QR codes spread to stop the spread of coronavirus

… but are they being used to their full potential?

If you were out in August enjoying the Eat Out to Help Out scheme a couple of times (or dozens, we’re not judging!), you will have noticed that most restaurants have replaced their physical menus for digital ones accessed through QR codes. These black and white codes are nothing new, but their use has seen a sharp rise in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the British public is finally starting to understand their value.

However, they have not been used to their full potential yet. In most cases, restaurant QR codes are only used to see a menu. Only a handful of restaurants allow you to order from your phone and even fewer pay from it. So, yes, they save you having to touch a menu that houses a small colony of bacteria and viruses, but only to be faced by this when paying via cash or card machines. Not very COVID-secure, is it? We want to change that.

🧑🏽‍🔧 How will we help?

With billx, you will be able to create a QR code and request payments in person, keeping a metre-distance. For starters, restaurants will be able to finally let you pay at the table without having to use a POS machine. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some examples of personal and business uses for QR payments:

• Imagine someone is coming to buy your child’s abandoned guitar that you listed on Facebook Marketplace. Instead of having to share your bank details with a complete stranger, you can generate a QR payment request and get your money instantly.
• Perhaps you just want your friends to pay you back for dinner. Maybe there’s six of you and a few aren’t even on WhatsApp, so you can’t send a group text. With a billx QR payment request, you can have everyone scan the code and #PayABetterWay.
• Or maybe you are a plumber and need to request a few quid for an ad-hoc purchase. Instead of asking your client to log into their bank account, they can simply scan your QR code to pay.

With QR, the possibilities are endless.

📲 How do you read a QR code with your smartphone?

If you’ve got an iPhone or iPad, the camera comes with an in-built scanner. It’s as easy as pointing the camera at the code, making sure the QR code is visible. You don’t even have to tap the shutter button as the device will recognise the code automatically and take you where you need to be.

Android is slightly different. Most of the devices have it built into the camera, but sometimes, all it takes is to find a small symbol in the camera app, tap it, and then scan. If you still can’t figure out how to do it, you can just download the Google Lens app.

The future for QR code payments is exciting, from self-service payments to smartphone only in-person payments for sole traders and small businesses. What would you like to see them used for? Tell us in the comments!