What is QR Code? Meaning and Example

A QR code is a simple, elegant piece of technology. Resurgent, too. QR code statistics show a bright future for these little beauties.

What Does QR Stand for?

QR is short for “quick response.” QR code stands for “quick response code” because they’re able to provide information faster than traditional bar-codes.

What Is a QR Code? QR Code Meaning

A QR code is a machine-readable optical label that contains information. It’s a barcode, basically. With a slight difference: it’s two-dimensional. Read our How Do QR Codes Work? post for a more technical version.

Benefits of QR Codes

The speed is the result of information being encoded and accessed along two dimensions at the same time. More data is transmitted and data is transmitted faster. Speed is one of the primary benefits of using QR codes. But it’s certainly not the only one.

They're more reliable. With QR code error correction, they're able to sustain damage and still scan.

They’re also far more accessible than standard barcodes. Common digital image sensors can scan a two-dimensional QR code. So it’s easy to turn cell phone cameras into QR code scanners—which most major phone manufacturers have done. Virtually all major cell phones now scan QR codes with their regular cameras.

The implications for restauranteurs is huge: you don’t have to build a menu app then harangue people to download it. Just point and scan a QR code menu with a phone. It’s the democratization of scanning.

They’re also inexpensive and easy to create, maintain, and use.