First invented for use in industrial applications in Japan in the early 1990s, QR codes were being widely used by consumers when smartphones with QR readers became more prevalent in the 2000s.

Once an underdog of the tech world, QR codes are now a core tool for businesses across industries—not just in marketing but ...

For years, businesses have used QR codes as a shortcut to a website. Slap a code on an ad, send users to a landing page, and hope something happens. But in 2025, that's just scratching the surface.