Put a logo inside a QR code for a retail counter

A QR code on a small counter card can help customers open your menu, join a Wi-Fi network, contact your store, or visit a product page. Adding your logo makes the code feel connected to your shop, but an oversized logo or a low-contrast design can make scanning unreliable.

Make the code for the action customers need, add a modest logo, then test a print at the counter before you order a batch. The QR Code Generator creates QR codes for links, contacts, Wi-Fi, WhatsApp, and more, with color and logo options.

Make a logo QR code for your counter

1. Open the QR Code Generator and choose the type of information you want the code to contain. For a product page or menu, use its link. For store Wi-Fi, use the Wi-Fi option instead of asking customers to type the network name and password.
2. Enter the final destination or details. Check the spelling, URL, phone number, or Wi-Fi password before generating the code. A printed QR code stores the information you entered, so changing the sign later will not change the code itself.
3. Add your logo and choose colors that keep the code clear. Use a simple, high-contrast logo file if possible. Keep the logo centered and small enough that it does not cover the larger square markers in the corners.
4. Save or download the QR code, then place it in a counter sign with a short instruction such as “Scan for the menu.” Leave clear space around the code so its edge is not crowded by a border, price, or other graphic.
5. Print one sample at the size you plan to use. Scan it with more than one phone, from the customer side of the counter, under the lighting the sign will actually face.

For a small card scanned from arm's length, start with a QR code about 1.25 inches (3 cm) wide or larger. Make it bigger if customers will scan from farther away, if the counter is dim, or if the print surface is glossy. The practical test is whether customers can scan it quickly without leaning over the counter or trying several times.

Choose what the QR code should open

A link to a menu, product page, or store information

Use a link when customers should open a page in their browser. Check the link on a phone that is not signed in to your business accounts. If it leads to a page that requires a login, customers may reach the page but still be unable to use it.

A Wi-Fi code for customers

Choose the Wi-Fi option if the goal is to connect customers to guest internet. Confirm the network name and password carefully, and make sure the guest network is the one you intend to share. Do not put a private staff network on a public sign.

A contact or messaging code

Use a contact or WhatsApp code when customers should save store details or start a conversation. Check that the phone number includes the correct country code and that the message destination is one your staff can monitor.

A code that scans only when the logo is removed

The logo may cover too much of the QR pattern, or the code may be too small, faint, or crowded. Make the logo smaller, increase the QR code's size, restore strong contrast, and leave a clear margin around it. For more on logo coverage, see QR code logo covers important parts? Fix it.

Improve scanning if customers have trouble

1. Print a larger code. Increase the code's size on the sign, not just the overall sign dimensions. A bigger code gives a phone camera more detail to recognize.
2. Use a dark code on a light background. Avoid pale colors, low contrast, and busy pictures behind the pattern. If you use a colored design, test it on paper before using it at the counter.
3. Reduce the logo size. If the QR code scans without the logo but not with it, make the logo smaller. A logo should identify your business, not dominate the code.
4. Keep the quiet zone clear. The quiet zone is the blank border around a QR code that helps a camera find its edges. Do not let a frame, text, or another image run into that space.
5. Check the print surface and lighting. Glare from a plastic sleeve or glossy card can hide parts of the pattern. Move the sign away from direct reflections, or try a matte print.
6. Verify the destination on a phone. Confirm the page opens and works on mobile data as well as Wi-Fi. If customers need internet access to open it, the QR code itself cannot provide that connection.

Test the sign in its real location

A code that scans on a computer screen may behave differently after printing. Print at the intended size and place the sample where customers will see it. Try scanning from the usual standing position, with the counter lights on, and with the sign behind any plastic holder you plan to use.

Ask someone who has not seen the sign to scan it. They should be able to tell what it does from the short instruction and reach the right page without help. If the code is for Wi-Fi, check that a phone can join the guest network. If it is for a menu or product page, verify that the page loads and that important buttons are easy to tap.

Keep a copy of the final design and the destination details. If you change the destination URL, create and print a new code. A code that contains a direct link does not update itself when the page address changes.