How to Make a WhatsApp QR Code for a Flyer or Shop Counter

This guide is for owners, office managers and anyone who prints material for a shop, clinic, workshop or service business. Use the free calculator on this page to build the link, then follow the test steps before anything goes to the printer.

The short answer: what the code must do and which rules apply

A WhatsApp QR code is a picture of a web link. The link is built on WhatsApp's click-to-chat format. When a phone camera reads it, the phone opens WhatsApp at a chat with the number inside the link. If you add a pre-filled message, that text appears in the message box, and the customer still has to press Send. WhatsApp's own help article on click to chat describes this format, and it is the rule your code must follow.

No statute sets a rule for QR codes as such, so this guide does not cite a law section. The rules that matter are WhatsApp's terms. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy says a business may only contact people on WhatsApp if they gave their mobile number and agreed to receive messages from that business. The WhatsApp Business Policy adds that replies in free text are allowed only inside a customer service window that opens when the customer writes to you. A customer who scans your flyer and sends a message has started that window. That does not mean the customer agreed to receive marketing later. Keep those two things apart in your planning.

How the link is built, step by step

The link is assembled from three parts. Work through them in order.

1. Write the business number in full international format. Start with the country code, leave out the plus sign, zeros at the front, brackets, spaces and dashes. A number written as plus 44, then 7700 900123, becomes 447700900123.
2. Write the message you want the customer to see. Keep it short and specific to the flyer, for example the product or the offer code. Do not write a message that pretends to be from a person if a machine will answer it.
3. Encode the message for a web address. Spaces become %20. Commas, question marks and other punctuation become codes too. Most generators do this for you, but you should still check the result.
4. Join the parts: the base address, then a question mark, then text equals your encoded message. The base address is wa.me with a slash.
5. Turn the finished link into a QR code. The WhatsApp Business app can make a code under Business tools, then Short link, then QR code. Other free generators can convert your link, but they cannot change what the link does.
6. Download the image as PNG or SVG and keep the original file. You will need it for reprints.

The WhatsApp Business app route gives you a code that points to your business account and carries no message. If you need the pre-filled text, you must build the wa.me link yourself and convert that link into a code.

Worked example with real numbers

Suppose a bakery in London wants a counter card that lets customers order a birthday cake by WhatsApp. The shop's business number is +44 7700 900123. The printed text the customer should see in the chat is: Hi, I saw the counter card and want to order a cake. The steps look like this.

The bakery prints that code at 4 cm square on the counter card, with a white margin around it. It then tests the code on two phones before the card goes out. Scanning a code of this size usually works from a short distance, but the test is the only real check. Replace the example number with your own before you build anything.

Test on Android and iPhone before you print

Test with real phones, not with the screen of the computer where you built the code. Use at least one Android phone and one iPhone, and use a phone that does not already have your business saved as a contact. The test shows you what a customer will see.

On each phone, open the camera app and point it at the code on your screen. Some Android phones need Google Lens or a similar scanner instead of the default camera. Tap the link that appears. WhatsApp should open a chat with your number, and the message should already be in the text box. Check three things. The number is correct. The words match what you printed. The message does not send on its own, because the customer must tap Send.

Then test the printed version. Print the code at the exact size you plan to use, place it on the counter or flyer, and scan it from the distance a customer would stand. Try it in normal shop lighting, and try it on a glossy surface if the card will be laminated. If the code does not open on the first try, reprint it at a larger size before you change the link.

Finally, test what happens when a phone does not have WhatsApp installed. The result depends on the phone and browser, so write down what you see and add a line on the card that says WhatsApp is needed, if that is the case.

What to print beside the code

A code alone makes people hesitate. The customer does not know whether a person, a bot or a shop assistant will answer, or what will happen after the message is sent. Print a short text next to the code that covers four points: what to do, what the message will say, who replies and what the customer gets next.

A workable line is: Scan to start a WhatsApp chat with our shop. Your message is ready, press Send. A member of our team replies during opening hours, which are printed below. Use only the promises you can keep. If you say a person replies, make sure a person does. If you say a reply comes the same day, measure it for a week first.

Add your opening hours and a phone number for people who cannot use WhatsApp. Keep the text in the language your customers read. If you run more than one flyer, use a different code and a different message for each one, so you can tell where the chat came from.

Cases that change the answer

The right setup depends on a few facts about your business. Check each one before you print.

• The number changes. A printed code points to one number. If you move to a new number, every printed item must be reprinted. Plan this before you order stock of flyers.
• The code comes from the app or from a wa.me link. A code made in the app goes to your account without a message. A wa.me code can carry text, but it is more work to set up and must be tested again after any change.
• The customer writes first. Inside the customer service window, which opens when the customer writes to you, you can reply in free text. After that window closes, you can only send approved templates. Messages outside that window need a template and a prior opt-in.
• You want to send offers later. A customer who scanned your code has started a chat. That is not permission to send a regular promotion. Ask for a separate, clear opt-in before you add the person to any broadcast list, and say which messages they will receive.
• You need to know who scanned. A basic code from the app does not record scans. If you need counts or tracking, you need a generator that offers that feature, and you should ask your provider exactly what it records.
• The shop has more than one location. Each location may need its own number, its own code and its own text. Do not use one code for several sites unless every site can answer it.

A code also cannot answer a customer. It only opens the chat. Whether the chat is answered by a person, a rule-based reply or an AI worker depends on the business account you set up behind it.

Common mistakes

Most problems are simple, and they show up only after printing. These are the ones to avoid.

The first mistake is a number with a plus sign, a leading zero or brackets. The link then opens nothing, or opens the wrong chat. The second is a message that is not encoded, so the spaces break the text. The third is printing a code that is smaller than your test print, or a grey code on a coloured background. Use black on white for the best chance of a clean scan.

Two other mistakes are common. Some businesses print the code on a flyer and then use the chat to send a promotion the customer never asked for. This breaks the opt-in rule and can lead to restrictions on the WhatsApp account. The other is a wrong or unclear promise on the card, such as a same-hour reply, that the team cannot keep.

Finally, do not forget to keep the source file. A QR image without its link is hard to change later.

What to check with your team or a lawyer

Before the first print run, confirm five things with whoever runs your WhatsApp account and, where needed, a lawyer.

1. The business number is correct, is registered to the business, and will still be in use next year.
2. Your opt-in wording names the business and says what kind of messages the customer will get.
3. Your privacy notice explains how chat messages are stored, who can read them and how long they are kept. If you serve customers in the European Union or the United Kingdom, data protection law applies to these chats, and a lawyer should review the notice.
4. Anyone who answers the chat knows how to handle a request to stop messages and removes that person from lists.
5. The card text matches what the team will actually do.

This explains the rule in general terms; it is not legal or tax advice for your case.

How employers take routine chat work off their staff

Many businesses find that the flyer is the easy part. The harder work starts when chats come in: sorting the enquiries, sending the first reply, copying the details into a sheet and passing the rest to a person. AiStaffo builds AI workers for this kind of routine work, along with free tools that help owners and staff do it faster. A well-built AI worker can handle the first step, record the enquiry and hand the rest to a member of staff, while a person still approves the replies and decides what goes out.