What is a Plus Code (or Open Location Code)?
Plus Codes provide a lightweight, open-standard alternative to traditional localisation systems. Instead of relying on inconsistent spelling or hard-to-share GPS coordinates, they encode latitude and longitude into a short string.
A Plus Code (or OLC) is a digital address consisting of a combination of easily identifiable characters that is uniquely assigned to a specific geographical location on earth. Plus Codes have the format XXXX+XX but can contain up to a total of 20 characters and may also include city or country names.
They are a shorter and simpler alternative to traditional addresses and can be used to mark any location in the world, even places without traditional addresses available - just like coordinates, but simpler to use.
You can find any location's Plus Code by visiting it in your preferred online Map service or directly at https://plus.codes.
Example: In Google Maps, you can find the Plus Code within a location's details pane.How can I use QR Code-integrated Plus Codes in my business?
By embedding Plus Codes into QR Codes, businesses can enable instant, error-free navigation: scanning the QR Code takes users directly to the exact spot on their map, without the friction of typing in long coordinates or relying on ambiguous addresses.
In practice, this approach streamlines everything from logistics and event management to emergency services and tourism. A delivery company can print QR codes with Plus Codes on packages, ensuring drivers are guided straight to the correct delivery entrance; event organizers can place location QR Codes on tickets or posters, making even remote venues easy to find.
In rural or developing areas, Plus Code-based QR Codes provide precise, accessible mapping without requiring any additional infrastructure (other than a ground to walk on). Need your workers to find their new lumber camp in the forest? Lead them there with a Plus Code, packed into a QR Code.
How can I create a Geo QR Code using a Plus Code?
1. Log into your account
2. Create a new QR Code
Click Create QR Code to open the QR Code Generator.
Hit "Create QR Code" on top of your Dashboard.
Or click "Create QR Code" on top of your list of QR Codes... 3. Choose "URL" and enter the location's Plus Code
Now, enter the Plus Code as a URL into the appropriate field. To do so, type plus.codes/ and add the code, replacing any space characters with %20. For example, the Plus Code 6948+GQ Vienna must be entered as
https://plus.codes/6948+GQ%20Vienna.
4. Distribute your QR Code
Find your new QR Code in your list of QR Codes in your account. Design, download and distribute it.