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QR Code Types, Explained: WiFi, vCard, Payment, Location and More

By Aurang Zeb Loona — Loona Automation

People talk about "making a QR code" as if there were one thing to make. In fact a QR code is just a container — a pattern that stores a short piece of formatted text — and its type is the format of what is inside. The format is what tells the scanning phone what to do: open a page, join a network, save a contact, start a payment. Choosing the wrong type is why some printed codes disappoint. This guide walks through the main types, what each one stores, and how to pick the right one for the job.

The Main Types and What They Hold

One contrast worth knowing: a traditional one-dimensional barcode holds only a short ID number, and the real information lives in a database the number points to. A QR code holds the information itself, which is why it works with no database and no connection.

Static vs Dynamic: The Choice That Outlives Printing

A static code stores its content directly in the pattern. It can never be edited afterwards — but it also never expires, never needs an account, and works forever, because there is nothing between your print and the phone. A dynamic code stores a short redirect address owned by a service; the service forwards scanners to your real destination, which lets you change the destination later and count scans — at the price of depending on that service staying alive and, usually, a subscription. Rule of thumb: anything printed for the long term — signage, packaging, business cards, books — should be static. Dynamic codes earn their keep in short marketing campaigns where changing the destination or measuring scans matters more than permanence.

Error Correction: Built-In Damage Tolerance

Every QR code carries backup data, in one of four levels: L (about 7% of the code can be damaged and still read), M (15%), Q (25%) and H (30%). Higher correction survives dirt, scratches and the logo some businesses place in the centre — but it makes the pattern denser, so the code must be printed larger to stay scannable. For a clean indoor print, M is plenty. For outdoor signage, product labels, or any code with a logo in the middle, choose Q or H and print generously.

How to Choose, in One Pass

Ask three questions. What should happen when someone scans? — that picks the type from the list above. Will this content ever need to change? — if yes, and the print is short-lived, consider dynamic; if no, static, always. Where will it live? — a rough environment or a logo overlay means high error correction and a larger print. And whatever you choose: test the finished code with two different phones, from the actual printed material, before committing to a print run.

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do QR codes expire?

Static codes, no — the content is in the ink. Dynamic codes last only as long as the redirect service behind them keeps running (and the subscription stays paid).

How much information can one QR code hold?

At the largest size and lowest error correction, up to about 4,296 letters and numbers, or 2,953 bytes of general data. In practice, shorter is better: every extra character makes the pattern denser and harder to scan at small sizes.

Can I change where a printed code leads?

Only if it was created as a dynamic code — that redirect is precisely what dynamic means. A static code's destination is fixed at printing, which is its weakness and its strength.

Is it safe to scan strangers' QR codes?

A code can point to a malicious website, so let your phone show you the destination before opening it (most camera apps preview the link), and never approve a payment a code unexpectedly asks for. The code itself cannot run anything on your phone.

Create any of these types free with Loona QR Codes — 37 generators plus barcodes, made in your browser with no expiry — and for the classic household case, follow our step-by-step WiFi QR code guide.