QR codes pop up all over – on menus, ads, and boxes, yet they bring some dangers. Tricksters often use fake QR codes to grab your details or money. Here’s how to stay safe and protect your people:
- Growing Dangers: Scam QR codes shot up by 587% in 2023, with "quishing" (QR phishing) being over half of all such tricks.
- Usual Risks: Bad QR codes may lead to scams, bad software, or taken data. For instance, a UK trick in 2023 made one person lose £13,000.
- Safe Steps: Use QR codes with brand logos, changeable QR codes for ease, and safe links (SSL). Teach your team and tell customers to check codes before they scan.
- Watch and Check: Changeable QR codes let you track in real-time, aiding you to spot odd acts and better your plans.
- Follow the Law: Stick to GDPR and CCPA laws to keep user data safe and avoid big costs.
Quick Look: Static vs. Dynamic QR Codes
| Detail | Static QR Codes | Dynamic QR Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Where data is kept | Right in the code | On safe servers |
| Can change links? | No | Yes |
| Can track? | Just a bit | A lot |
| How safe? | Not much | Very |
| What it costs? | Free or not much | Pay regularly |
How to Identify A Fake QR Code | Tech Tips
Dangers in QR code ads
QR codes are handy for ads, but they bring risks that might hurt both your firm and your buyers. Knowing these risks helps keep your ads safe and keeps trust with your buyers. Let’s look at some big threats.
QR code cloning and switching
A top risk is bad guys cloning or swapping your QR codes to send users to bad sites. Scary facts show that 71% of users can’t tell fake QR codes from real ones. This lets bad actors trick buyers.
Fake QR codes might steal personal and bank info or put bad software on devices. For instance, in August 2023, cheats in the UK at Thornaby Station stuck fake QR codes over real ones for parking payments. One person lost £13,000 due to a fake loan got with their stolen data. A like case was in Southend-on-Sea in February 2025, where phony QR codes conned drivers to pay on bad sites.
Even if your firm isn’t to blame, buyers might link these cases with your brand, harming trust and hurting your name. Also, bad guys use QR codes in phishing tricks.
Phishing and malware strikes
QR code phishing, or "quishing", is on the rise. Bad actors put bad links in QR codes to take vital info like passwords and card details.
In September 2023, QR code phishing made up 51% of all phishing cases, with nearly 90% aiming at login and personal data. Only 36% of these cases get spotted and told. Big bosses are 42 times more likely to be targeted by quishing than workers.
Real cases show how bad these scams are. In March 2020, nine fake Bitcoin QR code sites tricked users to send money to scam wallets, losing 7 BTC – about $45,000 then. Also, in December 2023, a Facebook Marketplace seller lost $10,000 from scanning a fake Interac e-transfer QR code leading to a fake bank site. With AI making phishing sites seem real, spotting scams gets harder.
Data privacy issues
Weak QR code safety might lead to data breaks and breaking privacy laws. If you use QR code tools without strong guards, you might expose buyer info by accident.
Trackable QR codes often gather data like where a user is, what device they use, and their scan history. Without strong safety steps, this data can end up in the wrong hands or be used in ways buyers didn’t agree to. The worry is big with static QR codes that can’t be changed. Once made, these codes stay active forever, even if the linked content is no good.
Many businesses don’t see how much private info a single QR code scan can show. Badly handling this data can not only lead to legal issues but also hurt customer trust.
Tech and design issues
Tech errors and bad design can upset your QR code plans. Think of a customer who scans a code only to find a link that’s broken or a site that doesn’t work on their phone. These small upsets can cause big drops in trust.
Main problems include:
- Dead links
- Websites not good on phones
- Slow pages that make users leave
- Badly made codes that don’t scan right
These issues don’t just bug customers – they also open up security risks. For example, bad QR codes are easy to copy, making it tough for users to spot fakes. This is risky for QR codes on things like menus or retail products that a lot of people see. Alarmingly, almost 2% of scanned QR codes are bad. If your codes are not reliable, more customers might bump into harmful ones, wearing away trust in your brand.
Dealing with these tech and safety problems is key to making sure your QR code efforts are both strong and secure.
Safe Ways to Use QR Codes
Making sure your customers are safe and keeping their trust needs you to focus on QR code safety. Here’s your guide to build safer ads and make stronger bonds with them at the same time.
Make Your Own Branded QR Codes
Put your own logo on QR codes so people know they’re real and not easy for cheats to copy. A 2023 research by Linearity found out that logos make the brand stand out as our brains see pictures 60,000 times quicker than words.
"In our understanding, businesses’ motivation to use a QR Code with a logo is almost always primarily driven by the need to add a trust element in a QR Code. And I think it works pretty well in that regard."
