If you go out to eat at restaurants frequently, you might have noticed a very common sight, where people point their phones to a code and check the menu. These codes have replaced the traditional menu card at many places. However, menu cards constitute of only a fraction of the things that the QR codes are replacing. If you look around, you will notice that these codes have popped up almost overnight. Part of this revolution has also been supported by the onset of the pandemic. People are now wary about physical touch, and the QR codes do help minimise them to a great extent. All this will probably make the question of what is a QR code pop up in your head.
Here’s our blog on what they actually are, and we hope this will help you understand how do QR codes work.
What is a QR code?
The term QR code is a short form for Quick Response. At the very basic level, they are really not very different from the traditional bar codes. A QR code is able to store data within itself, which can be presented on your smartphone when you scan data. These codes have immense application in a wide number of industries, especially in the payments and marketing spheres.
In case of marketing, someone can lend you their business card with their LinkedIn profile QR code behind it. Scanning that code would take you directly to their LinkedIn page. On the other hand, you could also place a QR code on a billboard across a busy street. Scanning the code would guide people to your website, or to your app’s download link.
When it comes to the world of finance, QR codes have evolved cashless payments to an immensely impressive level. Nowadays, whether you visit a fancy restaurant or just your local grocery store, you will see the QR codes right there in front of you. If you are willing to purchase something from there and make a cashless payment, just ensure that you have a UPI app that helps you make the transaction.
How do QR codes work?
Now it is time for us to understand how a QR code works. As we have mentioned before, a QR code is quite similar to the bar codes that you usually see at supermarkets. Each QR code is different, as they have varying combinations of black squares and dots to differentiate them. When you scan one of these QR codes, the pattern on the QR code gets transformed into a form of data that can be read and understood by humans.
This transformation of data happens in only a few seconds. In the olden days, people used to scan QR codes with specific scanners. However, that is not the case anymore with our modern smartphones. Our devices are now automatically equipped with QR code scanners. You just need to point your smartphone camera towards a code, and you will see the magic unfold in real time. We hope this helped to shed some light on the QR code working mechanism for you.
The return of QR codes after the pandemic
The QR code made a massive revival during the pandemic. As people looked for more and more ways to perform daily activities while reducing physical touch, the QR code presented itself as a worthy solution. From hospitals, malls, cabs, to even your local paan shops, QR codes are now everywhere.
Make payments easier with Airtel Thanks QR code scanner
While there are multiple money transfer apps out there, we suggest you switch to the Airtel Thanks app for all your transactions. Why? Because Airtel Thanks is the ultimate bill payment app. With just one app, you will be able to pay for all your daily prepaid or postpaid mobile connections, DTH, broadband recharge, and do lots more.
Airtel Thanks even enables you to recharge for others, and you also earn attractive cashbacks by doing so. In addition, Airtel Thanks will also provide you with a state-of-the-art instant cashless payment experience, where you can just make payment by simply scanning the QR code. As you use QR codes more and more in your daily life, you will soon start to realise how helpful they are. In addition, QR codes help to tremendously reduce paper usage, essentially reducing your carbon footprint by a large extent. To conclude, QR codes are the future. The Airtel Thanks online payment app makes that future a little closer to you.