Dynamic QR vs static QR: which to choose for your restaurant
Dynamic vs static QR codes for a restaurant menu: the real differences, when to use each and why you don't always need a dynamic QR.
When a restaurant is about to print the QR code for its menu, the most common question is whether it needs a dynamic QR or a static QR. The difference matters: it decides whether you can change where the QR points without reprinting it, whether you get statistics, and what happens if you ever switch provider.
What is a static QR code
A static QR has the information written directly into the pattern of the code: a web address, a text, WiFi credentials or a phone number. When you scan it, the phone reads that information as it is.
- It doesn't expire: it works as long as its destination exists.
- It doesn't depend on any intermediate service: nobody can "switch it off".
- It can't be changed: if the destination changes, you need to generate and print a new QR.
What is a dynamic QR code
A dynamic QR contains an intermediate address (a short link from the provider). When scanned, that service redirects to the final destination, which you can change from a dashboard.
- The destination can be changed without reprinting the code.
- Scans can be counted, because every visit goes through the intermediate service.
- It depends on the provider: if the service shuts down, the printed QR stops working. It's the least explained point and the most important one.
Static vs dynamic QR: the differences
| Static QR | Dynamic QR | |
|---|---|---|
| Change the destination | No, reprint needed | Yes, from the dashboard |
| Scan statistics | Only if the destination measures them | Yes |
| Depends on the provider | No | Completely |
| Cost | Usually free | Usually paid |
The key for a restaurant: where the QR points
Many restaurant owners think they need a dynamic QR to be able to change the menu. That's not always true. What matters is what the QR points to:
- If the QR points to a PDF and every menu change creates a PDF at a new address, you will need to reprint or use a dynamic QR.
- If the QR points to a digital menu page that you edit, you can change dishes and prices as often as you like and the same QR, even a static one, keeps showing the updated menu.
In other words: to change the content of the menu you don't need a dynamic QR, the menu just has to be an editable page. A dynamic QR is useful when you want to change the destination itself (for example, a different promotion every month).
When to choose each one
Choose a static QR if...
- It points to something that won't change: your restaurant's digital menu, your WiFi, your WhatsApp.
- You want it to work forever without depending on a service.
Choose a dynamic QR if...
- You need to change where the QR leads often (campaigns, events, promotions).
- The destination is a file whose address changes with every version.
How it works in QRMenu Pro
In QRMenu Pro, your menu QR always shows the latest version, on every plan: you change dishes, prices, photos or allergens in the dashboard and you never have to reprint the QR. One QR works for every table.
On the Pro and Business plans the menu QR is also dynamic: from QR codes you can change where it leads without reprinting it. You also get extra dynamic QR codes for other uses: 3 on Pro and 10 on Business, for your Instagram, your Google reviews or a promotion.
Menu visits are counted in Statistics on every plan. If you ever go back to the free plan, the dynamic QR codes you have already printed keep working.
Frequently asked questions
Does a static QR code expire?
No. A static QR works as long as the destination it points to exists.
Can a dynamic QR stop working?
It depends on the service doing the redirect: if the provider shuts down, the printed QR no longer leads anywhere. Before printing hundreds, ask what happens in that case.
Do I need a dynamic QR to change my menu?
No, if the QR points to an editable digital menu. You change the menu content and the same QR keeps working.
Can I know how many people scan a static QR?
The code itself counts nothing, but if it points to a page that measures its visits, like the QRMenu Pro menu, you will see how often it's opened.
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