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Best QR Code Payment Apps For Businesses In 2024

How do you pay with a QR code? Are QR code payments worth investing in as a small business? Here's everything you need to know.

    Shannon Vissers
  • Last updated onUpdated

  • Frank Kehl
  • REVIEWED BY

    Frank Kehl

    Expert Contributor

Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.

The QR code payment — also known as “scan to pay” — is an increasingly popular alternative to cash and credit cards for small businesses. Fortunately, this technology is easy to implement and all of the best credit card processing companies offer QR code payments.

Accepting payments with a QR code is as simple as displaying a code on your POS screen or phone that customers can scan with the cameras on their phones. To get started, your business just needs a QR code payment app that can accept scan-to-pay transactions.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

CompanyBest ForNext StepsBest For
Helcim

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  • Interchange-plus QR code processing
  • $0/month
  • Suitable for any business type
  • Interchange-plus QR code processing
  • $0/month
  • Suitable for any business type

Visit Site

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PaymentCloud

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  • Contact PaymentCloud for processing fees
  • Contact PaymentCloud for monthly pricing
  • Suitable for high-risk businesses
  • Contact PaymentCloud for processing fees
  • Contact PaymentCloud for monthly pricing
  • Suitable for high-risk businesses

Visit Site

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Square POS

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  • 2.9% + $0.30 QR code processing
  • $0+/month
  • Suitable for any business type
  • 2.9% + $0.30 QR code processing
  • $0+/month
  • Suitable for any business type

Visit Site

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Toast POS

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  • 3.5% + $0.15 for QR code processing
  • $0+/month
  • Suitable for restaurants
  • 3.5% + $0.15 for QR code processing
  • $0+/month
  • Suitable for restaurants

Visit Site

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Clover POS

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  • 3.5% + $0.10 Apple Pay QR code payments
  • $0+/month
  • Suitable for restaurants, retail, & service businesses
  • 3.5% + $0.10 Apple Pay QR code payments
  • $0+/month
  • Suitable for restaurants, retail, & service businesses

Visit Site

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Lightspeed Restaurant

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  • 2.6% + $0.30 for QR code processing
  • $189+/month
  • Suitable for restaurants
  • 2.6% + $0.30 for QR code processing
  • $189+/month
  • Suitable for restaurants

Visit Site

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Venmo

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  • 1.9% + $0.10 for QR code processing
  • $0/month
  • Suitable for most small businesses
  • 1.9% + $0.10 for QR code processing
  • $0/month
  • Suitable for most small businesses

Visit Site

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PayPal Zettle

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  • 2.29% + $0.09 for QR code processing
  • $0/month
  • Suitable for small retail & small restaurant businesses
  • 2.29% + $0.09 for QR code processing
  • $0/month
  • Suitable for small retail & small restaurant businesses

Visit Site

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Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

Table of Contents

What Is A QR Code Payment? 

A QR code is a “Quick Response” code, a type of two-dimensional barcode that’s scannable with a smartphone camera or barcode reader. QR codes can be used to share information or to complete a mobile/online payment.

Typically, customers scan a merchant’s QR code with their phones. They are prompted to open a website or QR code payment app to finish the payment. Then, they’ll enter credit card details or connect a mobile wallet such as Apple Pay to finish the transaction.

Businesses can also process QR code transactions by scanning a customer’s QR code. For example, the customer might have a plastic gift card with a QR code printed on it or a digital QR code saved in their mobile wallet.

How Do QR Code Payments Work?

There are a couple of ways to accept QR code payments at your business. Here’s how it works.

Displaying A QR Code That Customers Can Scan To Pay

Customers can scan your business’s QR code to pay.

  • The Customer Needs a Smartphone: To pay with a merchant’s QR code, the customer needs to scan the code using their phone’s camera.
  • Can Be Digital Or Physical: The merchant’s QR code can be printed (e.g., on a sign or a receipt) or displayed on a screen.
  • Works In-Person Or Online: Merchants can display QR codes at their brick-and-mortar stores or online using their website.
  • Your Business Needs A QR Code App: To generate a QR code, your business needs an account associated with that particular QR code app, such as Venmo, Square, or another software service.
  • Your Customer May Not Need An App: With some QR code payments, the customer will need to use a specific QR code payment app. But in many cases, the customer can scan your code and complete payment in a browser without using a specific app or account.

