Make a contact QR code for a market stand

At a pop-up market, a contact QR code gives shoppers a quick way to save your business details for later. They can scan it instead of typing a phone number or website address while they browse.

Use the QR Code Generator to make a code with contact information, then check it on a phone before you put it on a sign, price card, or product label.

Make the contact QR code

1. Open the QR Code Generator and choose the contact option.
2. Enter the details you want shoppers to save. A useful market contact card might include your business name, your name, a phone number, an email address, and your website. Leave out fields you do not want to share.
3. Review the information carefully, especially the phone number, email address, and website. A QR code stores what you enter, so a typo can send shoppers to the wrong place or create a contact with incorrect details.
4. Generate the code. If you want to use a color or logo, keep the code easy to distinguish from its background and leave a clear margin around it.
5. Save the QR code image, then scan it with a phone that is not being used to create it. Check the preview and confirm that the contact details appear as expected.

Before printing a large batch, test the actual printed sign too. Scan it from the distance a shopper will stand, under the lighting you expect at the market. A code that scans on your bright monitor may be harder to read on a small, glossy card in a shaded booth.

Choose what the code should share

A contact card for repeat customers

Include the details people need to get in touch after the market. A business phone number or email address is useful for questions and future orders. Add your website if it has current products, opening dates, or ordering information. Use a business contact address rather than a personal address if you do not want to share where you live.

A shorter card for a small sign

Every extra detail makes the QR code more complex, which can make it harder to scan when printed small. Include only the fields shoppers are likely to use. For example, a business name, email, and website may be enough if you do not take phone orders.

A contact card or a link

A contact QR code is a good fit when you want someone to save your details in their phone's contacts. A link QR code is better if the main destination is one page, such as an online store or a page with several ways to contact you. Use the contact option when saving a contact is the main goal, not just opening a page.

Color and logo choices

A dark code on a light background is usually the safest design. Avoid low contrast, such as pale gray on white, and do not put a busy image behind the code. A logo can make a sign recognizable, but a large logo may cover parts of the pattern that a scanner needs. After making a design change, scan the final version again.

Fix scanning problems

1. Make the printed code larger. If a shopper has to move their phone very close or tap repeatedly, increase the size. As a practical starting point, print a sign code at least 1 inch square, and make it larger when people will scan from farther away.
2. Restore contrast. Use a dark pattern against a plain, light background. Avoid transparent backgrounds, similar foreground and background colors, and glossy surfaces that reflect market lights.
3. Leave blank space around the pattern. Keep text, borders, stickers, and other graphics away from the code's edges. The blank margin helps a phone camera separate the code from the rest of the sign.
4. Check the saved image and print quality. Make sure the image is not blurry or stretched. If the code looks jagged, replace it with the original saved image instead of taking a screenshot or enlarging a low-resolution copy.
5. Scan the final printed version. Test it with more than one phone if possible. Hold the phone steady, use normal booth lighting, and make sure the scan opens the expected contact details before printing more copies.

Protect your personal details

Think of the information in a contact QR code as public. Anyone who can see the sign may be able to scan it, read the details, and save them. Use a business email and business phone number if you have them, and do not include a home address unless shoppers need it.

Keep a copy of the saved QR image with your market materials so you can reprint the same code later. If your phone number or website changes, make a replacement code and test it before using the new sign.