Best QR Code Payment Apps For Businesses

Helcim QR payment codes can be displayed wherever you do business, online or off. The QR code links to a hosted online checkout page that makes it easy for customers to pay online without the need for a full eCommerce website. You can also use Helcim to add online and QR code payments to your current website.

Here are some features of Helcim QR payment codes:

• Free, no-contract account
• Free hosted payment pages with QR code payments
• No need for customers to download QR code payment app
• Create custom QR code payment pages for purchases, donations, rentals, gratuities, & more
• Free virtual terminal
• Affordable card readers & smart terminals

Helcim has no monthly fee. Helcim charges interchange-plus transaction fees for in-person and online payments, including QR code payments. These fees vary depending on your monthly sales volume, but Helcim says its average keyed-in and online payment rate is 2.49% + $0.25.

Helcim does not have any contracts, so you can stop using the service at any time. However, Helcim will not accept high-risk businesses.

You can send your QR payment links to your customers via a text or email invoice, or they can scan a QR code from a printed receipt. The customer then completes the payment on their phone by entering their credit card info or approving the transaction with Apple Pay or Samsung Pay.

As follows are the main features of PaymentCloud QR codes:

• Payment processing for high-risk businesses such as MOTO, adult, crypto, CBD, vape, & others
• No need for customers to download a QR code payment app
• QR payment codes can be scanned from a screen, printed receipt, or invoice
• POS hardware options include Clover, Poynt, & others
• Customers can pay with Apple Pay or Samsung Pay accounts
• Can be used in retail, mobile, or eCommerce settings

PaymentCloud does not list its monthly or transaction prices (including prices for QR code payment processing) on its website. This is common practice among high-risk processors, as rates are usually customized for each particular business based on business type, processing history, sales volume, credit history, and other factors.

PaymentCloud does not list its contract information on its website. In general, lower-risk businesses may be eligible for month-to-month contracts, while higher-risk businesses will likely have to sign long-term contracts.

There are multiple ways to accept QR code payments at your business using Square. When completing any transaction on the Square POS app, the customer can scan a QR code on your POS device and pay on their own phone — and also add a tip, if they like. You can also offer online QR codes or print out QR codes on receipts or for a larger display.

Here are the main features of Square’s QR code program:

• Free QR code payment app
• Comes with a free online store
• Customers can pay with all major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Square Cash, & AfterPay
• Accept printed, digital, mobile, brick-and-mortar, & online QR code payments

Square’s regular monthly price is $0/month, though the POS company also offers paid plans and paid add-ons. You do not need to be on a paid plan to utilize Square’s QR code payment features.

Square charges 2.9% + $0.30 on QR code transactions, which is the same price Square charges for all online payments.

Square contracts are pay-as-you-go/month-to-month, which means you can stop using Square at any time without incurring a penalty. However, Square does not offer users a dedicated merchant account, which could mean less account stability compared to using a POS system with a traditional merchant account.

To complete a QR code payment in Toast with scan to pay, your customer scans a printed QR code to browse your menu, order, and pay, all from their mobile device. iPhone users also have the option to pay with Apple Pay. If you have the Toast Loyalty add-on, customers will be prompted to sign up for rewards when they use scan to pay.

Here are some more things to know about Toast’s scan-to-pay features:

• No need for customers to download a QR code payment app
• Scan to pay add-on includes QR code menus, ordering, & payments
• Collect guest data on each QR payment that you can use with your marketing & loyalty programs
• Prompts every guest to sign up for your loyalty program at QR code payment checkout
• Encourages higher customer spending with item descriptions, filters, & modifiers

Toast plans range from $0/month to $165/month (the free plan has higher credit card processing rates), and there are also custom pricing plans available. However, Toast’s QR code payment system, Toast Mobile Order & Pay™, is a paid add-on and Toast does not list the pricing on its website.

If you pay for your Toast hardware and POS software upfront, scan to pay transactions are charged at Toast’s card-not-present rate: 3.5% + $0.15 for Visa, Mastercard, and Discover, and 3.89% + $0.15 for AMEX.

Toast requires a 2+ year contract, and there may be an early termination fee if you end your contract early. Before signing up for Toast, make sure you are ready to make a commitment to this POS system.