Scanning A Customer's QR Code

Businesses can also scan customers’ QR codes to collect payment.

  • The Customer Can Use An App Or Mobile Wallet: The customer may pay with a QR payment code saved to their mobile wallet or using a QR code payment app that lets them display a QR code linked to their saved payment information.
  • Your Business Needs The Same App: To accept a customer’s QR code payment, your point of sale will need to be configured to use the same QR code payment app, service, or POS software that generated the code.
  • The Customer Can Also Show You A Printed Code: The customer’s printed QR code might show proof of completed payment, such as with a physical gift card that has a QR code printed on it.
  • You Need The Right Equipment: To scan a QR payment code, your business needs a mobile POS device (smartphone or tablet) with a camera or a 2D barcode scanner that can read QR codes.

8 Best Scan To Pay & QR Code Payment Apps

QR code payment solutions are offered by both traditional merchant account providers (e.g., First Data or Elavon) as well as payment service providers (e.g., Square or PayPal)  These are our top choices for scan-to-pay apps.

How The Best Scan-To-Pay Apps Compare

Type of providerIndustryLong-term contract?Customer app requirements
HelcimMerchant accountAny
PaymentCloudMerchant accountHigh-riskSometimes
Square POSPayment service providerAny
Toast POSMerchant accountRestaurant
Clover POSMerchant accountAnySometimesApple Pay or Venmo
Lightspeed RestaurantMerchant accountRestaurantSometimes
VenmoPayment service providerAnyVenmo
PayPal ZettlePayment service providerAnyPayPal or Venmo

Helcim: Best For High-Volume Businesses

Total Rating 4.9
Fees & Rates5.0

Products & Services4.4

Contract5.0

Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0

Customer Service4.8

User Reviews4.5



Pros

  • No monthly fee
  • No contract
  • Easy online checkout

Cons

  • Not suitable for high-risk businesses
  • Basic POS features

Why We Chose Helcim For High-Volume Businesses

Helcim is a refreshingly transparent payment processor offering interchange-plus pricing with month-to-month billing and straightforward merchant services. Helcim is ideal for low-risk businesses, ideally with high processing volumes, since the higher your processing volumes are, the more you save. Helcim works well for online and in-person payments, with or without a full POS system.

Helcim QR Payment App Features

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 Pricing

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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

Helcim Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Belong to a low-risk industry
  • Have high processing volumes (ideally at least $25,000/month)
  • Want to offer easy online checkout but don’t need a full eCommerce website

Get Started With Helcim

Read our in-depth review

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PaymentCloud: Best For High-Risk Businesses

Total Rating 4.1
Fees & Rates4.3

Products & Services5.0

Contract2.8

Sales & Advertising Transparency3.9

Customer Service4.2

User Reviews4.0



Exclusive Promo: PaymentCloud will give you $200 if they can't beat your current rate. Get Your Quote

Pros

  • Reputable high-risk processor
  • Online & printed QR codes
  • Samsung Pay & Apple Pay integrations

Cons

  • Pricing is not transparent

Why We Chose PaymentCloud For High-Risk Businesses

PaymentCloud differentiates itself from other payment processors not just because it caters to high-risk businesses, but because it is one of the few reputable processors in the high-risk processing space. This processor is so well-regarded that low-risk processors such as Stripe and Dharma Merchant Services commonly refer rejected applicants to PaymentCloud.

PaymentCloud allows high-risk businesses to accept a variety of electronic payment forms, including QR codes. PaymentCloud QR codes are ideal for remote businesses that sell online, over the phone, and via catalog sales, as well as in-person retail.

PaymentCloud QR Code Payment App Features

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 Pricing

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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.

PaymentCloud Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Belong to a high-risk industry
  • Have been rejected by other payment processors
  • Want to send QR code payments via invoice, receipt, text-to-pay, email, or social media

Get Started With PaymentCloud

Read our in-depth review

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Square POS: Best For Low-Volume Businesses

Total Rating 4.9
Pricing4.9

Ease Of Use5.0

Features4.8

Customer Service4.7

User Reviews4.8

Pricing Range

$0/month

None

$49-$799

Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.

Pros

  • No monthly fee
  • Multiple ways to accept QR code payments
  • Customer doesn’t need to have an app installed

Cons

  • Possible issues with account stability
  • Doesn’t integrate with third-party QR code apps like Venmo

Why We Chose Square For Low-Volume Businesses

Square is an all-in-one point of sale system you can use to take QR code payments at your brick-and-mortar business, on the go, or online, using any combination of Square POS hardware options and add-ons. Square can be used for just about any industry and any size business, though it's especially popular with quick-serve restaurants, small retailers, mobile businesses, and service-based businesses (such as hairstylists).

