<!--#include virtual="/includes/2012/head.inc" -->
<title>What kind of information can be stored in a QR code?</title>
<META NAME="KEYWORDS" CONTENT=""/>
<META NAME="Description" CONTENT=""/>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/includes/css/sis_QrCodes.css">
<!-- ClickTale Top part -->
<script type="text/javascript">
var WRInitTime=(new Date()).getTime();
</script>
<!-- ClickTale end of Top part -->
</head>
<body class="editorial_page " >
<!--#include virtual="/includes/2012/global-nav.inc" -->
<div id="container">
<!-- #include file="/includes/2012/nav_QrCodes.inc" -->
<div id="main" role="main" class="old-template"><a name="main"></a>
<div class="pb-pgContainer">
<div class="pb-pgContainerContents">
<div id="pb-pgBody" class="clearfix"><a name="skipNav"></a>
<div id="pb-pgBodyContents" class="clearfix">
<div id="pageContent">
<div id="pageHeader" class="clearfix">
<h1>What can be stored in a QR code?</h1>
<ul id="navPageUtils" class="xhNavList">
<li class="printLink"><a href="javascript:print();">
Print
</a></li>
</ul>
<div id="shareBlock" class="clearfix">
<span class="localHeader">share this product:</span>
<a class="shareLink" id="shareOnFacebook" href="#">Facebook</a>
<a class="shareLink" id="shareOnDigg" href="#">Digg</a>
<a class="shareLink" id="shareOnDel" href="#">Del.icio.us</a>
</div>
</div>
<div id="informationBlock" class="clearfix">
<div id="editorialInformation">
<p><br /><h2><strong><font color="#338289">A bit of history</font></strong></h2><br /><p><font color="#595959">Their sudden surge in popularity in North America over the past couple of years might lead people to think</font> <a href="/qr-codes/learning-center/qr-code-marketing-and-best-practices/what-is-a-qr-code.shtml">QR codes</a> <font color="#595959">are a relatively new technology, but in reality the standard has been in use since 1994. Just to add some perspective, Google has only been with us since 1998.</font></p><p><font color="#595959">While they are associated most clearly with their popular use in mobile web applications, QR codes were originally created for tracking automobile parts through the manufacturing process. They are really just a slightly evolved version of their predecessor, the "one-dimensional" bar code (UPC codes being the most familiar example). That means the contents of a QR code is not restricted to URLs - they can carry any type of information. The next logical question is: how much?</font></p><br /><h2><strong><font color="#338289">How long is a piece of code?</font></strong></h2><br /><p><font color="#595959">The answer to that simple question requires a bit of explanation. Firstly, there are forty different sizes of QR codes - though only a couple of those are used regularly in marketing. The format you're probably most familiar with is called "version 2," which is a 25 x 25 grid. The version 2 QR code can hold up to 47 characters. A certain amount of redundancy is built in for the purposes of error correction, which enables the code to be read even if part of it is missing or obscured. There is a trade-off, however - the stronger the error correction, the lower the character count. At the strongest level of error correction, a version 2 QR code can contain about 20 characters.</font></p><p><font color="#595959">That probably doesn't seem like much information - about a third of the capacity of an SMS text message at best. It is however, more than enough for a URL. And as long as you have internet access from your mobile device, a QR code can be the gateway to all sorts of data, from contact information to websites and streaming video.</font></p><br /><h2><strong><font color="#338289">How much is too much?</font></strong></h2><br /><p><font color="#595959">When creating your own</font> <a href="/qr-codes/benefits/why-pb-smart-codes.shtml">QR code marketing</a><font color="#595959"> plan, keep in mind where your customers will be when they scan your code. Give them as much information as they need to act on your message, but don't go overboard.</font></p><p><font color="#595959">Keep the initial message clear and concise, and make sure that first page - the landing page - is well-formatted and easy to read on a variety of devices. Save longer copy and rich media content for the regular "desktop" version of your website, and make sure your mobile messaging can be read and understood quickly. Keep in mind your customer may not have the latest and greatest smart phone either, and consider how that might affect their viewing experience.