Restaurants using Clover Dining can allow customers to scan a QR payment code on their receipts to pay on their iPhones using Apple Pay. Clover also integrates with PayPal and Venmo. To accept a PayPal or Venmo payment on a Clover POS device, the merchant simply displays a QR code on their screen, which customers can scan to pay using their PayPal or Venmo app.

Here are the main Clover features to know for businesses interested in QR code payments:

• Multiple types of QR codes are accepted (Apple Pay, Venmo, & PayPal)
• Apple Pay QR code printed on restaurant receipts
• Digital scan-to-pay QR codes displayed on POS screen (for Venmo & PayPal payments)
• Industry-specific POS plans
• POS system available for purchase through multiple vendors & MSPs

Clover pricing depends on your plan and how many devices you use.

Note that while Clover plans start at $0/month and the POS can be used by businesses in the retail, restaurant, and service industries, Clover’s Scan To Pay and Scan To Order solutions (Apple Pay QR code payments for restaurants) require a plan with Clover Dining (Counter Service plan or Table Service plan), which start at $59.95/month for one device. However, you can accept PayPal and Venmo QR code payments on non-dining Clover software plans.

As for transaction fees, Clover charges card-not-present rates for QR code Apple Pay transactions at 3.5% + $0.10. To accept PayPal and Venmo, you’ll just pay PayPal or Venmo’s fee to accept QR code payments, as Clover doesn’t add an additional fee.

Some vendors offer Clover pay-as-you-go with a month-to-month contract. However, other Clover vendors have different terms, which means a poorly rated Clover vendor/payment processor might stick you with a long-term service agreement.

To accept QR code orders and payments at your restaurant, you can print out QR codes as table signs or add them as an image to your website. In your back office, you can configure your QR codes to direct to either your pickup/delivery website or to your dine-in location, depending on whether you want to use QR codes for online or dine-in orders. Hotel restaurants offering room service can also use Lightspeed Restaurant with QR code ordering.

Here are the main need-to-knows about Lightspeed Restaurant’s QR code program:

• No need for customers to download a QR code payment app
• Dine-in & online ordering options for QR code payments
• Integrates with many restaurant industry apps & hotel PMS software

Lightspeed Restaurant pricing starts at $189/month. QR code ordering is included with all plans.

Regarding processing fees, Lightspeed charges 2.6% + $0.30 for manually keyed-in and online transactions, including QR codes.

Lightspeed Restaurant may or may not require a contract, depending on your personalized quote. You may need to commit to at least an annual contract to get the best pricing.

To accept a QR code payment at your business, your customer can scan your business’s printed or digital QR code with their Venmo app. Alternatively, you can scan the customer’s QR code in their Venmo app.

Venmo QR codes have the following features:

• Use with or without a POS
• No monthly fee
• Multiple ways to accept QR code payments
• Free marketing in customers’ Venmo feeds
• Uses an app most customers have already

Venmo does not charge businesses a monthly fee to use its services.

On QR code payments, Venmo charges businesses a flat fee of 1.9% + $0.10.

Venmo has no contract for businesses; you can stop using Venmo at any time.

To have your customer pay with a QR code, simply enter the amount due on your PayPal Zettle app and select “QR code.” Your customer then opens the Venmo or PayPal app on their phone, scans the code, and the payment is processed. Your customer can also scan your business’s printed signage with your QR code. The customer will need to have their own PayPal and Venmo accounts (and apps) in order to scan for mobile payment.

Here are the main features of Zettle’s QR code payment system:

• Mobile POS for smartphones & countertop POS for iPad
• Can be used for restaurants or retail
• Syncs with your PayPal Business Account
• Printed & in-app PayPal QR codes
• The first Bluetooth card reader is only $29 & includes a screen and PIN pad
• Complimentary signage to let your customers know you accept PayPal in-person
• Integrates with QuickBooks, SalesVu, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, & other POS systems

PayPal Zettle is a free point of sale app with no monthly fee.

On QR code transactions, PayPal Zettle merchants are charged 2.29% + $0.09. This new pricing went into effect October 2023, and applies to both PayPal QR code transactions and QR code transactions made through a third-party integrator.

PayPal Zettle is month-to-month with no contract.