QR Code Payments for Small Business

A QR code lets a customer pay from their own phone. This guide uses PayPal’s and Stripe’s own pages, read on 2026-10-16. Rates and features change, so confirm on the provider’s site. This is general information, not financial advice.

How PayPal QR payments work

PayPal’s page describes four steps: you generate a QR code in your PayPal business account and display it (printed, on a screen, or on signage); the customer scans it with their phone camera or the Scan/Pay option in the PayPal app; the customer enters the amount owed and can add a tip; and after they send the payment it goes directly to your PayPal account. PayPal says no card reader, register or other hardware is needed, and that the code does not expire, so one code can be used for everything you sell, online or in person. To open an account, see how to open a PayPal Business account.

What it costs

PayPal’s QR page and fee page list a transaction fee of 2.29% plus $0.09 per transaction (US dollars), with no setup fees or monthly costs. For comparison, the same fee page lists PayPal Checkout and Guest Checkout at 3.49% plus a fixed fee (which was $0.49 in US dollars). On two sample sales:

That is arithmetic from published rates, not a quote; rates differ by country, currency and payment type, and PayPal says fees are subject to change. Our PayPal fee calculator works out fees for other amounts.

Stripe’s version: payment links

Stripe’s documentation compares invoices with Payment Links and lists, among sharing options for payment links, showing a QR code, copying the link to share over email, SMS or social media, and adding a buy button to your website. It says Payment Links need no code, support over 40 payment methods and let you reuse a link with multiple customers or limit the number of purchases. See online invoices and payment links for the fee side.

Before you print a code

1. Check the rate for your country and currency. PayPal’s fixed fee varies by currency.
2. Display it where customers expect it, and say what it pays for. PayPal’s flow lets the customer enter the amount, so confirm the amount on your side.
3. Keep a second way to pay. QR payments need the customer to scan with their camera or app. For card-present payments see mobile card readers and Tap to Pay.
4. Think about disputes and holds. We did not research PayPal’s dispute or hold rules for QR payments; see chargeback fees for what PayPal publishes on chargebacks.

What we did not verify

We did not verify security comparisons between QR payments and card payments, fee-free tipping options, how QR transactions are treated for disputes, Venmo QR options or other providers’ QR products (including Square, Cash App and bank-based QR systems). We did not test any QR flow ourselves.