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QR Code Payment

Technical · Payments, Clearing & Settlement · Last reviewed: September 2026

A QR code payment uses a machine-readable two-dimensional code to convey payment information that a customer's device or wallet can scan.

Explanation

In a stablecoin checkout, the QR code can encode a destination address, network, token identifier, amount, invoice reference, or a payment URI. Static codes contain fixed information, while dynamic codes can be generated for a specific transaction and amount. The wallet still needs to validate the requested network and asset before the user authorizes the transfer.

Boundaries

The QR code carries payment data. It does not itself authorize or settle the payment; authorization occurs through the customer's wallet or payment application.

Why it matters

QR codes reduce manual address entry and can connect physical or digital checkout flows to wallet-based payments.

Example

A merchant terminal can generate a transaction-specific QR code containing a USDC payment request that the customer scans with a wallet.

Related terms

Sources

  1. Li-Ya Yan, Garry Wei-Han Tan, Xiu-Ming Loh, and Jun-Jie Hew. QR Code and Mobile Payment: The Disruptive Forces in Retail. Elsevier, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 58: 102300, 2021. doi:10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102300 Peer-reviewed research
  2. Shee-Ihn Kim and Seung-Hee Kim. E-Commerce Payment Model Using Blockchain. Springer, Journal of Ambient Intelligence and Humanized Computing 13: 1673-1685, 2022. doi:10.1007/s12652-020-02519-5 Peer-reviewed research
Methodology · definitions, cadence and source detail