How Do I Make a QR Code for PayPal or Venmo?
Make a PayPal or Venmo QR code inside each app: PayPal's QR code button, or Venmo's Me tab > Venmo me. No outside generator needed, and both are free.
Nookesh Karri · 8 min read 
To make a PayPal or Venmo QR code, use the code each app already gives you. In PayPal, open the app and tap the QR code button. In Venmo, go to the Me tab, tap the QR code on your profile picture, and tap Venmo me. Both are free, and you don’t need an outside generator.
How do I make a PayPal QR code?
A PayPal QR code comes from the PayPal app itself, and PayPal offers one for personal accounts and one for business accounts. The personal code is for friends and family paying you back. The business code is for selling things.
Personal account:
- Open the PayPal app and sign in.
- Tap the QR code button.
- Show the code on your screen, or save it to your camera roll.
PayPal’s QR payments page says: “Save your QR code and show it to get paid on the spot.” The payer scans it with a phone camera or the PayPal app.
Business account:
- Sign in to your PayPal business account.
- Create your QR code there.
- Download it and put it on signage, a counter card, or your camera roll.
Per PayPal’s business QR page, the same code takes tips and donations, online or in person.
How do I make a Venmo QR code?
A Venmo QR code lives on your profile, and you reach it in three taps. The Venmo help center lists the steps:
- Go to the Me tab.
- Tap the QR code button on your profile picture.
- Tap Venmo me.
Tap the share button to send the code by text or email. Don’t confuse it with Show to pay, which is for paying a store. To scan someone else’s code, open Venmo and tap Scan at the top.
Business profiles use a different path. Venmo’s business profile QR guide says to tap Charge, then QR Code, then Venmo Me. Tap the printer icon to download a high-quality PDF you can send to a print shop.
Setting a price on a Venmo business code
A Venmo business profile can preset the amount. Tap $ on the Venmo me screen, type the amount, and tap Set Amount. The customer sees it pre-filled and can still change it, which helps with tips. Only one preset code can be live at a time, so a market stall with two price points can’t run two fixed-price codes side by side.
PayPal vs Venmo QR codes: which one fits?
PayPal and Venmo both make free codes, but fees, preset prices and printing differ by account type. The table uses each company’s own pages.
| PayPal personal | PayPal business | Venmo personal | Venmo business | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where to find it | QR code button in the app | Your business account | Me tab > QR code > Venmo me | Charge > QR Code > Venmo Me |
| Cost to create | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Seller fee per payment | Not for personal payments | 2.29% + $0.09 | Not for personal payments | 1.9% + $0.10 |
| Preset amount | No | Not stated | No | Yes, one at a time |
| Print-ready file | Save the image | Download from account | Share the image | High-quality PDF |
| Expires | Not stated | No | Not stated | Not stated |
The PayPal business fee comes from its merchant fee table, last updated October 1, 2026. QR code transactions there cost 2.29% plus a fixed fee, less than the 2.99% for goods and services payments. Venmo’s business fee page charges 1.9% + $0.10 on payments of $1.00 or more from another Venmo account.
Who should pick which:
- Paying back friends: use whichever app your group already has. Personal codes are fine.
- Selling at a market, salon or food truck: use a business code. PayPal says business accounts using PayPal.Me get its Seller Protection, and Venmo’s business code adds preset prices and a print PDF.
- Selling outside the U.S.: check Venmo first. Venmo’s in-store FAQ says in-store QR payments need a merchant in the U.S.
My take: if you sell in person and your buyers use both apps, print both codes side by side, labeled. Nobody downloads a new app at the counter, so a missing code is a lost sale.
Can I use a PayPal.Me link to make a QR code?
A PayPal.Me link can go into any QR generator, because it’s just a web address. PayPal’s PayPal.Me page shows links in the form paypal.me/brianna, and anyone with a PayPal account can pay through one.
It works, but the scan opens a web page first instead of the app. Keep one-off PayPal payment links off anything printed. PayPal’s payment link page says unclaimed links expire after 10 days, so a printed code would stop working.
Should you put a payment QR code behind a tracked redirect?
A tracked QR code for payments usually adds risk without much benefit. The native PayPal and Venmo codes open the payment app directly, and the apps already record every payment, which is a better count than scans.
A dynamic code makes sense in one case: you’re printing a lot of signs and might switch payment apps later, so you can repoint the code instead of reprinting. Our post on dynamic vs static QR codes explains that trade-off.
This limitation applies to QRAnalytica too. Our dynamic codes run through our redirect servers, which is how you edit them and count scans. That puts one more hop between your customer and the payment screen. For a code whose only job is “pay me,” use the app’s own code and save scan tracking for flyers and menus.
How to print and display a payment QR code
A printed payment code needs enough size, contrast and a clear label to get scanned at a counter.
- Label it. Write “Pay with Venmo” or “Pay with PayPal” above the code. People hesitate to scan a bare square, and our guide to a good call to action covers wording.
- Size it for distance. A counter card read from arm’s length can be small. A sign on the wall needs to be bigger. See QR code size for printing.
- Use the PDF when you can. Venmo’s business PDF is print-ready. A phone screenshot can blur when enlarged.
- Check it before you laminate. Scan the printed proof with two phones and confirm it opens your profile, not someone else’s.
Scammers stick fake payment codes over real ones. Check your signs now and then, and read how to scan a QR code safely if your customers ask whether your code is legit.
What goes wrong with PayPal and Venmo QR codes?
Most payment QR problems come from using the wrong code or a code that can’t be scanned.
- Wrong Venmo code shown. “Show to pay” is for paying stores. Customers need your Venmo me code.
- Scanner won’t open. Venmo needs camera permission. Venmo’s in-store FAQ also says the app must be version 7.53 or later for store payments.
- Preset price is wrong. Venmo business customers can edit it. Check the amount on their screen before they leave.
- Code won’t scan at all. Glare, low contrast or a small print are the usual causes. Our QR code not scanning checklist walks through each one.
FAQ
Is it free to make a PayPal or Venmo QR code?
Yes. Both apps create the code at no cost. PayPal says there is no setup fee or monthly cost for its business QR code, and you pay a fee only when a customer pays you. Venmo business profiles also pay per payment, not for the code.
Does a PayPal QR code expire?
No. PayPal says its business QR code doesn’t expire, and one code can cover everything you sell. One-off PayPal payment links are different: unclaimed links expire after 10 days.
Can I print my Venmo QR code?
Yes. On a Venmo business profile, tap Charge, then QR Code, then Venmo Me, and tap the printer icon to download a high-quality PDF. On a personal profile, use the share button and save or send the image.
Can I set a fixed amount on a Venmo QR code?
On a business profile, yes. Tap the $ button on your Venmo me code and enter an amount. The customer can still edit it, and only one preset code can be live at a time.
Should I use a third-party QR generator for PayPal or Venmo?
Usually not. The codes inside PayPal and Venmo are free and open straight into the payment app. A generator only helps if you need a code you can repoint later or want scan counts, and that adds a redirect in the middle.