QR code giving for churches: how to set it up and where to put it

How does QR code giving work?

A QR code is a web address in a square pattern. The camera on almost any iPhone or Android phone reads it without an app: the giver points the camera, taps the link that appears, and your giving page opens. With Apple Pay or Google Pay, giving takes a few seconds from there.

That makes QR codes ideal for the moments when people want to give but the giving page isn’t in front of them: the offering, a visitor reading the noticeboard, someone holding the notice sheet.

How to make a giving QR code that won’t stop working

• Point it at your own giving page. The address in the code should be your church’s giving page, not a shortened link from somewhere else.
• Use a “static” code. The address is stored in the pattern itself, so the code keeps working for as long as your page does. It never expires.
• Be wary of free “dynamic” QR code sites. Their codes point to the site’s own short link, which then redirects to you. Some stop working when a free trial ends or show adverts first. If you use one, make sure the church, not one volunteer, controls the account.
• Test before you print. Scan it with two or three different phones, in the light where it will hang.

How big should a church QR code be?

A good rule of thumb: the code should be at least a tenth of the distance it’s scanned from. Scanned from 30 cm, it needs to be 3 cm across; from 2 metres, 20 cm.

A few more things help a code scan first time:

• Dark code on a light background, with good contrast.
• A clear margin of white space all the way round.
• Don’t stretch it, and don’t cover much of it with a logo.
• Matt paper or laminate rather than gloss, which reflects the lights.
• On screens, leave the slide up for at least a minute. People need time to find their phones.

Where should a church put its giving QR code?

1. On the screen during the offering and the notices.
2. On cards in the pews or on the backs of chairs.
3. In the notice sheet or weekly bulletin.
4. At the welcome desk, and on the bookstall.
5. On a small card in the collection plate or bag, so everyone can take part.
6. On the donation box, for visitors to the building.
7. On the noticeboard outside, for people passing.
8. On your livestream, as an overlay during the offering.
9. In service sheets for Christmas, Easter and other services that bring visitors.
10. At events: concerts, fêtes, coffee mornings and the toddler group.
11. In your newsletter emails and social media posts, as a link as well as a code.
12. On your website, with a Give button: see how to add a donate button.

What to put next to the code

• A clear instruction, such as “Scan to give”.
• One line about what gifts do: “Your gifts keep our food bank open every week.”
• The web address, short enough to type, for anyone who can’t scan.
• A mention of Gift Aid: “UK taxpayers can add 25% with Gift Aid.”
• Your church’s name and logo, so people know the code is genuinely yours.

Is QR code giving safe?

Yes, with sensible care. The risk with any QR code in a public place is that someone sticks a different code over it, leading to a fake payment page. To guard against it:

• Check posters and cards now and then, especially outside and in places left unattended.
• Print the web address under the code, and tell your church what it is, so people can check the page they land on.
• Make sure your giving page shows your church’s name, logo and a secure payment provider, so it’s recognisably yours.

How to see which QR codes work

If your giving platform can tell you where each gift came from, give each place its own code: one for the screen, one for pew cards, one for the noticeboard. After a couple of months you’ll know where people actually give, and where to put more effort. Separate codes for each fund or appeal work the same way.