Free restaurant QR codes: 5 traps to avoid
Surprise expiry, ads shown to your guests, unreadable PDFs: the traps of “free” QR codes and how to choose a reliable free plan.
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With a QR code for each table, guests open the menu, order, call the waiter or ask for the bill, and you know exactly which table every request comes from.
Why switch
To order, ask for water or the bill, they have to catch the eye of a waiter who is already busy.
An order jotted down on the fly, a misread number, and the dish goes to the wrong table.
Which tables scan, order, come back? Without table QR codes, there’s no way to know.
Features
The same little black-and-white square, but connected to your floor and your service.
Each QR code knows its table: orders and calls arrive with the right number, with nothing to type.
Guests call a waiter, ask for the bill or water in one tap. The team gets the alert on their phones.
If you turn it on, guests order straight from their table and the order goes to the kitchen.
Colours, shapes, logo in the centre and a frame with a call to action: the QR code fits your decor.
A sheet of QR codes for all your tables in high resolution, for table tents, stickers or coasters.
Track the scans of each QR code to see which areas of the room perform best.
How it works
Create your tables and areas (dining room, terrace, bar) from your dashboard.
One QR code per table, in your colours, with the table number printed below.
Table tents, stickers or plaques: place them where they’re visible and test.
The guide
The QR code should be visible as soon as guests sit down, and readable without moving plates. Acrylic or wooden table tents work best; stickers suit high tables and counters.
On a terrace, use a weighted or fixed stand and a code at least 4 cm wide: sunlight reduces the contrast on the phone screen.
The right holder depends on your venue and budget. What matters most is that it cleans easily and resists stains.
A single QR code is enough to show the menu. As soon as you want to receive orders, waiter calls or measure activity by area, one QR code per table becomes essential: it tells you where the request comes from.
QR codes are included in your Qarteo subscription, with one QR code on the free plan. You only pay for printing the holders.
No. The QR code stays the same: your online menu is what changes.
Yes. Each table QR code counts its scans and sends the table number with orders and waiter calls.
At least 3 × 3 cm indoors and 4 × 4 cm on a terrace, with a white margin around it and good contrast.
Yes, if you turn on table ordering: guests order from their phone and the order reaches the kitchen or the POS.
Online ordering
Take orders from the table, for takeaway or via WhatsApp, with no commission on your sales. Straight to the kitchen, with real-time order tracking.
DiscoverQR menu for restaurants
Create your restaurant’s QR code menu in 10 minutes: photos, translations, allergens and instant updates. Free plan, no credit card required.
DiscoverFree QR menu
Create your restaurant’s QR code menu for free: print-ready QR code, mobile menu, unlimited updates. Free-forever plan, no credit card required.
DiscoverQR menu for bars
A digital bar menu by QR code: cocktails with photos, automatic happy hour, waiter call and table ordering. Create yours for free in 10 minutes.
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Surprise expiry, ads shown to your guests, unreadable PDFs: the traps of “free” QR codes and how to choose a reliable free plan.
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Free, monthly subscription, custom development: what a QR menu really costs in 2026, hidden costs and printing included.
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Costs, guest experience, sales, image: an honest comparison of the printed menu and the QR menu, and when to keep both.
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Create your menu, set up your tables and download the QR code sheet in minutes.
Free plan with no credit card · Paid plans with a 14-day trial