What Is A QR Code Payment? Everything You Need To Know About Scan To Pay Methods

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.

Where Square Really Shines

Square is an all-in-one point of sale system you can use to take 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).

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 print out QR codes on receipts or for a larger display, and offer online QR codes.

Square Features

• Free QR code payment app
• Comes with free online store
• Square QR codes accept payments from all major credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Square Pay & AfterPay
• Accept printed, digital, mobile, brick-and-mortar, & online QR code 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 can equate to less account stability compared to if you were to use a POS system with a traditional merchant account.

PaymentCloud Pricing

Payment Cloud 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 their business’s type, processing history, sales volume, credit history, and other factors.

Where PaymentCloud Really Shines

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, via its acquisition of contactless mobile payment platform paysley. You can send 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. PaymentCloud QR codes are ideal for remote businesses that sell online, over the phone, via catalog sales, etc., as well as in-person retail.

PaymentCloud Features

• Payment processing for high-risk businesses such as MOTO, adult, crypto, CBD, vape, & others
• No need for customers to download QR code payment app
• QR payment codes can be scanned from 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

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.

Toast Pricing

Toast plans range from $0/month to $165/month (the free plan has higher credit card processing rate) 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 for this add-on on its website.

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.

Where Toast Really Shines

Toast is an Android POS system designed expressly for restaurants. 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 other digital ordering and payment options, including tableside ordering devices for servers, online ordering with curbside pickup, delivery management, and mobile ordering with the Toast Takeout app. Toast also makes it easy for your patrons to both order and pay from their own phones with Scan to pay.

Toast’s QR code system works great for fast-casual setups with dine-in or takeout customers. 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 also be prompted to sign up for rewards when they check out with Scan to pay.

Toast Features

• Android POS hardware built for restaurants
• Scan to pay add-on includes QR code menus, ordering, & payments
• Collect guest data on each transaction that you can use with your marketing & loyalty programs
• Prompts every guest to sign up for your loyalty program at checkout
• Encourages higher customer spending with item descriptions, filters, & modifiers
• Add-on options for payroll, KDS, gift cards, email marketing & more

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Toast requires a 2+ year contract and there may be an early termination fee if you depart your contract early. Before signing up for Toast, make sure you are ready to make a commitment to this POS system.

Clover Pricing

Clover pricing and costs depend on your plan and how many devices you use. Clover Dining plans for restaurants start at $44.95/month for one device, and there is a starter plan for retail and other industries that’s just $14.95/month for one device. Note that these prices relate only to plans purchased directly from Clover.com.

As for transaction fees, Clover charges card-not-present rates for QR code Apple Pay transactions — 3.5% + $0.10. To accept PayPal and Venmo, you’ll just pay PayPal or Venmo’s fee to accept QR code payments (Clover doesn’t add an additional fee).

Where Clover Really Shines

Clover is a popular Android-based POS system that combines sleek 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 different industries. Clover also has a few ways that customers can pay with QR code.

Restaurants using Clover Dining can allow customers to scan a QR payment code on their receipt to pay on their iPhone 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.

Clover Features

• Multiple types of QR codes 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 tailored to different industries
• POS system available for purchase through multiple vendors & MSPs

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Clover plans purchased through Clover.com are pay-as-you-go with a month-to-month contract. However, different Clover vendors have different terms, which means a poorly rated Clover vendor/payment processor might stick you with a long-term service agreement.

Lightspeed Pricing

Lightspeed Restaurant pricing starts at $39/month. However, Order Anywhere, Lightspeed’s paid add-on that includes QR code ordering and payments, carries an additional monthly charge. The fee for Order Anywhere is not listed on Lightspeed’s website so you’ll have to reach out to the company for a quote.

Where Lightspeed Restaurant Really Shines

Lightspeed Restaurant is an iPad restaurant POS with numerous features, options, and integrations. Built for speed and simplicity, Lightspeed is easy to use and train your restaurant employees on. Lightspeed is an all-in-one system like Toast and includes built-in payment processing like Toast (though Lightsped 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.

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.

Lightspeed Restaurant Features

• No need for customers to download QR code payment app
• Dine-in & online ordering options for QR code payments
• No long-term commitment
• Hotel PMS integrations
• Integrates with many other restaurant industry apps
• In-house delivery, loyalty, KDS, gift cards, & other add-ons

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Lightspeed Restaurant offers month-to-month pricing with no long-term contract.

Venmo Pricing

Venmo does not charge businesses any monthly fee to use its services.

On QR code payments, Venmo charges businesses a flat fee of 1.9% + $0.10.

Where Venmo Really Shines

Venmo makes mobile payments easy for small businesses and their customers. There are several ways businesses can accept payments using PayPal-owned Venmo, including QR code payments. Venmo QR payments come with no monthly fees and affordable processing fees. You can use Venmo QR codes with an integrated POS, or separately from your POS system.

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. Fortunately, most people have Venmo installed on their phone already–especially if your customer base includes a lot of millennials and Gen Z.

Although Venmo QR code payments may not integrate with your POS, Venmo can be a good way to get started with QR code payments at your business. 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). Learn more by reading our article using Venmo for businesses.

Venmo 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

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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

PayPal Zettle Pricing

PayPal Zettle is a free point of sale app with no monthly fee.

On QR code transactions $10.01 and above, PayPal Zettle merchants are billed 1.9% + $0.10, while QR code transactions $10.00 and under are 2.4% + $0.05.

Where PayPal Zettle Really Shines

PayPal’s mobile POS app, PayPal Zettle, can be used to accept in-person PayPal and Venmo QR code payments at your business. 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.  

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 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.

PayPal Zettle Features

• Mobile POS for smartphones & countertop POS for iPad
• Can be used for restaurants or retail
• Syncs with your PayPal business account
• Printed and in-app PayPal QR codes
• First Bluetooth card reader is only $29 & includes screen, PIN pad
• Complimentary signage to let your customers know you accept PayPal in-person
• Integrates with QuickBooks, SalesVu, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, & several other POS systems

Contract Requirements/Warnings

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