</font></p><br /><br /><h3><font color="#338289">What Next?</font></h3><p><font color="#595959">If you are in need of a <a href="/qr-codes/learning-center/qr-code-marketing-and-best-practices/scanshot-qr-code-reader-for-your-phone.shtml">QR code reader</a> for your phone, pbSmart Codes offers a reliable app that can get you started on your mobile marketing campaign.<br /><br />Next, you can read up on <a href="/qr-codes/learning-center/qr-code-marketing-and-best-practices/7-creative-ways-to-use-qr-codes-for-your-business.shtml">creative ways to use QR codes for your business</a>. Now you can get started on creating your own QR code marketing campaign quickly and easily with <a href="/qr-codes/index.shtml">pbSmart™ Codes</a> and pbSmart™ Codes Software.<br /></font></p></p>
<h2></h2>
</div>
<div id="supplementalBlocks">
<div id="contactBlock2" class="greenBlock">
<div class="titleArea">
<span class="title">
Contact
</span>
</div>
<div class="dataArea">
<span class="intro">
Mon-Fri 8am-8pm ET
</span>
<ul class="contactMethods" id="contact-offline">
<li id="cm_phone">
<span class="licon"> </span>
<span class="cmInner">
1-877-822-0996</span>
</li>
<li id="cm_form" class="pb-first">
<span class="licon"> </span>
<span class="cmInner">
<a href="
/bv2was/ContactUsRedirect.go?TargetURL=http://web.pb.com/pbSmart-Codes/?">Email us</a>
</span>
</li>
</ul>
<ul class="contactMethods" id="contact-online">
<li id="jsChatLink">
<span class="licon"> </span>
<span class="cmInner">
<a href = "javascript:void(0)" onclick="javascript:window.open('https://cim.pb.com/netagent/cimlogin.aspx?questid=1410D6AC-A204-451A-85C2-95ADD5CE4FC0&portid=29015AAC-25FD-41B2-A3AE-BD8A86F3D7B6&nareferer='+escape(document.location),'_blank','resizable= no,width=700,height=500'); return false; ">Chat</a>
</span>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<style>#contactBlock2 ul.contactMethods li#jsChatLink{display:none;}</style>
<script type="text/javascript"src="https://cim.pb.com/netagent/client/invites/chatimage.aspx?style=style0&questid=763BC237-A23C-4007-8ADB-6505876E1761&portid=C8C9363C-88A1-4625-A2AB-52F08AC514BF&imagelanguage=en-us&customopenimage=https%3A//cim.pb.com/netagent/scripts/ChatOn.js&customcloseimage=https%3A//cim.pb.com/netagent/scripts/Chatoff.js"></script>
</div>
<!-- #include file="/qr-codes/teasers/free-trial_graphicPromoRC.inc" -->
<!-- #include file="/qr-codes/teasers/scanshot_graphicPromoRC.inc" -->
<!-- ###################### New Additions For Editorial Video 1 Starts ####################-->
<div class="videoList">
</div>
<!-- ###################### New Additions For Editorial Video 1 Ends ####################-->
</div>
</div>
</div><!-- pageContent -->
<div id="navigationBlock">
<!-- #include file="/includes/nav/QrCodes/Learningcenter/Learningcenter/Gettingstarted/Whatkindofinformationcanbestoredinaqrcode/nav_Whatkindofinformationcanbestoredinaqrcode.html" -->
</div>
</div></div></div></div>
</div>
<!--#include file="/includes/2012/fatfooter_QrCodes.inc"-->
</div>
<!--#include file="/includes/2012/footer.inc"-->
<div id="globalHiddenContent">
<!-- ###################### New Additions For Editorial Video 2 Starts ####################-->
<div id="modalVideoPlayer">
<div class="inner">
<div id="videoPlayer">
<div id='mediaspace'>This text will be replaced</div>
</div>
</div> <!-- inner -->
<div id="relatedVideos">
<a class="prev browse left"></a>
<div id="vidList" class="scrollable">
</div>
<a class="next browse right"></a>
</div>
</div>
<!-- ###################### New Additions For Editorial Video 2 Ends ####################-->
<!--#include virtual="/includes/2012/region-select.inc" -->
</div>
<!--#include virtual="/includes/2012/footer-scripts.inc" -->
<script src="/includes/js/sis_QrCodes.js"></script>
<!-- ClickTale Bottom part -->
<div id="ClickTaleDiv" style="display: none;"></div>
<script type='text/javascript'>
document.write(unescape("%3Cscript%20src='"+
(document.location.protocol=='https:'?
'https://clicktale.pantherssl.com/':
'http://s.clicktale.net/')+
"WRc9.js'%20type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
var ClickTaleSSL=1;
if(typeof ClickTale=='function') ClickTale(7808,0.5,"www09");
</script>
<!-- ClickTale end of Bottom part -->
</body>
</html>
<!--Deleting the last generated tesers Teasers-->
<!-- Generating Text Promo Teaser -->
<!-- Generating Short Description Snippet -->