Square uses a flat-rate processing model, which works best for low-risk, low-volume businesses with small ticket sizes.

Square POS Scan To Pay Features

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 Pricing

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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.

Square Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Belong to a low-risk industry
  • Have a low processing volume (ideally less than $10,000/month)
  • Have a low average ticket size (ideally below $15)

Get Started With Square POS

Read our in-depth review

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Toast POS: Best For Fast-Casual Restaurants

Total Rating 4.0
Pricing2.6

Ease Of Use4.7

Features5.0

Customer Service5.0

User Reviews4.1

Pricing Range

$0/month, $69/month, and a custom plan

Online Ordering

Yes

Equipment Cost

$0+ if you agree to a higher processing rate

Pros

  • POS system designed specifically for restaurants
  • Built-in scan-to-pay system
  • Integrates with Apple Pay

Cons

  • Card-not-present transaction fees charged for QR code payments
  • Long-term processing contract

Why We Chose Toast For Fast-Casual Restaurants

Toast is a proprietary Android POS system designed expressly for restaurants. Toast's QR code system has many features for fast-casual setups with dine-in or takeout customers. This tech-forward system is an excellent choice for any type of restaurant business that wants to modernize its ordering system.

In addition to built-in QR code payment acceptance, Toast has many digital ordering and payment options, including proprietary tableside ordering devices for servers and online ordering with the Toast Takeout app. Toast also makes it easy for your patrons to order and pay from their own phones with scan to pay.

Toast POS Scan To Pay Features

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 Pricing

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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.

Toast POS Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Are in the hospitality industry (ideally fast-casual)
  • Wants to let patrons order and pay on their phones
  • Needs a scan to pay option with integrated loyalty

Get Started With Toast POS

Read our in-depth review

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Clover POS: Best For Counter-Service Restaurants

Total Rating 4.3
Pricing4.0

Ease Of Use4.8

Features4.5

Customer Service4.4

User Reviews4.1

Pricing Range

$0 - $84.95/month

Contract Length

3 years

Equipment Cost

$49-$1,799

Pros

  • Apple Pay QR code payments for restaurants
  • Venmo & PayPal QR code payments for any business
  • Month-to-month pricing available from some Clover vendors

Cons

  • Card-not-present transaction fees for QR code payments with Clover Dining
  • Customer must have Apple Pay, Venmo, or PayPal for QR code payment

Why We Chose Clover For Counter-Service Restaurants

Clover is a fast and easy-to-use POS system that combines sleek proprietary Android hardware with payment processing in one all-in-one point of sale system. Clover has several hardware options -- including Clover Station, Clover Mini, and Clover Flex -- and can be used in many industries.

Thanks to its fast processing speed and swivel screen for easy tipping at the counter, Clover is especially popular with counter-service businesses such as coffee shops and even has a plan made just for counter-service businesses. Clover also has multiple ways that customers can pay with QR codes.

Clover Scan To Pay Features

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

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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.

Clover Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Need a full POS system for in-person service
  • Want a QR code solution that works with Apple Pay, Venmo, & PayPal
  • Want a customer-facing screen for easy tipping

Get Started With Clover POS

Read our in-depth review

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Lightspeed Restaurant: Best iPad Restaurant POS

Lightspeed Restaurant

Total Rating 4.0
Pricing3.1

Ease Of Use3.8

Features5.0

Customer Service4.3

User Reviews4.7

Pricing Range

$189-$399+/month

Online Ordering

Yes

Equipment Cost

$129-$519

Promo: Get 20% off of hardware and plans from Lightspeed when you sign up with Lightspeed Payments. Offer valid through 11/30/2024. Claim your discount.

Pros

  • Restaurant-specific POS
  • QR code payments for online orders & dine-in
  • Works for hotel restaurants/room service

Cons

  • Can get expensive with add-ons

Why We Chose Lightspeed Restaurant For Best iPad Restaurant POS

Built for speed and simplicity, Lightspeed is an all-in-one restaurant POS that includes built-in payment processing like Toast (though Lightspeed gives you the option to use an outside processor if desired).