– Rajarshi Ray, Head of Design at Uniqode
When you create a QR code linked to your brand, people can tell real ones from fake ones with ease. Custom codes with your brand are hard for bad guys to copy. To keep them easy to scan, use clear colors and keep designs simple.
Take it up a notch by using a URL with your brand name in it. QR codes with your domain make people trust them more, and they often get scanned more than plain ones. This works well for business cards and flyers where people need to know your brand.
When your QR codes carry your brand, make sure the URLs they go to are safe, to keep your customers’ info safe.
Use Safe Website Links
Link your QR codes to sites with SSL to keep customer info safe. Make sure these sites work right and stay safe all the time.
Your pages should work well on phones and load fast. Slow or broken pages might let scammers in. If you handle private data – like in healthcare – you may want to add a password to your QR code pages for more safety.
Choose Dynamic QR Codes
Dynamic QR codes are safer as you can change the URL even after making the code. These codes use a short URL that goes to your content, letting you manage the link.
These codes let you see who scans them in real time, so you can spot danger fast. If scans look odd, you can change or stop the code now. For example, Marriott Aruba used them on menus and saved lots of money while keeping things safe.
Dynamic codes are also good for testing and watching how well your ads work, all while keeping them safe. They’re great for things that get updated a lot, like menus or event tickets.
Pick Safe QR Code Tools
For good branded designs, safe links, and new code types, you need a good QR code tool. Pick one that locks data safe, limits who can reach it, and checks its own security often. Tools like Pageloot use top security to lessen the risk of breaks.
Look for proofs like GDPR, SOC2, and HIPAA to make sure they meet high safety standards. Use feedback and security checks to choose well.
These tools also note each scan, helping you see if something’s off. To keep your QR code system safe, only let certain people in and use strong login rules for all.
Teach Your Team and Customers
Tech alone is not enough – learning is key to QR code safety. Train your marketing crew to see risks and use best steps when making and sharing QR codes. Have them check scan events often and look for odd signs that may mean dangers.
Teach your users to check QR codes before they scan. Urge them to use scanners that show the URL first, so they can be sure of where it goes before they move on. This easy step can block phishing tries.
Also, make clear rules for sharing QR codes. Giving them out in safe spots, like email letters or on products, cuts the risk of changes. For spots with lots of people, like stores or restaurant tables, lock displays to stop code swaps.
Lastly, do campaigns to teach your people about scanning from safe places. A bit of knowing can help a lot in keeping your users and your brand’s good name safe.
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Smart QR Code Use in Business
Using safe ways to share, top plans can make QR code work better and more sure. By using tools for tracking, making things go by themselves, and new ways to use them, you can use all that QR codes have to give.
See How Your QR Codes Do
It’s key to know how your QR codes are doing. It’s a shock that 62% of makers of ads have it hard to link what they do off the web with what happens online. QR codes that change can watch where scans are, what devices are used, and when they scan the most, helping to spot trends or odd things. Putting UTM things in your QR code links makes a bridge between ads off the web and going over the results online, showing which flyers or posters get the most looks.
It’s good to say that over 45% of QR code tries don’t show a clear return in results because they’re not tracked well. To skip this drop, watch key things like:
- All scans vs. different scans and when they buy – This shows how often people come back and how good your try is at getting results.
- Where people are and what devices they use – This info shows where your people are and how they like to get online.
For instance, PatientPoint had QR codes on ads in hospitals, getting over 270,000 scans and 208,000 people stopping by from 2,300 places. This way of using data helped them better their plan with real info.
By looking at these things, you can not only make your ad try do better but also keep your QR codes safer.
Link QR Codes to Tools that Help with Ads
Mixing QR codes with tools like HubSpot or Zapier can make your ad work smoother. For example, you can right away add new people who scan to your email lists, send them a hello note just for them, or give them content just for them. This kind of making things go by itself has been shown to lift sales work by 14.2%.
QR codes are also a big help in getting new leads. By connecting them to forms that go right into your system for managing customer ties, you can take care of possible buyers well. With 75% of people in the U.S. planning to use QR codes later on, making follow-ups go by themselves makes sure you can keep up with more people coming in without more work.
Popular Ways to Use QR Codes
Top plans for QR codes are changing how firms talk with their people, mixing watching how they do with safe handling of data. By 2025, buying using QR codes is thought to hit a huge $3 trillion all over the world.
Here are some ways they are used a lot:
- Paying without touching: QR codes are often used in restaurants and cafes for ordering and paying, making things smooth and safe while making service faster.
- Checking in at events: Guests can scan QR codes on tickets or emails, making it easy to know who is there in real-time and making the way in simpler.
- Shopping made just for you: Shoppers can scan QR codes on products to look at reviews, check prices, or get special deals. A good show of this is Heinz’s "Join the Growing Movement" try, where QR codes on bottles pushed people to promise to keep things green, share it on social media, and help plant trees.
