From social media feeds and mobile apps to instant access to email and search, the smartphone touches every corner of a marketer’s job description. And when QR Codes arrived on the scene, even the smartphone camera took center stage. Now, marketers could give consumers a direct line to visit their website or URLs with detailed tracking information for better data collection and incredible insights.
So, where are QR Codes now? How do marketers use them—and what do consumers actually think of them? Bitly surveyed 250+ marketers about how they’re using the scannable squares in their campaigns this year, and the results are in: QR Codes spark action and support more data-driven strategies for any brand. We’re digging deeper into the research to share noteworthy themes and paths to more strategic QR Code usage. Let’s dive in!
The big picture: 3 QR Code themes to note
The data is clear: Marketers and audiences alike are fans of scans. 93% of marketers say they have increased QR Code usage in the past 12 months, and 88% say that consumer sentiment has become more positive. Here’s how marketers use them and where their strengths lie.
1. In-the-moment marketing
It’s no secret that attention is harder to capture and keep than it has ever been. This is where QR Codes excel: They intercept shoppers, registrants, or fans where they are in real time. Nearly half of marketers say they use QR Codes at events (43%) or on in-store displays (40%). These are limited-time opportunities to reach audiences in person, and QR Codes give them an easy way to take action and take the URL or webpage with them when they leave.
QR Codes are also perfect for on-the-go engagement and reaching audiences once they’re home in their own space. 46% of marketers use them on product packaging, and 40% place them in print ads to connect with customers on their turf and terms. Email takes the top spot (47%) as the most common channel for QR Codes, pointing to the versatility for users to have ongoing easy access when they need it.
Marketers need to adapt to reaching consumers where they are in a given moment by default—breaking through the noise isn’t always possible. But finding the right time to meet a need they have now is the best approach, whether you’re placing QR Codes or another marketing channel altogether.
2. Novelty and exclusivity
QR Codes win when they can meet an immediate need that consumers know they have or pique interest enough to interrupt their pattern and change behavior. Marketers most commonly use QR Codes for promotional offers or coupons (51%), event information or registration (49%), and product details or specifications (45%). They’re using QR Codes to make important information available so that customers can make an informed decision.
But what actually encourages consumers to scan? While discounts and promotional offers do make a strong showing (33%), they’re not the number one driver. Exclusive content or information comes in even higher (39%), indicating that novelty or uniqueness most often lands the scan. While helpful information is a strong destination for QR Codes, users are more likely to take action if they sense they will get something they can’t find anywhere else.
The call to action of a QR Code is critical. You first need to capture their attention and make a compelling case for the special deal or limited sneak peek they’ll get when they scan. Then, your destination needs to deliver: If you tease exclusivity but a scan just takes them to your website’s homepage, you don’t build trust—you break it.
3. Integration across tools and tech
Marketers take great care to build and refine their tech stack. The better their digital tools can interact and exchange information, the more organized they stay, and the easier it is to report on the performance of each channel and touchpoint.
Our survey respondents are vocal: Integration is a must-have. 86% of marketers say that integration between their QR Code platform and existing marketing tools is very important or critical, and 68% say that better integration with other marketing tools would increase the value of QR Codes for their business. They also have big plans to integrate QR Codes with new technologies and trends, including AI (84%), virtual and augmented reality (61% and 57% respectively), and 2D barcodes or connected packaging (56% and 40% respectively).
Just like QR Codes create connections between in-person experiences and online interactions, the platforms that manage these tools need similar connections to deliver data and streamline campaign execution. The right integrations are the present and future of QR Codes.
Where marketers can do more
The State of QR Codes in 2025 revealed that marketing teams everywhere have built a solid foundation for QR Code usage that seamlessly supports their customers from any in-person experience. But there are still plenty of chances to continue growing their traffic, conversions, and connections. Let’s unpack a few aspirational opportunities.
Experimentation and unexplored territory
The first step to universal QR Code usage was getting everyday people familiar with how to scan. Great news: We’re there! As we mentioned, marketers use Codes to promote basic and essential information buyers need. But there’s plenty of room to grow the use of QR Codes into more unexpected ways. Major names like Taylor Swift have already shown what’s possible when you pair a beloved brand with an intriguing campaign and a QR Code. A strategically placed graphic or tagline can create a mystery that consumers want to take another step—scanning with their smartphone—to solve.
QR Codes also pair well with a memorable spectacle. On an episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, Chet Holmes International CEO Amanda Holmes shared about how she showed up to trade shows with a billboard on her back. Entertained attendees took photos, which happened to include a QR Code that led to more information on the company, and Amanda captured their interest in the process. When it comes to QR Code creativity, the sky’s the limit, and it’s time for marketers to aim even higher.
