Create a QR code for the menu: This is how the menu gets to the table

Static or dynamic

If you want to create a QR code for the menu, the first question is: Should the target be fixed in the QR code or changeable? A static QR code contains the address directly in the pattern. If it changes – new website, different filename for the PDF, new provider – every printed QR code leads to nowhere.

A dynamic QR code instead contains a short, fixed address. The actual destination is only redirected upon scanning, and you can change this destination at any time. For a menu that changes, this is almost always the better choice. With Same-QR, scans are counted, and at night the destination of each QR code is queried: if it leads nowhere, you receive an email.

Set the goal: own page, PDF or website

Where the QR code leads determines the experience at the table. Three variants are common:

• A dedicated menu page: built for mobile, without a website. With Same-QR, categories, prices, allergens, and a daily special are displayed at the top.
• A PDF: quick to create, but tedious to read on small screens and requires re-uploading with every change.
• The menu on your website: useful if you maintain it there anyway and it looks good on mobile.

It is important that the QR code leads directly to the menu – not to the homepage, from which guests have to search for the menu first.

Generate QR code and print format

For printing, you need the QR code in good quality. Vector formats like SVG or PDF remain sharp at any size and are preferred by the printer; a PNG is sufficient for the office printer if it is exported large enough.

• Dark QR code on a light background, no pattern and no photo behind the QR code.
• Leave a clear margin all around so the camera can reliably recognize the QR code.
• Choose the size based on the reading distance: At a table, a smaller QR code is sufficient than at a window that is read from the street.
• Add a short sentence, for example "Scan menu". A QR code without a hint is often overlooked.

Test scan with multiple mobile phones

Before you print in series, you test a proof print at original size. Scan from the seated position, in evening light, and with different devices. Also open the menu once on a mobile network instead of Wi-Fi – that is how most guests will see it.

Pay attention to the target page itself: Is it there within a few seconds? Are prices and categories readable without zooming? Do you find the daily special immediately?

Typical errors

• Static QR code on a PDF whose address changes upon the next upload.
• QR code too small, too pale, or on glossy foil that reflects light.
• QR code leads to the homepage instead of directly to the menu.
• No paper menu as an alternative for guests without a mobile phone.
• The menu behind the QR code is not maintained – outdated prices annoy more than no digital menu at all.

Where the QR code belongs everywhere

The table is the most important location, but not the only one. The same QR code or a unique QR code per location can lead to the menu from multiple places:

• Table tent or sticker on the table.
• Showcase and entrance, for passersby and guests who come by outside of opening hours.
• Counter and cash register, especially in self-service.
• Flyers, business cards and take-out bags so that guests can also find the menu at home.

If you use a separate QR code for each location, you can later see where the menu is accessed most frequently. Name the QR codes clearly, for example “Tables Dining Room” or “Window Street”.

Frequently asked questions