Better Personalizing with Pageloot
Making QR codes fit your brand helps keep your info safe. Pageloot lets you make QR codes that match your brand’s colors, logos, and style, keeping your data locked.
The site can handle over 25 types of QR codes like PDF sharing and video content. Every code has real-time tracking, so you can watch how they do and handle any safety issues fast.
With 95% of business heads saying QR codes are key for gathering their own data, Pageloot’s stats board shows deep looks at who scans your codes, and when and where they do it. QR codes you can change let you switch URLs without a new print, perfect for updating a menu or fixing safety worries. For marketing agencies with many clients, splitting up campaigns helps keep data clean, safe, and apart, while showing clear results.
Making Customer Trust and Following Rules
Getting trust from customers while keeping to data safety rules is very important for successful QR code marketing. With plans showing 99.5 million US smartphone users will scan QR codes by 2025, it’s key to mix a good user feel with staying right by the law.
Give Clear Steps
Having easy and clear steps by your QR codes makes users sure about scanning them. People need to know what will happen – where the code will lead them and why they should scan it. The top efforts show this right by the code. For example, Planet Fitness has QR codes on machines that take you to video guides, helping users use the gear well and safe.
If you put QR codes on business cards or flyers, include a clear message like "Scan to watch our product show" or "Scan for unique deals." If a special app or tool is needed, clearly say so by the code.
This clearness helps get more people to join in and also keeps up with privacy rules.
Follow Data Safety Rules
As said before, QR codes have risks, but keeping data safety rules can build trust with customers. Two big rules are key for businesses using QR codes to get data.
GDPR is for when you focus on customers in the European Union. This rule says you must get clear yes before getting personal info. For example, if someone scans your QR code and gives details, you must have a clear join-in step. Not doing so could lead to big fines of up at 4% of your global sales or €20 million, whichever is more.
CCPA/CPRA keeps data safe for people in California, focusing on their right to say no to data getting. While these rules don’t always ask for a yes at the start, they need easy ways to say no. Not doing this can bring fines of up to $7,988 for each planned wrong.
To stay right by the law, use safe QR code tools and pages with SSL. Keep your privacy rules easy to find and get, and only get the very least info needed. Whether you’re making QR codes for restaurants or e-commerce, being honest about how you handle data helps you stay out of legal issues and build trust with your people.
Static vs. Dynamic QR Codes: Safety Check
Picking between static and dynamic QR codes is not just for ease – it’s also for safety and following rules.
| Thing | Static QR Codes | Dynamic QR Codes |
|---|---|---|
| Where Data Lives | In the code itself | On safe servers |
| Can Change? | No; stays the same | Yes; can change without new prints |
| Tracking | Can’t track | Tracks well with deep details |
| Safety Checks | Less when given out | Can stop or change path |
| Following Rules | Hard to deal with data asks | Simpler to wipe data off |
| Money | Mostly no cost | Often has a monthly pay |
Static QR codes work well for simple, set data, like the details on a business card or plain text. They do not get user data, so they have fewer worries about privacy. But, they can’t track info and won’t change if the data does.
Dynamic QR codes, though, have more top tools that fit better for ads work. They let you change QR codes even after they are out, which is good for new info or to keep safe. They track numbers too, showing how well things go and finding odd things. For tasks that need to get user data, dynamic QR codes help follow rules by letting you fast change or drop data as you need.
Pageloot’s dynamic QR code tool gives things like watching all in real-time and turning off codes, letting you run your ads well and stay in line with privacy rules. By doing these things, you keep your QR code plans safe and sure for your users.
End Words
QR code ads are more liked now, with about 99.6 million people in the U.S. using codes on their phones, and 93% of sellers using them more than last year. These ads get clicked 37% of the time, doing better than old ways of ad making.
The key to doing well with QR code ads is to mix good work with safe ways. Dynamic QR codes are great because they let you change info, see full data, and give better safety than old codes. By making safe QR codes, companies can link offline and online worlds well, making trust and getting good results.
This plan not only brings trust from buyers but also helps gather smart data and lowers harm to the earth. For example, 95% of companies use QR codes to get key data themselves, and 89% use them to not print as much, which helps the earth. This mix of better data use and care for the earth help QR codes be a key tool for sellers.
Being safe doesn’t stop fun or pulling people in. Using good tools like Pageloot’s and focusing on strong brands, companies can keep their ads safe and strong. Adding QR codes to cards, flyers, or wrapping should always aim to build trust and pull in people. This smart way sets the path for growth in QR code ads.
Looking ahead, the road for QR code ads seems good. With 86% of sellers wanting to use more QR codes and 88% seeing happier customers, the chance to make stronger ties with customers and better ad results is going up. Every scan is a chance to pull people in more and keep strong ties with them.
