The principle of each
The QR code is an image: the customer frames it with their phone's camera, which offers to open the link. It works on any phone with a recent camera.
The NFC card contains a small chip. The customer holds their phone a few centimetres from the card and the link opens. Reading depends on the phone model and its settings (NFC enabled, screen on).
Comparison
| Criterion | QR code | NFC card |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Very wide: the camera is enough. | Most recent phones, not all, depending on settings. |
| Customer gesture | Aim, wait for the prompt, tap. | Hold the phone near. |
| Visibility | The customer knows to scan: the pattern is recognised. | A visual cue is needed (“hold your phone here”). |
| Cost | Printing a pattern. | One chip card per table: more expensive per unit. |
| Wear | A stained or scratched pattern can become unreadable. | The chip holds up, but a bent card or one placed on metal reads poorly. |
How to choose
- You want maximum compatibility at the lowest cost: QR code.
- You want a simpler gesture and a more elegant table: NFC card, with a visual cue.
- Your customers use very varied phones: both.
Why combine
A card carrying both the printed QR code and the NFC chip covers every case: the customer comfortable with NFC holds their phone near, the others scan. The card points to the same page: nothing to manage twice.
At Elyria Digital, the NFC card with QR code is bought per unit (€10) among the supports, on top of the subscription. The menu it opens is MenuPulse's, but the principle holds for any online digital menu.
This guide describes general principles; exact compatibility depends on each phone model. Test with a few phones around you before printing.