How to Generate a QR Code for a Restaurant Menu (Free, No Subscription)

Static vs. dynamic QR codes: what restaurants actually need

The QR code industry has created a distinction between "static" and "dynamic" QR codes to justify subscription pricing. Here's the actual difference:

• Static QR code: The URL is encoded directly in the QR pattern. The code points to one specific URL — forever, for free. If you need to change the URL, you generate a new QR code and reprint.
• Dynamic QR code: The code points to a redirect URL owned by the QR service. You can change the destination URL without reprinting. But if you cancel your subscription, the codes stop working.

For a restaurant menu, dynamic QR codes are almost never necessary. Here's why:

If your menu is a PDF, you upload the PDF to your website or Google Drive once and get a permanent URL. That URL goes in the QR code. If your menu changes, you replace the PDF at the same URL — the QR code still works. If you need a new URL (because you moved to a different hosting), you reprint the QR code, which costs pennies at a print shop. The $20/month "dynamic QR" subscription is not solving a real problem for most restaurants.

Step 1: Host your menu somewhere permanent

The QR code needs to point to a URL. Your menu options:

• Google Drive PDF: Upload your menu PDF to Google Drive → right-click → Get link → change sharing to "Anyone with the link can view." Copy the link. This is free and permanent as long as you keep the Google account.
• Your restaurant website: Upload the menu PDF to your website (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix) and get the direct URL. Best option if you have a site — keeps everything under your control.
• Dropbox or OneDrive: Same approach as Google Drive. Create a public share link. Both are free for basic storage.
• A dedicated menu URL: If you use a restaurant platform like Toast or Square, they generate a menu URL automatically. Use that.

Do not use a URL shortener for the QR code destination — if the shortener service shuts down or you stop paying, your QR codes become dead links. Use the direct URL to your file or page.

Step 2: Generate the QR code

Use the free QR code generator — no account, no subscription, no monthly fee. The code is generated in your browser and the URL is encoded directly into the QR pattern (static QR code). It never expires.

1. Paste your menu URL into the QR code generator
2. Set error correction to High (H) — this allows up to 30% of the code to be obscured while still scanning. Restaurant environments have variable lighting and sometimes the code gets smudged or covered by a sticker or logo.
3. Set the size to at least 300×300 pixels for display — or use the SVG download for print (SVG scales to any size without pixelation)
4. Download as PNG for digital use, SVG for print

Step 3: Print and placement

Minimum print size for reliable scanning: 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm (about 1 inch). Smaller codes work in ideal lighting conditions, but in a dim restaurant with a customer holding a phone at arm's length, a larger code scans more reliably.

Recommended print sizes by placement:

Always include a short instruction near the code: "Scan for menu" or "Scan with your phone camera." Most modern smartphones (iOS 11+ and Android 8+) scan QR codes directly from the camera app without needing a separate QR app — but some customers don't know this.

What if your menu URL changes?

If you move your menu to a new URL (new website, new Google Drive account), you have two options:

1. Generate a new QR code and reprint. Most print shops charge pennies per sticker or table card. This is the simplest approach for small changes.
2. Set up a redirect at your domain. If you have a website, set up a short redirect URL like yourrestaurant.com/menu that redirects to wherever your menu lives. Point the QR code to that redirect URL. Now you can change the underlying menu URL anytime by updating the redirect — no reprinting needed. This is the "dynamic QR" benefit, but done yourself for free.

Adding a logo to the QR code

QR codes with "High" error correction can have up to 30% of the pattern obscured and still scan correctly. This means you can overlay your restaurant logo in the center of the code.

To do this: download the QR code as SVG, open it in Canva or Figma, and place a small (under 20% of the code area) version of your logo in the center. Test the final design with 3–4 different phone models before printing — some logo placements interfere with the finder patterns (the three corner squares) and prevent scanning.

Testing before you print

Before printing 50 table cards, test the QR code on:

• An iPhone (using the built-in Camera app)
• An Android phone (using Google Lens or the Camera app)
• In low light (simulate dim restaurant conditions)
• At the distance customers will actually scan from

If it doesn't scan reliably in any of these conditions, increase the print size or regenerate with a higher error correction level.

Related tools

• Free QR Code Generator — create static QR codes that never expire, no account needed
• Free URL Shortener — create a short redirect URL to use as the QR code destination

Written by Achraf A., founder of TheFreeAITools.