Phone number QR code generator
A QR code that dials your number when scanned. No typing, no misread digits and it works from a sign, a van or a flyer.
Fill in the details and the code appears here.
What happens when someone scans it
Scanning a phone number code brings up the number with a prompt to call it. One tap starts the call through the phone's dialler. The person never has to read the number off the sign and hold it in their head, which is where most wrong numbers come from, especially with long international numbers or ones printed small.
Extensions and menu choices
A tel: code can include a pause followed by an extension, but how a phone handles that pause varies between diallers and carriers. Some wait and dial the extension, some ask the caller to confirm and some ignore it. If callers need an extension, print it beside the code as well so they can enter it themselves if the pause is skipped.
Where a call code helps most
Anywhere the number is read from a distance or in a hurry. Sides of vans, estate agents’ boards, “call for a quote” signs, lost pet posters and emergency contact stickers on equipment. The code turns a number that has to be remembered long enough to dial into a single tap.
It is also useful on printed material aimed at older customers who prefer to phone rather than use a website or a form.
Keep the number short and stable
A phone number code is one of the smallest QR codes there is, which means it scans from further away than almost any other kind at the same printed size. Use the number that’ll stay attached to the business longest, rather than a personal mobile that might change with the next contract.
Testing
Scan the printed version and let it ring through. It takes seconds and proves the country code and every digit are correct, which a visual check of the preview can’t.
Call codes and business listings
A code on a shopfront or a van works best when the number matches the one on your business listings and website. People who scan the code and later search for you’ll recognise the number when you call back and they’re more likely to answer a number they have already seen than one they haven’t.
Common questions
Does scanning the code call immediately?
No. The phone shows the number and asks before dialling. That confirmation is built into iOS and Android, so a code can’t place a call without the person agreeing.
Should I include the country code?
Yes, always, beginning with a plus sign. A number in international form works from any phone anywhere and one in local form breaks the moment someone scans it with a foreign phone. The generator keeps the plus and strips spaces and dashes.
Why not just print the number?
Print it too. The code is for everyone who would otherwise squint at the number, mistype a digit and give up. On a vehicle or a sign read from a distance, a code is often easier to catch than a ten digit number.
Can the code hold more than one number?
A tel: code holds one. To offer several numbers, a contact card code with an office and a mobile line lets people save both at once.
Guides
QR codes for a specific job
Each opens the generator set up for that kind of code.