Lightspeed's QR code payment system also works similarly to Toast's, letting customers pay using QR codes online or at your restaurant for dine-in or takeout. However, Lightspeed is better for businesses that want to use iPad-based POS hardware -- which is convenient for restaurants switching from another iPad POS system (or if you want the option to use your hardware with a different iPad POS in the future).

Lightspeed QR Code Payment Features

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

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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.

Lightspeed Restaurant Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Belong to the hospitality industry
  • Prefer to use iPad POS hardware
  • Want to let customers order & pay with QR codes, either for takeout or in-person dining

Get Started With Lightspeed Restaurant

Read our in-depth review

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Venmo: Best For Getting Started With QR Code Payments

Venmo


Visit Site


Pros

  • Accept Venmo payments in-person
  • Integrates with PayPal Zettle & Clover POS
  • Can be used to accept QR code payments without a POS

Cons

  • Customers must have Venmo app
  • Limited POS integration options

Why We Chose Venmo For Businesses Getting Started With QR Code Payments

Venmo makes mobile payments easy for small businesses and their customers. There are several ways businesses can use Venmo, including Venmo QR code payments. Venmo QR payments come with no monthly costs and affordable processing fees. You can use Venmo QR codes with or without an integrated POS.

Although Venmo QR code payments may not integrate with your POS, Venmo can be a good way to get started with QR code payments. Venmo can also be useful for new businesses that don't have a full POS system yet, and you can get shoutouts in customers' Venmo feeds every time they shop via QR code (if their account is set to public).

Venmo Scan To Pay Features

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 QR Code Payment Pricing

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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

Venmo Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Don’t have a full POS
  • Want a free way to accept QR code payments
  • Want to add Venmo as a payment option (while also accepting other types of payments)

Get Started With Venmo

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PayPal Zettle: Best For Accepting PayPal In-Person

PayPal Zettle


Visit Site

Pricing

No monthly fee

Contract

None

Equipment Cost

$29 for your first card reader

Pros

  • Accept in-person PayPal and Venmo payments
  • No monthly fee
  • Integrates with your PayPal Business Account

Cons

  • Basic mobile POS not ideal for larger businesses
  • Customer needs PayPal or Venmo to make QR payment

Why We Chose Zettle For Accepting PayPal In-Person

PayPal's mobile POS app, PayPal Zettle, uses QR code technology to let businesses accept PayPal in-store, as well as Venmo payments. The app also features automatic syncing with your PayPal Business account, making Zettle an ideal mobile POS for PayPal sellers who also sell in person. It's also free to use, with no monthly software fee.

You can use Zettle as a mobile POS for on-the-go credit card processing and QR code payments or as part of a countertop POS solution.  

PayPal Zettle Scan To Pay Features

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 Pricing

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.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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

PayPal Zettle Is Best For Businesses That ...

  • Already use PayPal to sell online
  • Need a basic mobile POS without pricey added features
  • Want to accept PayPal and/or Venmo payments in-person

Get Started With PayPal Zettle

Read our in-depth review

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Retail POS Review Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing POS providers since 2012. Our writers have tested over 100 different point of sale systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate POS providers.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Pricing 40%
Features 30%
Ease Of Use 15%
Customer Service 10%
User Reviews 5%

When comparing different POS software systems, we consider many data points, including relative pricing, the depth of niche features offered, the price of hardware, and any associated payment processing fees. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points. The POS vendors we pick share qualities such as widespread availability, accessibility, user-friendliness, and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at niche features, such as check-splitting, inventory management, eCommerce, loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.

80+

Vendors evaluated

65+

Attributes assessed per vendor

20+

Features weighed

30+

Combined years of experience


Why You Should Offer Customers A “Pay With QR Code” Option

QR codes have been around since 1994 but didn’t really take off as a way to accept payments until the COVID-19 pandemic. During COVID, QR codes became known as a “socially distanced” payment form that allowed merchants to accept mobile payments at a safe distance. But even as COVID-related restrictions fade, QR codes remain a popular payment option.

In fact, from 2022 to 2024 — long after social distancing fell out of practice in most business settings  — QR code scans quadrupled.