Greater agility and flexibility
QR Codes are user-friendly and accessible for your future customers. And managing them offers the same benefits to marketers—but they could be doing more to take advantage of the flexibility of QR Codes. For instance, a third of respondents (31%) redirect QR Codes quarterly, once or twice a year, or never. Dynamic QR Code redirects let marketers improve the targeting of their campaigns, keep CTAs up to date, and test the best destination for their audience. 86% of respondents acknowledge that changing QR Code destinations would be very or extremely valuable to their marketing agility.
Marketers have a path to embrace the agility of QR Codes through A/B testing, detailed audience segmentation, localized campaigns, and design customization. Brands get out of QR Codes what they put in, and their efforts will only benefit from making the most of the agility these versatile tools offer.
Safety and security
Maybe the biggest obstacle to more scans (and QR Code placements) is concern around their misuse. This isn’t an unfounded worry, either: Threat actors have misused QR Codes as “quishing” attacks or placed fraudulent codes in public for as long as these codes have been around. Security concerns are marketers’ single biggest anticipated challenge in the coming years, and 36% cite security as one of the barriers consumers face when interacting.
Here’s the good news: As a company, you can do your part to help drive education and culture around safe scanning for your audience. With clear branding including your logo and brand colors, along with messaging that reinforces safe scanning practices (like warning signs of incorrect landing pages), you can grow their confidence and position QR Codes as a safe tool—especially when used wisely.
Data collection for proof of ROI
Marketers expect clear, measurable ROI from all of their channels, and QR Codes are no exception. That comes from collecting data on how customers engage with them and take action once they scan. Marketing teams do see clear business value from QR Codes, from enhanced customer experiences (27%) to lead capture and customer acquisition (21%). But they could be doing even more to measure QR Code performance. Most of their data collection focuses on direct scan activity:
- Unique users (54%)
- Total scans (50%)
- Scan time or date patterns (50%)
- Geographic location (48%)
All of these are powerful data points (that you can collect right from Bitly Analytics, no less!), but marketers can definitely go further. Only 31% track the customer journey after scanning, and just 16% track revenue attributed to QR Code campaigns. With the help of integrations with their other marketing tools, marketers can paint a more detailed picture of the overall role that QR Codes play in their campaigns. Enhanced reporting and proof of ROI help them make a case for continued investment in QR Codes.
4 takeaways to shape your QR Code strategy
We’ve seen what marketers are up to with QR Codes and where they can do more. Where should you go next? Here are a few action steps you can take to respond to the data and make every Code count.
1. Spend time on your CTA
Your QR Code destination might offer high-value promotions or deliver exactly what your audience is after. But if your call to action is vague or misleading, you might never convince them to scan. Instead of sharing a QR Code without context or including copy that encourages them to “Scan now,” share exactly why they should pull out their smartphone camera. Indicate a specific discount, tease a sneak peek of a product, or hype up the event they can sign up for at the link. Just make sure to deliver on any pre-scan promises you make!
2. Put trust and safety first
When you prioritize the security of your digital tools, you protect your brand reputation and your customers. To overcome the barrier of security concerns, marketers can take multiple steps to lay a foundation for safe QR Code scans. From setting internal policies for creating, updating, and distributing QR Codes to setting role-based permissions to branding assets for greater trust and recognition, take every possible step to prevent breaches and support a culture of QR Code safety. Maybe the most important protection? Choosing a QR Code platform that is as committed to security as your team is.
3. Use QR Codes to ease bottlenecks
Do you know where your customers get stuck on their journey? Do they struggle to contact support or reorder products? Do they need to see a demo before they buy while they’re in stores? Use customer research and signals to identify these friction points, and use QR Codes as a way to make each interaction smoother.
Just as important as knowing when QR Codes are helpful is knowing when they aren’t. For instance, they might not be scannable in a social media feed, especially if someone is scrolling on their smartphone—in these cases, use a memorable branded short link instead.
4. Take your QR Code cue from customers
It’s one of the oldest marketing best practices in the book: Listen to your customers. Sometimes marketers’ instincts align with how customers actually behave in practice—but not always. To execute campaigns that click with your audience, pay attention to both what they say and what they do. Review data like the survey report we’ve been recapping here for what drives customers to take action, and do your own research, paying attention to which QR Codes your unique audience engages with. Run CTA experiments and A/B testing to learn what they want from you, then double down on what works.
Turn scans into savvy campaigns with Bitly
If you think you’ve seen everything QR Codes have to offer or have used them for all they’re worth, think again. 2025 is an inflection point—marketers are doubling down on these tools for real-time audience engagement and meaningful marketing measurement.
Uncover even more of how marketers are using QR Codes this year and beyond by downloading our 2025 QR Code survey report. Once you’re ready to start making and measuring your own QR Codes, we’ve got you covered there, too. Pick your plan and get started today.
