QR Code Usage Surges in Australia
Australia has seen a rapid surge in QR Code use—far beyond the initial COVID check-ins. At QR Codes Australia, we’ve been creating dynamic and static QR Codes for over a decade. Yet by the end of 2019, our customer base was still small.
Then the pandemic sparked a global push for contactless solutions. Businesses, government agencies, and individuals quickly embraced QR technology to connect offline materials with online content—transforming the way we engage.
In this article, we’ll explore how QR Codes have reshaped the digital landscape across Australia.
QR Code Marketing: Why It’s Everywhere
Glass Dance, a bar in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, made headlines by branding itself the ‘QR Bar’—claiming to be the first to take orders entirely through QR Codes. It’s a prime example of how businesses can creatively use QR tech to boost engagement.
Today, QR Codes are everywhere—especially in marketing. Brands of all sizes are using them to enhance customer experience and bridge offline materials with online content. In fact, around 60–65% of people now scan QR Codes daily for marketing, information, and convenience.
With over 90% mobile penetration in Australia, and widespread adoption of contactless tech during the pandemic, it’s clear that QR Codes have become part of daily life. This opens the door for even broader, smarter applications across industries.
Google Trends supports this shift, showing high search volume for terms like QR Code COVID, Service NSW, and COVID QR Code app across Australian states.
QR Code Adoption: Australia’s Untapped Potential
QR Code usage is evolving fast. Right now, the top use-cases are product information (51.5%), event details (19.8%), special offers (12.5%), and app downloads (8.2%).
But there’s more to come. Before COVID, a trip to China showed us just how advanced QR Code adoption can get—buying food, ordering takeaway, and making payments all via QR-based apps.
The takeaway? QR Codes are now the go-to bridge between physical and digital. Even more importantly, consumer acceptance is at an all-time high.
That’s a huge shift from 2012, when a poll by Econsultancy found 62% of Australians didn’t even know how to use a QR Code.
While Australia has yet to reach its full QR potential, the momentum is here. The next few years will bring even more creativity, innovation, and integration—especially as brands realise how effective QR Codes can be in everyday life.
QR Code Menus: Streamline Hospitality Service
On a recent visit to a busy shopping centre restaurant, my wife and I noticed a new QR Code on our table—with our table number included. Instead of lining up at the counter, we scanned it.
It linked directly to a Square-powered eCommerce menu. Easy to browse, simple to order, and perfect for repeat visits—now we just sit down, tap our saved menu, pay, and enjoy.
This shift is transforming hospitality, freeing up staff to focus on service while enhancing the customer experience. And it’s not just an Australian trend—it’s happening worldwide.
Quick global stats that highlight this shift:
-
75% of Brazilians prefer QR scanning while shopping
-
25% of Irish consumers scan at least one QR Code each quarter
-
57% of Canadians use QR Codes for food info
-
52% of U.S. restaurants already use QR menus
QR Code menus are here to stay—streamlining operations and improving dining convenience across the globe.
QR Code Payments: Australia’s Contactless Future
There are a whole range of QR Payment suppliers entering the market in Australia. Banks, hospitality menu providers, 3rd party providers like Paypal and square and many more.
It’s no wonder QR codes have been popping up everywhere: They provide customers with a simple, contact-free payment option, plus they’re quick and easy for businesses to implement.
Quick Response (QR) payments in Australia were given a set of guidelines issued by the Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet).
Designed to bring clarity and consistency around the use of QR codes for transactions, the guidelines are available for voluntary implementation by financial institutions, merchants and payment service providers.
The move comes as QR Code transactions are continuously growing in popularity, particularly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such payments are generally easy to adopt, not requiring the need for additional hardware and devices which makes them attractive to merchants.
The global QR codes payment market size was valued at $8.07 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $35.07 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.1% from 2021 to 2030.
QR Codes: Endless Creative Possibilities
Over the past decade, we’ve created thousands of QR Codes for a wide variety of customers. The majority of these were crafted in the last three years. Our clients range from individuals using QR Codes for weddings and grave headstones that link to video stories, to corporate and government sectors.
QR Codes are no longer limited to just menus or product details. Every day, we see new, creative uses across industries. A recent project involved placing QR Codes throughout an educational campus, eliminating paper and providing room-specific information with a simple scan.
From restaurants linking to menus and payment systems to educational tutorials and tech usage videos, the possibilities for QR Codes are endless.
Australia’s QR Code Usage Is Soaring
QR Code adoption in Australia has surged in recent years. In 2021 alone, the term “QR Code” was searched over 60,000 times locally. Today, 36.4% of Australians scan at least one QR Code every week.
Globally, the trend is even more widespread:
-
In China, 50% of users scan multiple times a week
-
Brazil and Europe follow, with 7–8% of consumers scanning frequently
This is a dramatic shift from 2012, when a Econsultancy poll found that 62% of Australians didn’t know what QR Codes were, and only half of 18–34-year-olds could even recognise one.
Fast forward to now—QR Codes have become a digital essential across Australia. From contact tracing to everyday purchases, most Aussies have scanned a QR Code at least once. No longer niche, QR tech is now mainstream—driving digital engagement across nearly every industry.
Australia QR Code Statistics (courtesy of LXA)
What Does the QR Landscape Look like in 2022?
- 45% of responding shoppers from the United States stated they had used a marketing-related QR code in the three months leading up to the survey. The share was highest among respondents aged 18 to 29.
- 46.75% agreed on an increase in QR Code usage
- 96% growth in QR Code Reach
- 94% surge in the number of interactions
- 98% increase in the number of interactions per object
- This all adds to a 96% growth in total QR reach over the same 2018-2020 time period.
- 1 billion smartphones will access QR codes by 2022. Given that smartphone ownership increased 42% from 2014 to 2019, we can extrapolate that same increase for QR code usage.
- 11 Million households were forecast to have scanned a QR Code in 2020.
How Has Consumer Behaviour Changed?
- Access to high-speed mobile internet increased from 48.8% in 2014 to 61.2% in 2018
- Internet users have grown by 7.3% from Jan 2020 to Jan 2021
- Most secure location for scanning the QR Code : 42.55 % felt most secure at a restaurant, bar, or café. On the other hand, 19.4 % felt the same level of assurance at a gym, pool, or any other fitness centre
- It’s estimated that by 2022, about 5.3 Billion coupon codes will be redeemed via QR Codes
- 38.99% of respondents want to see QR Codes used more broadly in the future.
- 57% scanned a food QR code to get specific information about the product
- 67% of the respondents agreed that these codes make life easier
QR Code Growth in Australia & Beyond
Australia’s QR Code statistics reveal a significant shift in usage, largely driven by the pandemic. With the ability to scan QR Codes on both older and newer smartphones, the practice is becoming increasingly commonplace, and industries are adopting it more than ever.
The future of QR Codes looks bright, with widespread adoption expected across different sectors in the coming years. The integration of QR Code scanners in iOS 13 and Google Pixel devices—without needing third-party apps like Google Lens—signals their growing importance.
Major companies, including Sephora, American Eagle, and Levi’s, are embracing QR Codes in their strategies, further driving the technology’s growth.
CONTACT US for expert guidance and tailored solutions designed for your QR Code needs.
To get your Dynamic QR Codes and
change URL without reprinting QR Code
Click the button to register today.
