Own domain for QR codes: when it pays off and when it does not

Your own domain for QR codes is not a must. Whether it pays off depends on three things: how long the codes stay in circulation, who scans them and whether you can reach the DNS settings of your domain.

When it pays off

• Long-lived print: stands, signs, packaging, vehicle lettering and menus often stay up for years. The address in the code has to work just as long.
• Brand and trust: people see the address when they scan. qr.yourcompany.com feels more familiar than a stranger’s name and is easier to tell apart from scams.
• Independence from the provider: the domain is yours. If you switch providers later, you change the CNAME and the printed codes keep working, as long as the new provider can serve the same paths on your own domain.
• Many codes in circulation: the more is printed, the more expensive a reprint becomes if the address has to change.

When you can skip it

• A one-off campaign: a flyer for a weekend or an event does not need a domain that must be looked after for years afterwards.
• No access to DNS: if an agency or IT department manages your domain and you cannot reach it, sort that out first. Without the TXT and CNAME records it does not work.
• A few codes with a short life: then the provider’s own address is perfectly fine.
• Your plan does not include one: not every plan comes with custom domains, for example Free and Gastro Starter have none.

What your own domain asks of you

The domain has to keep being renewed, otherwise every code on it goes dead. The CNAME must not be deleted by accident, for instance during a website move. And paths are unique per domain: a path like /menu stays taken even after you delete the code. It is a small but permanent bit of upkeep.

Decision checklist

• Will the code be in circulation for more than a year? Yes points to your own domain.
• Is it on material you cannot swap out quickly? Yes points to it.
• Does the brand matter when someone reads the address? Yes points to it.
• Can you reach the DNS yourself or through someone nearby? No means: clarify first, otherwise skip it.
• Is it only a handful of codes for a limited time? Yes points against it.
• Does your plan include a custom domain? If not, it becomes a question of changing plans.

How many domains your plan allows

At Same-QR the number depends on the plan: Free and Gastro Starter 0, Gastro Pro and Marketing Starter 1, Marketing Pro 3, Gastro Expert 5, Marketing Expert 10, Agentur 50. It is always a subdomain like qr.yourcompany.com, never the main domain. If you move to a smaller plan, codes on domains that are already connected keep working. You can only create new codes on as many domains as the new plan allows.

If you already have short links with your old provider

If the printed codes sit on your own domain, such as go.company.com/abc, a move without reprinting is possible: import the codes, connect the domain at the new service, switch the CNAME. If they sit on the old provider’s domain, such as qrco.de, you cannot take the address with you. All that is left is to change the destination at the old provider or to reprint. That is the strongest reason to get your own domain before the next print run.

Frequently asked questions