How a payment QR code works
The code holds the public payment link of your account. You choose the service and type your username, and the link is built for you. With an amount, PayPal becomes https://paypal.me/yourname/25.00, Venmo becomes https://venmo.com/u/yourname?txn=pay&amount=25.00, and Cash App becomes https://cash.app/$yourtag/25.00. Buy Me a Coffee, Ko-fi, Patreon, Revolut.Me and Wise links open your page without an amount.
Scanning opens the link in the payment app if it is installed, or in the browser if not. The payer logs in to their own account, checks the recipient and amount, and confirms. The code itself contains no card or bank details, only your public page address.
This site does not process payments, take a fee or see transactions. The money moves entirely within the payment service, under its usual terms and fees.
Where it helps
- A market stall shows a PayPal or Venmo code at the till for customers who carry no cash.
- A street musician sets out a Ko-fi or Cash App code on the instrument case for tips.
- A sports club prints a code with the season fee already filled in, so parents do not have to type the amount.
- A freelancer adds a payment code to the bottom of a printed invoice.
Tips before you print
- The amount is optional. Leave it empty for tips and donations so the payer chooses; fill it in for fixed prices.
- Amounts use digits with up to two decimal places, such as 12.50. The currency is the one set on your account, not on the code.
- Open the result link yourself and confirm it shows your name and photo. A typo in a username could send money to a stranger.
- Venmo works only between US accounts, and other services have their own country limits. Choose the one your customers already use.