About crypto QR codes
A crypto QR code holds a wallet address, and optionally an amount and a label. Scanning it in a wallet app pre-fills the payment so the address never has to be typed or pasted.
That matters more here than anywhere else: a crypto address is long, case-sensitive, and unforgiving, and a transfer sent to a mis-typed address is usually gone for good.
How to make one
- Pick the currency and paste your receiving address. Copy and paste it — never type it by hand.
- Optionally set an amount to pre-fill, or leave it blank for donations.
- Scan the preview with your own wallet and check the address matches character for character before publishing.
- Download and use it wherever you accept payment.
What gets encoded
The code holds plain text in a format phones recognise. For this type it looks like this:
bitcoin:bc1qexampleaddress?amount=0.005&label=Donation
BIP-21 for Bitcoin and its derivatives; Ethereum uses the equivalent EIP-681 form where the amount is called "value". Leave the amount blank to let the sender choose.
Tips
- Verify the scanned address against your wallet before sharing the code anywhere public. Address-swapping malware is a real attack, and a QR code is unreadable to humans.
- Each currency needs its own address and its own code. Sending coins to an address for a different chain usually destroys them.
- Crypto addresses are long, so these codes are dense. Print larger than you would for a URL.
- Leave the amount blank for donation codes so the sender can choose.
Frequently asked questions
Which wallets can read these?
Any wallet supporting BIP-21 for Bitcoin-style chains or EIP-681 for Ethereum, which covers nearly all mainstream wallets. Scanning with the phone camera instead usually offers to open your default wallet app.
Is it safe to share a payment QR code publicly?
Sharing a receiving address is safe in itself — it only lets people send you funds. The real risk is publishing a code for the wrong address, so always scan and verify your own code before it goes anywhere.
Do you see what I type here?
No. The code is generated entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter on this page is sent to our servers or stored anywhere.
Does this QR code expire?
No. The details are encoded directly into the pattern itself, so the code does not depend on this site or any account. It keeps working even if this site disappears, with no scan limit and no watermark.
Other QR code types
New to this? The QR code guide covers error correction, sizing for print, and the four reasons codes fail to scan.