A customer wants to pay, but you don’t have a card terminal, they don’t carry cash and typing account details is slow and error-prone. A QR code payment solves it: they scan, their payment app fills in your details and they confirm.
Why taking payments on the go is hard
Market stalls, pop-ups, freelancers, delivery drivers and fundraisers all run into the same problems:
- No terminal or no signal for one. Card readers cost money and need setup.
- Customers don’t carry cash the way they used to.
- Typing account details by hand leads to mistakes and payments sent to the wrong place.
- Customers use different apps. Some prefer PayPal, some pay with UPI in India or PIX in Brazil, some use crypto.
A payment QR code holds the details a customer’s app needs to pay you, so they don’t have to type anything.
Which payment QR code fits your customers?
- PayPal: widely used in the United States and many other countries. Good for market stalls, invoices, donations and tips.
- UPI: India’s instant bank-to-bank payment system, where scanning a QR code is a common way to pay. The code carries your UPI ID.
- PIX: Brazil’s instant payment system, created by the country’s central bank. The code carries your PIX key so payments go straight to your account.
- Crypto: the code contains your wallet address, so customers don’t have to copy a long string of characters.
How to solve it: set up a QR code payment
- Choose the method your customers already use. You can offer more than one code if your audience is mixed.
- Gather your payment details. Your PayPal account details, UPI ID, PIX key or crypto wallet address.
- Create the code using the matching payment type and enter the details carefully.
- For crypto, double-check the coin and network. Crypto sent to the wrong address or network usually can’t be recovered.
- Brand the code. Add your logo and colors, and keep a dark code on a light background so it scans quickly at a busy counter.
- Add a clear label such as “Scan to pay with PayPal” or “Pay with PIX,” plus your business name so customers can confirm it in their app.
- Test it with the real app. Make a small test payment to yourself or a colleague before going live.
- Display it where people pay: counter signs, table tents, invoices and receipts, delivery slips, booth banners and donation boxes.
- Confirm every payment in your own app before handing over goods.
Protect your payment code from tampering
Payment codes are a target for scammers, who sometimes stick their own code over a business’s real one. Print codes directly on signs or place them behind a clear cover, check them regularly and tell customers what they should see, for example, “You should see Main Street Bakery when you scan.”
Troubleshooting
- Customer’s app doesn’t recognize the code: make sure they’re scanning with an app that supports that payment method, such as a UPI app for a UPI code.
- Wrong name appears when scanning: stop and check the code. It may have been entered incorrectly or covered by a fake.
- Code scans slowly at the counter: print it larger, raise the contrast and move it out of glare.
- Payment “sent” but not received: check your account directly before handing over goods, and ask the customer to show their confirmation.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Printing a payment code without testing it first.
- Leaving codes unattended where anyone can cover them.
- Forgetting to show your business name next to the code.
- Pricing in crypto without a plan for price swings and refunds, since crypto transactions are generally irreversible.
- Ignoring record-keeping. Check what tax rules apply to the payments you accept.
How to do it with Infinite QR
In the QR code generator, choose PayPal, UPI, PIX or crypto, enter your payment details, customize the colors, add your logo and download as PNG or SVG. See how it works for a quick walkthrough.
Payment QR code types are available on paid plans only, starting with Starter at $1 a month ($12 a year), which includes all 31 QR code types. Compare plans on our pricing page.
