QR Code Gift Cards: A Step-By-Step Guide for Creating and Sharing Them

Buying gifts for your loved ones can be a lot of fun, but coming up with gift ideas isn’t always easy. Thankfully, you can’t go wrong with a gift certificate that lets them purchase whatever they want.

But how do you make online gift cards exciting? There’s no package to open, no surprise involved, and little room for creativity.

More and more people are choosing to create QR Code gift cards. With a little understanding of how QR Codes work, you can customize your online gift with the personal touch that’s missing from mass-produced gift cards.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to use QR Code Generator PRO to create high-quality custom QR Code gift cards that your friends and family will love!

The rise of digital gifts: Why QR Codes?

Gift cards are at the top of everyone’s holiday shopping list. In the U.S. alone, projections show that the digital gift card market will reach $438 million by 2032. That’s a lot of birthdays, holidays, and celebrations!

Physical gift cards have existed for a long time. They’re a quick, easy way to let someone choose their own gift.

But now digital gift cards, such as QR Codes, are taking over. Instead of getting a plastic store card or paper token, the gift receiver simply scans the QR Code—and they’re instantly taken online, with their gift card balance ready to use. 

QR Code gift cards aren’t just popular because of their speed. There are several reasons why they’re great for gift-givers, too.

First, they’re eco-friendly. QR Code gift cards don’t produce any waste plastic or paper. However, they’re also flexible and can be printed on a paper card for a more personalized gift if you wish!

They’re also more affordable to create and share—no need to buy a stamp or gift wrap. You can digitally send a gift to someone halfway across the world before they’ve even blown out their birthday candles.

With the right templates and high-quality tools, you can incorporate fun features like personalized greeting cards, video messages, cute animations, and a wide range of other customizable features.

Advantages of QR Codes for gifts

A whopping 71% of consumers say they’re interested in digital gift cards versus other gifts. Here are the top five reasons why more people are saying it with a QR Code gift card.

Instant gratification

When you send a QR Code gift card to someone, it arrives in their inbox nearly instantaneously. There’s no waiting for delivery or postal services, even across huge distances.

Once the QR Code gift card arrives, the receiver just has to scan it with their smartphone to access the gift balance. No more typing in long strings of numbers to check the balance or redeem the gift card—a quick smartphone scan is all it takes.

Personalization

Plastic gift cards can come in attractive designs, but unless you pay extra, they usually don’t offer many personalization options. 

With QR Codes, you’ll have plenty of options to create memorable custom gift cards. You can set up a personalized QR Code design, choose the receiver’s favorite colors, add a greeting message, record a video, and more!

Versatility

QR Code gift cards have many use cases, so it’s easy to create the perfect gift for every recipient. With digital QR Code gift cards, you aren’t limited to major retail sites like Amazon or eBay. You can gift video games, event tickets, experiences, subscriptions, and more. In fact, giving gifts is just one of many creative ways to use QR Codes!

Safety

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s heightened awareness regarding the spread of infectious diseases. As a result, contactless solutions are now popular across several industries.

With a QR Code gift card, everything happens electronically. This helps reduce the spread of infectious diseases and makes the gift-giving process safer. It’s especially useful if you’re sending a gift to someone who’s recovering from an illness or has a new baby at home. 

Eco-friendliness

The global gift card market is valued at $984.31 billion—producing a staggering number of plastic cards each year. Most people throw out gift cards quickly after use, and unfortunately, gift cards can’t be recycled via standard methods.

With QR Code gift cards, this negative impact on the environment is almost nonexistent. Plus, they have a lower carbon footprint because they’re sent digitally. 

Step-by-step guide to creating QR Code gift cards

Creating your own custom gift card with a QR Code is simpler than you might think! Just follow this step-by-step guide and use QR Code Generator PRO to create gift cards your friends and family will love.

1. Choose the gift

The first step is choosing the perfect gift for the recipient. Whether it’s an online shopping voucher, a subscription, or a ticket to an event, you can create QR Code gift cards for just about anything imaginable.

