Take Orders on WhatsApp with a QR Code: A Guide for Small Sellers

A home baker in Lucknow runs her entire business through WhatsApp. Customers find her through friends, at a weekend market stall, or on the sticker on a cake box. Until recently, every new customer had to save her number, search for it in WhatsApp, and then type "Hi, is this the cake person?" before anything useful happened. A WhatsApp QR code removes those steps. One scan opens a chat with her, and the first message is already written: "Hi! I'd like to order a cake." This guide covers how to set that up and, more importantly, how to write messages and place codes so they bring you useful conversations rather than "hi" and nothing else.

How a WhatsApp QR code works#

The code holds a WhatsApp chat link for your number, plus an optional message. When someone scans it, WhatsApp opens a chat with you and the message appears in their typing box, ready to send. They do not need to save your number first. If the person does not have WhatsApp installed, the link opens a WhatsApp web page that offers to install the app or continue in WhatsApp Web.

This makes it useful for anyone who sells, books or answers questions over WhatsApp:

• Home bakers, caterers and tiffin services taking daily or custom orders.
• Boutiques and tailors who send photos and discuss sizes in chat.
• Tutors and coaching centres answering admission enquiries.
• Property dealers and car sellers with a sign on the property or the vehicle.
• Repair technicians and plumbers whose customers need to reach them again.
• Event organisers handling registrations and questions.

Making the code on My QR Studio#

Open the WhatsApp QR code generator and fill in three fields.

1. Country code. It defaults to +91. If your WhatsApp number is from another country, pick the right code from the list.
2. Phone number. Your WhatsApp number without the country code. If you type a leading zero, it is removed automatically, so "098765 43210" and "98765 43210" give the same result.
3. Message. Optional, up to 500 characters. This is the text the customer will see pre-typed. The next section is about writing it well.

Scan the preview from your screen with a second phone. It should open a chat with your number and show the message. If it opens someone else's chat, check the digits.

Writing the pre-filled message#

The message is the most under-used part of a WhatsApp code. A good one saves both sides time, because you know immediately what the customer wants.

Write it from the customer's point of view, as if they were typing it:

• For a bakery: "Hi! I'd like to order a cake. Date needed: "
• For a tiffin service: "Hi, I want to know about your monthly lunch plans."
• For a boutique: "Hello, I saw your stall at the exhibition and want to see the new kurta collection."
• For a coaching centre: "Hi, I'm interested in admission for the Class 10 batch."
• For a property sign: "Hi, I'm enquiring about the 2BHK flat for rent in this building."

Leaving a field at the end, like "Date needed:", nudges the customer to complete it before sending. Keep messages short; long paragraphs look like spam and people delete half of them.

One code per purpose#

Because each code carries its own message, you can make several codes for one number. A bakery might use one code on cake boxes ("I'd like to reorder"), another at the market stall ("I'd like to see your price list"), and another on a flyer for corporate orders. When the chats arrive, you can tell at a glance where each customer came from and what they need, without asking.

To keep several codes organised, use the optional Name this QR field in the generator, for example "Cake box reorder" or "Diwali flyer", and save the downloaded files with matching names. When you need to reprint a sticker months later, you will know exactly which file to send to the printer, and you will not accidentally put the market-stall message on a cake box.

Messages in more than one language#

If your customers are more comfortable in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil or another language, write the message in that language. WhatsApp handles Indian scripts without trouble, and a familiar greeting makes people more likely to press send. You can even make two codes for the same counter, one in English and one in a regional language, and label each clearly.

Design and printing#

• Make the purpose obvious. Add a frame in the Frame tab and write a call to action such as "Order on WhatsApp" or "Chat with us". Many people hesitate to scan an unlabelled code.
• Colours and logo. You can use green tones to suggest WhatsApp, but keep the code itself dark on a light background so it scans quickly. Upload your own logo in the Logo tab if you have one; the generator adjusts error correction for it.
• Size. On a cake box sticker or business card, around 2.5 to 3 cm wide is fine. On a stall banner or property sign, go much larger, roughly a tenth of the distance people will scan from.
• File type. SVG for printers, PNG for stickers printed at home or for posting on your social profiles.

Placement ideas#

Put the code where a customer first thinks, "I want to ask about this":

• Packaging: cake boxes, carry bags, tiffin lids and labels, so reordering is one scan.
• Market stalls and exhibitions: on the banner and on small cards at the counter.
• Shop windows and shutters: so people can enquire after hours.
• Signs on properties, vehicles and site boards.
• Visiting cards: next to your phone number. For a full contact card, see the vCard QR code guide.
• Bills: paired with a UPI QR code so customers can pay and order again easily.

Mistakes to avoid#

• Wrong number or country code. The most common error. Always test-scan before printing.
• Using a personal number you might change. The number is fixed inside the code. If you are building a business, a dedicated WhatsApp Business number avoids reprinting later.
• No message at all. Without a pre-filled message, many people open the chat, type "hi", and then wait for you to guess what they want.
• Messages that promise something you cannot deliver. "Hi, I want today's special offer" creates a problem if there is no offer today.
• Ignoring the chats. A code that leads to slow replies is worse than no code. If you use WhatsApp Business, its greeting and away message features can acknowledge new chats while you are busy.

Why WhatsApp codes are static#

On My QR Studio, WhatsApp codes are static: the chat link with your number and message is stored in the code itself. It works without any service in between, opens WhatsApp directly, and never expires. The trade-off is that the number and message cannot be changed after printing. If you want one code that leads to WhatsApp, Instagram and your website together, a multi-link page is the better choice.

FAQ#

Do customers need to save my number?#

No. The chat opens directly from the scan. They can save you afterwards if they want to.

Does it work with WhatsApp Business?#

Yes. The link works with both the regular WhatsApp app and WhatsApp Business, as long as the number is registered on WhatsApp.

Can I use a number from outside India?#

Yes. Choose the country code from the list. The default is +91, but any country in the list works.

Can the customer edit the pre-filled message?#

Yes. The message appears in their typing box, and they can change or add to it before sending.

Will the code stop working if I stop paying for something?#

No. The code is static and free to make. It keeps working as long as your number is on WhatsApp.

Ready to make ordering easier? Create your WhatsApp QR code, write a message that sounds like your customers, and test it on a friend's phone.