Advantages Of QR Code Payments

Here are the major advantages of accepting QR code scan-to-pay at your business:

  • Reduces Staffing Needs: Since customers complete QR code transactions on their own phones, this reduces staffing needs in both retail and restaurant settings. Restaurants can especially stand to benefit from QR codes, since QR codes can be used both to order and pay for food, greatly reducing the burden on servers.
  • Saves Time: Particularly when combined with QR code ordering such as in a restaurant or quick-serve setting, QR code payments can save a lot of time. The customer doesn’t have to wait in line to order and pay, or wait at the table for the server to take their order or bring the check after the meal. Not only is the customer’s time saved, but the business benefits from a quicker turnover.
  • Can Be Used In A Variety Of Settings: Versatile QR codes can be printed or scanned from a screen, making them suitable for a variety of business settings and models. They can be used to make payments online or in person, at your POS, or from another area of your business such as the sales floor or a restaurant table. QR codes can also be used in unique settings such as stadium concessions or ghost kitchens.
  • May Increase Customer Spend: When customers can order and pay on their own, they are likely to spend more. According to Toast, the average check size is approximately 9% higher for customers using QR code payments versus standard dine-in.
  • Increases Engagement: QR code payment links can request customer information such as their name and email address, which can be used for CRM. QR code payment systems integrate easily with your email marketing and loyalty program, turning one-time customers into loyal fans.
  • Easy Price Updates: QR codes direct the scanner to an online payment page that the business owner can modify at their discretion. This makes it easy for restaurants and other businesses to update their pricing as needed, particularly during this time of rising costs.

Disadvantages Of QR Code Payments

There are also some downsides to making QR code payments standard at your business.

  • Usually Charged At Card-Not-Present Rate: Since QR code payments are technically online payments, they are charged at a higher rate than the standard in-person processing rate. QR code payments may be charged at the processor’s online rate, card-not-present rate, or its own separate rate.
  • Not As Easy For Older Customers: QR code payments may be easy for younger consumers who are used to using their smartphones for everything, but older customers may struggle to figure it out. And of course, not everyone even has a smartphone.
  • Not Universal: QR code payment systems use different apps and methods. Your customer may not have the right app installed to make a QR code payment. For example, your business may accept Venmo QR code payments, but your customer doesn’t have a Venmo account. Or your QR code payment system may connect with Apple Pay, but your customer uses an Android or doesn’t have Apple Pay configured on their iPhone.

Is “Scan To Pay” Better Than “Tap To Pay”?

Tap to Pay can refer to Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, or to NFC payments in general. When comparing tapped and scanned payments, it’s hard to say if one is “better” than the other, as they both serve different purposes for businesses.

With tapped (NFC) payments, a mobile device or contactless credit card must be held closely — within about an inch — to an NFC-enabled payment reader. Using Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, merchants can accept customers’ tapped payments using just the NFC chip in the merchant’s phone, so no external reader is required.

Scan to pay (QR code payments), on the other hand, allows customers to make a payment on their own, from anywhere. That is, the merchant doesn’t need to be present to accept the payment with their phone and/or card reader.

Scan to Pay and Tap to Pay have certain things in common, as they are both technically contactless, and both can use digital wallets such as Apple Pay.

Tapped payments are considered card-present payments, which means that the merchants will pay a lower transaction fee for tapped payments than they will for QR code payments, which are considered card-not-present payments.

It’s beneficial to be able to take QR code payments at your small business because it allows you to accept payments remotely or in other situations when you don’t have a physical payment reader. With that being said, most merchants will also want a way to accept card-present payments.

Which QR Code Payment App Is Right For You?

QR code payment technology bridges mobile payments and online payments to offer a unique way for customers to pay using their own devices. Now that you know more about QR code payment technology and implementation, you should have a better sense of whether a QR code payment system is right for you.

No matter the type of business you have, it’s good to offer customers at least some alternative payment options, even if you opt to not use QR codes in your business. 

FAQs: Best QR Code Payment Apps For Businesses In 2024

Are QR code payments secure?

In some ways, a QR code payment is more secure than a transaction in which a credit card is physically exchanged since a QR payment offers no opportunity for an employee or nearby thief to steal the customer’s credit card number.

All online payments, including QR payments, do carry the potential for online credit card theft. However, this risk can be greatly reduced by using a secure, PCI-compliant payment website or app.

Can you pay with QR code online?

You can pay with a QR code online if the payment gateway supports it. Not all payment gateways support payment methods that have QR codes built into the checkout process, including AliPay and WeChat Pay.

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Shannon Vissers

Shannon Vissers

Lead Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick
Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.
Shannon Vissers
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