What is a static QR Code?

A static QR Code has the target URL directly encoded and will never expire. So, when you scan a static QR Code, you will be redirected to the target URL with no additional intermediate links in between. This ensures that the QR Code will live forever and continues to work as long the target URL is online. However, there are two crucial disadvantages when using static QR codes:

• You cannot track who scanned the QR Code
• You cannot change the target URL once you have printed the QR Code!

So, if the target URL is broken or not reachable the QR Code will not work anymore.

We strongly recommend you use dynamic QR Codes. You can change the target URL any time after printing in case the target URL is broken.

Besides URLs there are other types you can use in a static QR Code. When you create a static QR Code, you can pack all information in the QR Code itself. When you scan the QR Code your mobile device will be able to process the information offline for example creating an event or add a contact to your address book. There is no need for an internet connection, except when you want to sync your event or contact into the cloud.

There are various standardized types of static QR Codes explained below. You can create those types of QR Codes on your own by clicking on each of them or going straight to our free QR Code Generator.

The simplest information you can encode in a QR Code is a text message containing up to 4.296 chars.

Create a Text QR Code

If you plan to print a QR Code on your business card you may want to use a vCard. A QR Code with a vCard encoded provides contact information that can be added to the phone's address book immediately after scanning.

Create a vCard QR Code

Again: once your address changes you need to re-create the QR Code with updated address information. However, you can also create QR Codes that link to a dynamic QR Code Business Cards where you can change the contact information after printing.

For Android Phones this handy QR Code type can connect you to a Wi-Fi Hotspot right away. New: Since the release of the latest OS on Apple devices, QR Codes can be read with the native camera app on iOS and you can also connect to a Wi-Fi with an iPhone.

Create QR Code to connect to Wifi

With an Event QR Code, people can scan a QR Code and directly add your event to their calendar.

Create an event QR Code

Initiate a call with a QR Code. The user is offered to dial a number after scanning the QR Code.

Create QR Code to call a number

A QR Code with a ready to send a text message is an SMS QR Code. After the user scans the QR Code he can send the text encoded in the QR Code to any mobile number or to a predefined number of your choice.

Create QR Code to send SMS

Like you can create an SMS QR Code the same applies to E-mails. Encode an E-mail with subject, recipient, and body in a QR Code and the E-mail is ready to send after the users scan the QR Code.

Create QR Code to send an E-Mail

European Payments Council (EPC) published ‘Quick Response Code: Guidelines to Enable Data Capture for the Initiation of a Credit Transfer’ (PDF) in February 2013. Thanks to this great standardization job, you can create a QR Code that contains the payment information in your invoices. Customers can pay using this functionality in your bank App (if available) only scanning the QR Code.

With a GPS QR Code you can navigate a user to a location. The QR Code has a lng/lat pair encoded. After a user scans the QR Code the Map App will open on the mobile device with the location centered on the map.

Create a Geo QR Code