How to set up a WhatsApp chat QR code
Enter your WhatsApp number with the country code, then write an optional pre-filled message. The code uses the official wa.me link, so scanning it opens WhatsApp straight into a chat with you, with your message already typed and waiting for the customer to tap send.
Before printing, scan the code with a phone that does not have your number saved. If the chat opens with the right name or business profile, everything is set up correctly. Also try it on both an iPhone and an Android phone, since camera apps show the link preview slightly differently.
Use the pre-filled message to know where customers came from
The message is the most useful part of a WhatsApp QR. Write a different one for each place you print the code, such as Hi, I saw your shop window poster or I want to order from the menu card. When the chat arrives you know which flyer, shelf or delivery bag brought the customer in, without any tracking software.
Keep the message short and friendly, and let the customer edit it before sending. A frame with text like Chat with us on WhatsApp or Order on WhatsApp tells people exactly what will happen when they scan.
Placement ideas and printing tips
Shops put WhatsApp codes on the counter and on receipts for reorders; restaurants put them on takeaway menus and delivery bags; property agents and car sellers add them to For Sale boards so buyers can ask questions instantly. For signs read from a distance, download a large SVG or 3000px PNG so the code stays sharp.
The code is static and contains only the wa.me link, so it never expires. If you change your number, you will need a new code.
WhatsApp Business users get the most from this: combine the QR with a greeting message and quick replies inside the WhatsApp Business app, so customers who scan get an instant answer even when you are busy serving someone else.