# Printing a UPI QR standee

> Size the code with the 10:1 rule: customers scan a counter standee from 60–100 cm, so print the code 6–10 cm wide. A5 suits the counter, A4 a wall. Use matt lamination, since gloss glare is the classic standee failure, and print the business name and VPA beside the code.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/payments/printing-a-upi-qr-standee · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, no signup.

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## The arithmetic first

Standee sizing is one division: **minimum code width = scan distance ÷ 10**. A customer at
a counter holds their phone **60–100 cm** from the standee, so the code itself needs to be
**6–10 cm** across, not the paper, the code. A wall-mounted code scanned from across a
shop at 2 m needs **20 cm**. The rule's derivation is on
[the 10:1 distance rule](/docs/print/the-10-to-1-distance-rule), and the
[size calculator](/size-calculator) does the division with module counts included.

Mapped to paper:

| Format | Paper size | Code size | Works for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A6 tent card | 105 × 148 mm | 6–7 cm | Table-top, payer seated |
| **A5 standee** | 148 × 210 mm | 8–10 cm | The standard counter standee |
| A4 | 210 × 297 mm | 12–18 cm | Wall mount, behind-counter |
| A3 | 297 × 420 mm | 20+ cm | Across-the-room, queue signage |

A5 is the sweet spot: a 10 cm code, the business name in large type above, the VPA and a
CTA below, and margins that respect the **4-module quiet zone** on every side.

## What goes on it besides the code

1. **Business name, large, matching `pn`**, the payer's confirmation screen shows a name,
   and the printed name is what they compare it against. This is a fraud control, not
   branding; the [format page](/docs/payments/upi-qr-code-format) explains why.
2. **The VPA as text**: the fallback when a camera struggles, and a second check.
3. **A call to action**, "Scan any UPI app to pay". Multilingual counters should see
   [UPI QR in Hindi and regional languages](/docs/payments/upi-qr-in-hindi-and-regional-languages).
4. **Nothing else.** Every extra element shrinks the code's share of the sheet.

## Print quality and finish

- **Export SVG** from the [generator](/upi) and let the print shop scale it losslessly;
  if you must use raster, **300 DPI minimum**, about 1,200 px for a 10 cm code. The
  general rules are in [QR size for print](/docs/print/qr-code-size-for-print).
- **Matt lamination, always.** Gloss under a shop's ceiling tube reflects a bright band
  straight into the phone camera, the single most common way a working standee "stops
  scanning". Matt gives the durability without the mirror.
- Lamination earns its cost twice: wipeable at a food counter, and an overlay sticker
  lifts visibly from laminate, making tampering easier to spot.
- **Vertical stand, tilted slightly back**, never flat on the counter, flat codes force
  an awkward top-down scan angle and catch every light source.
- Outdoor or window placement changes the material question entirely: see
  [outdoor durability](/docs/print/qr-codes-outdoors-durability).

## Dual-code standees

Merchants with a bank-issued [BharatQR](/docs/payments/upi-qr-vs-bharatqr) often print it
beside their UPI code. Two rules keep a dual layout scannable: **label each code** ("UPI" /
"All apps and cards"), and **separate them by at least one full code width** so a phone at
counter distance frames one code cleanly. Two adjacent unlabelled codes produce the
scan-the-wrong-one lottery.

## The free-PDF workflow

The whole pipeline costs printing alone: generate at [/upi](/upi) with your VPA and name
(the code renders client-side: your VPA is never uploaded), download SVG, place it in an
A5 layout, and [decode-verify the final artwork](/validate), the exported file, not the
on-screen preview, before the print run. Then run the
[print checklist](/docs/print/qr-code-print-checklist): quiet zone intact, contrast solid,
a test scan from actual counter distance on a mid-range phone.

## FAQ

### What size should a UPI QR standee be?
A5 (148 × 210 mm) with the code printed 8–10 cm wide covers a normal counter, where customers scan from 60–100 cm. The rule is code width equals scan distance divided by ten.

### Should a UPI standee be laminated glossy or matt?
Matt. Gloss lamination reflects overhead lighting directly into phone cameras and is the most common reason a counter code stops scanning. Matt lamination gives the same durability without the glare.

### Can I put UPI and BharatQR on one standee?
Yes, label each code clearly and separate them by at least one full code width so the payer's camera frames a single code. Unlabelled adjacent codes cause wrong-code scans.

### How do I print a UPI QR standee for free?
Generate the code free at useqr.app/upi, download the SVG, place it in an A5 layout with your business name and VPA, verify the final file decodes, and pay only for the printing and lamination.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/upi
- https://useqr.app/size-calculator
- https://useqr.app/validate