hotels), and vCard QR codes (salespeople, agents) are the most popular.
What’s the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?
Static QR codes are locked when you make them. The link or info inside never changes, but they’re free. Dynamic QR codes can be updated later (change the link, swap the file, see scan stats) but cost a small monthly fee. Use static for one-off uses like your home WiFi. Use dynamic for anything you’ll print on packaging, posters, or table tents. Full comparison here.
Which QR code type should I use for a restaurant menu?
A dynamic Menu QR code. The reason it has to be dynamic: menus change all the time. New seasonal dish, a price went up, a wine ran out. With dynamic, you update once on your phone and every QR code on the table reflects the change. With static, you will need to reprint the QR every time.
Can a QR code be any type, or do I have to pick at creation?
If it’s a dynamic QR, mostly yes. You can change what it points to anytime. For example, a dynamic Website QR can later be edited to open a PDF or a vCard instead. The printed pattern stays the same. Static QRs are locked: once made, the link or content inside is permanent.
What People Actually Use These For
Real situations from shops, restaurants, factories, agents, creators, and event organisers. Here’s which types of QR codes work best for each.
Restaurants & Cafés
The classic. A menu QR on every table, a WiFi QR at the counter, a Google review QR on the receipt. If you’ve got a café playlist, a Spotify QR on table cards is a nice touch.
Shops & Retail
Stick them on price tags, shelf cards, and shop windows. They can open your product page, your Instagram, or a “scan for 10% off” coupon.
Takeaway Bags & Food Packaging
A QR on the bag or pizza box. Customers scan to leave you a review, follow you on social, or order again next time. Probably the best-value place to put a QR for any food business.
Product Labels & Packaging
A QR on the box or label opens a how-to video, the user manual, allergen info, or a warranty form. You can update what it shows later without reprinting the box.
Business Cards
That little QR in the corner of a business card. Someone scans it, your details save to their phone. No typing names or emails wrong.
Property Signs (Real Estate)
On the “For Sale” board outside a house. People scan it and the listing photos, virtual tour, or your phone number opens. Works even when your office is closed.
Events & Pop-ups
On posters, name badges, programmes, and lanyards. Attendees can scan to see the schedule, sign up, join the WiFi, or follow you. With dynamic QRs, you can also see which poster pulled the most scans.
Hotels & Guest Houses
WiFi QR on the room key card. Menu QR in the room folder. Map QR at reception. Replaces a lot of printed cards that go out of date the second you change something.
Creators & Musicians
On flyers, t-shirts, stickers, and stage backdrops. Fans scan and your Spotify, YouTube, Instagram, or a Linktree-style page opens. Sells more, builds the following faster.
Manufacturing & Logistics
On boxes, pallets, parts bins, and shipping labels. Each QR opens a product sheet, batch number, assembly steps, or a tracking page. Use the bulk generator to make a few hundred unique codes at once from a spreadsheet.
Pick One and Start Making
Every QR type on this page is ready to go. Static codes are free, no signup. Dynamic codes come with a 3-day free trial.
No credit card needed. 5 free dynamic QR codes to start. Unlimited scans on every plan.
Social Media QR Codes
Stickers, posters, business cards, packaging. These QR codes send people straight to your profile so they can follow with one tap. Beats asking customers to type out your handle.
Instagram QR Code
Send people to your Instagram with one scan. Great on shop signs, packaging, and flyers. Use the dynamic version to see which sign or flyer brings in the most followers.
WhatsApp QR Code
Customers scan and a WhatsApp chat with your business opens right away. No typing your number. You can pre-fill the message too, like “Hi, I’d like to book a table.”
Facebook QR Code
Opens your Facebook page, group, or event. Good for local shops and community pages where customers already check Facebook for hours and updates.
YouTube QR Code
Plays your YouTube video or opens your channel. Put it on product packaging so people can watch a how-to video, or on flyers for a quick demo.
LinkedIn QR Code
Coming soonPrint it on your business card. Hand the card to someone at a meeting, they scan, and your LinkedIn opens. They can connect with you on the spot.
Snapchat QR Code
Coming soonOne scan adds you on Snapchat. Great for creators promoting their account on flyers, stickers, or merch, and for shops with a younger crowd who want followers from foot traffic.
TikTok QR Code
Opens your TikTok profile or a specific video. Useful for creators with print or in-store audiences, and shops wanting younger customers to follow.
Twitter / X QR Code
Opens your X (formerly Twitter) profile or a specific post. Handy for press kits, conference badges, or anywhere you want a quick follow.
Pinterest QR Code
Opens your Pinterest board or profile. Useful for craft shops, interior designers, bakeries, and home-decor brands whose customers browse Pinterest for ideas.
Spotify QR Code
Print it on a table card so guests can play your café’s playlist on their phone. Or for musicians: put it on flyers so people can hear your music in one tap.