What a phone code holds
A phone QR code holds a number in the tel: format that phones understand, with nothing else around it:
tel:+12025550147Scanned, it offers to call that number. The caller still taps to dial, so nobody calls you by accident, and you see an ordinary incoming call. Because the code holds the number itself, it never expires and needs no internet connection to scan: it works on a beach, in a car park or in a basement with no signal for data.
Write the number with its country code
Start with a plus sign and the country code, then the number without its leading 0 if your country writes one at home. A number written that way works from anywhere: a local phone, a visitor’s phone from abroad, or a phone roaming on another network. Spaces, brackets and dashes are fine when you type it; the studio strips them out, because the code only needs the digits.
| The number | Type it as | In the code |
|---|---|---|
| A US number | +1 (202) 555-0147 | tel:+12025550147 |
| A London number, written 020 7946 0958 in the UK | +44 20 7946 0958 | tel:+442079460958 |
| A Paris number, written 01 23 45 67 89 in France | +33 1 23 45 67 89 | tel:+33123456789 |
A phone code shows your number to anyone who scans it, as surely as printing it does. Put a business line on a public sign, not a personal mobile.
What happens when it’s scanned
On an iPhone, the Camera app shows the number in a banner; tapping it offers to call. On Android, the camera or Google Lens shows the number with a call button. Some scanner apps show the number first and need one more tap. Either way the call starts only when the person chooses it. Test your printed code on an iPhone and an Android phone before you print a batch; our guide on how to scan a QR code covers the differences.
Phone, WhatsApp, SMS or a contact card?
| Code | Best when | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | People need to talk now: bookings, taxis, tours, deliveries | Works on any phone that makes calls, with no app or data |
| Customers prefer to message, and you answer in WhatsApp | Needs WhatsApp on their phone | |
| SMS | A ready-written text, such as a booking request or a keyword | Works on any phone; they still press send |
| Contact card | People should save your details for later | Holds more, so it prints bigger |
Where a call code helps
- Vans and vehicles: “Scan to call” beside the number, printed big enough to read from the pavement, about 20 cm or more.
- Taxi ranks, tour stands and boat trips: a code on the board for people who want to book without queuing.
- Guesthouses and rentals: a code inside the door for the host or reception.
- Property signs: a direct line to the agent. See our real estate sign page for sizes.
- Business cards and flyers: a phone code is short, so it can print as small as about 2 cm.
If your number might change, a phone code can’t follow it: it holds the number itself. Make a new code (it’s free) and reprint, or point an Editable code at a contact page with a call button on your website.
How to make it
- Open the studio and choose Phone as the code type.
- Type your number with its country code.
- Pick a world and style your code; your logo can go in the middle.
- Press Get QR code and download PNG or SVG, or open the print sheet.
- Scan the printed proof with two phones and check it offers the right number.