2. Create your QR Code 

QR Codes are complex tech that carry a lot of data—but fortunately, you don’t need to be an expert on how QR Codes are generated. You can create custom QR Codes quickly and easily with QR Code Generator PRO.

With this user-friendly platform, you get access to high-quality templates and simple, point-and-click commands to quickly create and customize QR Codes for any number of purposes.

3. Customize your QR Code

The most important part of a QR Code gift card is the personalization. This is where you add that unique touch that shows how much you care.

QR Code Generator PRO offers a variety of design options that you can use to turn your QR Code gift card into a personalized and meaningful gift. You can even add special colors, designs, and frames to customize the QR Code itself.

4. Link the gift

The process for linking a gift to a QR Code can vary depending on what you’re linking to. However, it typically involves just a few simple steps.

Most websites that allow you to purchase digital vouchers will provide a unique code or URL associated with them. Once you have this code or URL, you can use QR Code Generator PRO to link the QR Code to the gift (via a Dynamic URL QR Code, for example).

5. Test the QR Code

QR Codes are incredibly reliable, but human error can sometimes cause issues. Before you send a QR Code gift card to someone, it’s a good idea to verify that it works.

You can do this by scanning the QR Code yourself to ensure that it takes you to the desired landing page. If you plan to print the QR Code, test the printed version and your drafted design.

6. Print or share digitally

The final step is to send your custom QR Code to its recipient. For instant delivery, you can send it via email or text or add it to a social media DM. If you want to get even more creative, check out the ideas in the next section.

Clever ideas for presenting gift card QR Codes

There’s a reason why we wrap gifts in paper and bows. The presentation and experience that comes with receiving and opening a gift is half the fun. Plus, it’s another way to show how much time and care you’ve put into a gift.

While you can wrap a printed QR Code gift card, that’s not the only option. Check out these ideas for creative gifting.

Embedded in a greeting card or e-card

Remember the days when you’d get a crisp new $20 in a birthday card or a gift card to your favorite store in a themed envelope? 

You can do something similar with QR Code gift cards.

If you want to give a physical greeting card, you can print your QR Code and include it with the card. Or you can create your own card with a user-friendly design platform like Canva and print the QR Code right on the card.

Alternatively, you can embed the QR Code in an e-card and add a digital message, image, video, or even animation.

On a wearable gift

You can double up on gifts by putting the QR Code on a wearable item. That way, you can share the gift card and give the recipient an additional, more tangible gift.

For example, putting a QR Code on a bracelet is one great way to make your QR Code gift card creative and unique. Use QR Code Generator PRO’s customization tools to ensure the QR Code complements the item’s shape, colors, and design.

With a video message

Including a video message with your QR Code gift card is a great way to personalize the gift and make it memorable.

You can record your own message or use video clips you find online, then use QR Code Generator PRO to create a unique Video QR Code.

In a themed gift box

If you want to give a QR Code gift card alongside other gifts, assembling a themed gift box is a fun option.

Here are a few examples to inspire you:

• Movie night gift box: Include popcorn, candy, and a QR Code gift card for a movie rental or streaming service.
• Book-lover’s box: Add a novel, bookmark, cozy blanket, and a QR Code that links to an exclusive author event.
• Cooking gift box: Fill it with utensils, an apron, and a QR Code voucher for a cook-at-home meal delivery service.

Get creative with your next gift with QR Code Generator PRO

It isn’t the price, size, or rarity that makes a gift valuable—it’s the thought and effort you put into it. That’s why more and more people are turning to QR Code gift cards. They’re fast, endlessly versatile, and environmentally friendly, but they’re also thoughtful and personalizable.

When you use a QR Code generator with robust customization options, you have the flexibility to create personalized, versatile, and eco-friendly gifts—like video messages, themed gift boxes, and beyond! QR Code Generator PRO has all the tools you need to create custom gift cards and share them with your friends and family. Choose from 35+ QR Code solutions and create fully personalized gift cards for your loved ones.

Sign up today and take your gift-giving game to the next level!