NFC or QR code: which is better for a café or restaurant?

Many tables have had a QR code for years, and more and more now carry an NFC sticker too. Most comparisons online come from companies selling one of the two, and plenty are about payments. This one is about something else: what gets a guest at your table to your menu, your review page or your stamp card most reliably?

What is the difference between NFC and a QR code?

An NFC sticker holds a tiny chip with a web address, and a QR code is the same address as a printed pattern. With NFC the guest holds the phone to the sticker. With a QR code they point the camera at it. The NFC Forum gives NFC a typical range of up to 2 centimetres, and it works without a battery. The QR code has been an international standard, ISO/IEC 18004, since June 2000.

Which phones read NFC, and when does it fail?

The iPhone XS and every newer iPhone read NFC without an app, according to Apple's developer documentation. Android phones usually look for tags whenever the screen is open, unless NFC is switched off in settings, says the Android documentation. Few comparisons mention the next part: even a compatible phone doesn't always respond.

Set your expectations accordingly. On an iPhone the page doesn't open by itself. The phone shows a notification, and only tapping it opens the link. As of November 2026, a "tap" is usually two small movements.

Is NFC really faster than a QR code?

For guests who know NFC, there's no aiming, and that feels quicker. We didn't find an independent measurement from cafés or restaurants, so we won't give you seconds. Plenty of vendor pages do, without saying how they measured.

The clear difference is with guests who don't know NFC. Without a hint, they have no idea what the small sticker is for. Most already know a QR code. So at the table the short line next to it matters more than the technology.

Where does NFC belong, and where does the QR code?

NFC belongs where the phone is already in hand and the guest is right in front of it. The QR code belongs everywhere, and on its own wherever people can't get close.

The guide to NFC stickers for restaurants goes deeper on placement, metal and older phones.

What can go wrong with a QR code?

• No margin. A QR code needs a clear margin four modules wide on every side, according to its inventor. A module is one of the small squares. A frame or logo right against the code gets in the way.
• Too little error correction. QR codes can make up for damaged areas. Level M handles 15 percent, level Q 25 percent. For a table that gets wiped daily, the higher level is the better choice.
• Codes stuck over yours. Germany's consumer advice centre, the Verbraucherzentrale, warns about fake QR codes stuck over real ones, so far mostly on charging points and parking machines. When you set the tables, check the code is still yours.
• The address changes. A printed code leads to the same address forever. If that's a PDF that later moves, guests land nowhere. Print only an address that will last.

What can go wrong with NFC?

• Metal. A normal sticker on metal often doesn't respond at all. Metal just under a thin top can interfere too, so test before you stick.
• Overwriting. A chip that isn't locked can be rewritten with a phone. Android describes locking as a one-way process that can't be reverted. Ask when you buy whether the stickers arrive write-protected.
• No hint. For many guests a silent sticker is just a sticker.

How can you find out in a week what works for you?

1. Put a sticker and a code on five tables and at the till, both leading to the same page.
2. Write next to them what happens: "Hold your phone here or scan the code: menu and reviews."
3. Test each spot with an iPhone and an Android phone before guests arrive.
4. Give NFC and QR two different links, or you can't count anything.
5. After a week, compare taps and scans per spot, not just in total.
6. If one spot stays almost empty, it's usually the spot. Move it before you change the technology.

Why not just pick one?

QR alone gives up the easy route for guests used to NFC. NFC alone shuts out everyone whose phone doesn't respond. Both together take little space and lead to the same page, so you lose nothing.

How do you set up sticker and code without programming anything?

NFCeez NFC stickers come round or square, with your logo and a QR code on them as well. There's also the NFC card to hand out. A tap or a scan opens your Smart Page with menu, review, stamp card and booking, and guests need no app. In the app, under Products, you hold your phone to the sticker, and from then on it belongs to your business. Before the first guest, you test each sticker in the app. Afterwards you see how many guests tapped, scanned or came directly, without setting up two links yourself. The limits: every NFCeez sticker stays connected to its place for good and can't be moved, and on metal the same applies as above, so test first. The NFC stickers page shows what they look like.

What do you do today?

Your next step: take an iPhone and an Android phone to your busiest table today and try where a sticker and a code would be easy to reach. If there's metal in the way, you'll see it right away.