Industry guide
QR codes for charities and nonprofits
For a charity the QR code that matters is the donation code, and its design decisions are all about trust: a recognisable domain, the organisation name in large text, and a payment rail with no fee where one exists.
Trust is the whole design problem
People are rightly wary of scanning a donation code. Every design decision should reduce that hesitation:
- Your own domain, visible in the URL preview.
donate.charityname.orgreassures; a shortener does not. - The organisation's registered name printed large next to the code, matching what the payment app will show.
- Registered charity number on the same material.
- Never a third-party shortener — it hides the destination, which is exactly what a fraudulent code does.
Choose the cheapest rail
| Region | Rail | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| India | UPI | Typically none for P2P |
| Brazil | PIX | None |
| Eurozone | EPC / SEPA | Bank transfer, typically free |
| Card / international | PayPal or a processor | 1.4–3% |
A fee-free local rail means the whole donation reaches you. For a small charity that difference is material.
Suggested amounts
A code with a fixed amount raises average donation but excludes people who would give less. The pattern that works: a code with no amount, and printed suggestions ("£5 feeds one family for a day") beside it. The donor still chooses.
Physical security
Donation standees get overlaid with fraudulent stickers, particularly at events and in public spaces. Laminate over the code, check standees at the start of each session, and train volunteers to look.