QR code vs NFC: which is faster, and why we print both

The QR code has been the language of menus since the late 2010s. People know the camera: they centre the square and wait. A little shaking, a little glare, and sometimes the question “which app do I use?”. NFC comes from the contactless card in your wallet: you hold the phone out and the screen asks you something on its own.

Tourists and older customers are comfortable with QR; the square is familiar. Someone who pays contactless three times a day already uses NFC at the checkout. Dropping one as “old” and forcing the other as “new” means cutting your audience by age group.

QR can be enough for a menu; for reviews, seconds matter

At an empty table, people will play with the camera to open a menu. After the bill is paid and the jacket is on, nobody plays that game. If the Google form takes three extra seconds, the review is not written. That is why we always put a chip in a review stand; on a menu stand, QR can lead and NFC can be optional.

• Digital menu only: a QR menu stand is enough for most cafés.
• Google rating only: a classic review stand with NFC + QR.
• Menu and reviews on the table: a two-sided or two-section model — do not squeeze both into one spot.

Side by side: QR and NFC

• Steps — QR: open the camera, aim, tap the link. NFC: hold the phone close, tap the notification.
• Light and distance — QR: dim light, glare and distance make scanning harder. NFC: not affected by light, needs a few centimetres of proximity.
• Phone support — QR: almost any phone with a camera. NFC: iPhone XS/XR and later, and Android phones with NFC turned on.
• Updates — static QR: reprinted if the destination changes. NFC: the chip is rewritten.
• Cost — both are one-time production; neither needs a monthly fee.

Watch out for dynamic QR subscriptions

Some services tie the QR code to their own redirect address and charge a monthly fee; when the subscription ends, the code may stop opening. The QR codes and NFC chips on our stands carry your own link directly — there is no redirect service and no monthly fee in between.

It is not about choosing a technology; it is about leaving nobody at the door. The second door is the QR code.