Payment QR code generator
This payment QR code generator turns a payment link you already have, from PayPal.me, Venmo, Stripe, Square, Wise or your bank, into a code customers scan to pay you. The code is static, so it never expires and no money or data passes through this site. It is free with no sign-up, made entirely in your browser, and verified by a real scanner before you download it.
Content: Payment link
Any payment page or link from your provider. Nothing is processed here.
Style
PNG, JPG or SVG up to 2 MB. It stays on your device.
Your codes on this device
Off by default. When on, each downloaded code (type, content, style) is saved in this browser only, never uploaded. You can delete them at any time.
How to use the payment QR code generator
- Get your payment link from the provider: paypal.me/yourname from PayPal, your profile link from Venmo, a Payment Link from the Stripe dashboard, a checkout link from Square, or a pay-me link from Wise.
- Open the link in a browser first to check it lands on your own name and, if you added one, the right amount.
- Paste the full address, including https://, into Payment link.
- Add your own logo with Upload logo if you want the code branded; do not use the provider's logo, which belongs to them.
- Wait for the badge under the preview to read Verified, then choose Download PNG, Download SVG or Download PDF.
Payment QR code details
A payment QR code is a link code. It holds an address such as https://paypal.me/annasbakery/25 or https://buy.stripe.com/abc123 exactly as you paste it, and the phone opens that page. The payment itself happens on the provider’s site, under the provider’s login and protection. This site never sees a transaction; the code is finished the moment you download it.
What the encoder does with your input
The link is stored as plain text. The generator does not shorten it, does not wrap it in a redirect and does not add tracking, which is why the code cannot expire or be pointed elsewhere later. The one thing to get right is the address itself: paste the full link with https:// from the provider’s own page rather than typing it from memory, since a misspelt username sends money to a stranger or to nobody.
What the person scanning sees
Modern phones show the link’s domain before opening it, so a customer sees paypal.me, venmo.com, buy.stripe.com or square.link and can decide whether to trust it. Use links on the provider’s own domain, not a shortener, so the name people see matches the name on the counter. The QR code reader on this site shows “This is a link to paypal.me” in the same way when you check the downloaded file.
Amounts inside the link
Some providers let the link carry the amount. PayPal accepts paypal.me/name/25 for 25 in your account’s currency, or paypal.me/name/25EUR to fix the currency. Stripe and Square payment links are created with a price in the dashboard, so the amount lives on the provider’s side and can be changed there without reprinting the code. Venmo profile links open the pay screen with the amount left empty. Where the amount is in the link, one code per price is the rule.
Safety when printing
- Caption every code. “Pay Anna’s Bakery via PayPal” under the code tells people what to expect and makes a swapped sticker easier to spot.
- Check the host. Scan the printed code yourself and confirm the domain shown is the provider’s.
- Protect the surface. Codes on counters get covered with fraudulent stickers; a laminated card behind the counter or a code on the receipt is harder to tamper with.
Common mistakes
- Pasting the dashboard page instead of the public payment link, which opens a login page for you and an error for everyone else.
- Encoding account details instead of a link. An IBAN or account number is not a payment link; if that is what you want to share, use the text type and print it beside the code.
Read the size guide if the code will be scanned from further than arm’s length.
This code never expires
The code contains only the payment link you pasted, so it works for as long as your account and that link exist, with no middleman that can lapse. This is a static QR code: the data is written into the pattern, so scanning it needs no server, no account and no subscription. There is nothing to renew and no redirect that can be switched off, which is why a code made here keeps working for as long as the printed copy exists. The trade-off is honest: a static code cannot be edited after printing and does not count scans. If you need either, encode a link to a page you control. Read how static and dynamic codes differ, and if a code you already have has stopped working, see why QR codes expire.
Styling, formats and print size
Every code can be styled in the Style panel: six dot shapes, corner shapes, solid or gradient colours, a transparent background, a quiet zone of 0–8 modules, and your own logo up to 30 percent of the width. A contrast checker warns below 3:1 and blocks downloads below 1.5:1, and after each change the preview is decoded again so the badge tells you whether the styled code still scans.
| Output | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Web, documents, quick prints | 256 to 4096 px; transparent background supported |
| SVG | Designers and print shops | Vector, scales without limit; logo embedded |
| Printing at an exact size | Vector modules at a chosen width in mm or inches, optional caption | |
| JPG | Platforms that reject PNG | White background; no transparency |
| EPS | Legacy print workflows | Vector from the module matrix, no logo |
| Copy / Print | Pasting into a document; a quick paper test | PNG to the clipboard; print view with caption |
Print size: as a rule of thumb the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance wide, with the quiet zone included.
| Scan distance | Minimum width |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m (arm's length) | 5 cm |
| 1 m | 10 cm |
| 2 m | 20 cm |
| 5 m | 50 cm |
Payment codes are scanned at arm's length on counters, invoices and donation cards, so 3–5 cm is enough; always print a caption saying who is paid and for what.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a payment QR code expire?
The code does not; it holds your payment link as plain text with nothing in between. The link can, though: a Stripe or Square payment link you deactivate, or a PayPal.me name you change, stops working and the code with it. Keep the link alive on the provider's side and the code is good indefinitely.
Does any money go through this site?
No. The site produces an image containing your link and nothing else. It has no payment processor, no account and no knowledge of who scans the code. The customer pays on PayPal, Venmo, Stripe or whichever provider the link belongs to, under that provider's terms and buyer protection.
Can this payment QR code generator make a PayPal QR code with a fixed amount?
Yes, by putting the amount in the link. paypal.me/yourname/12.50 opens the PayPal page with 12.50 filled in, and adding a currency code such as 12.50USD fixes the currency. Make one code per amount if you sell a few fixed items; for variable amounts, use the bare paypal.me/yourname link.
Can I make a Venmo QR code?
Yes. Paste your Venmo profile link, venmo.com/u/yourname, and the code opens your profile with the pay button. Profile links normally open with the amount empty, so the payer types it. The Venmo app offers its own in-app code; the difference here is a print-ready SVG or PDF with your own styling.
Is it safe to print a payment code in public?
Reasonably, with two habits: caption the code with your name and provider, and check it now and then to make sure nobody has stuck a different code over it. The link can only lead to the account it names; the risk is substitution, not the code itself, and a caption makes substitution obvious.
What does the customer see when they scan?
Their camera shows the link's domain, for example paypal.me, and asks whether to open it. Tapping opens the provider's page or app with your name and, if the link carries one, the amount. They log in to their own account, confirm and pay. You get the provider's usual notification.
Can I track how many people pay through the code?
Not through the code, which has no way to report scans. Your provider's dashboard shows the payments themselves, and Stripe and Square let you create a separate payment link per location, so a different link on each poster tells you where a payment came from without any tracking service.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.