QR code for PayPal, Stripe & payments: international guide

QR codes for getting paid work in any country, not just with Bizum in Spain or Pix in Brazil. PayPal, Stripe, Wise, Revolut, and most payment processors generate payment links you can turn into a scannable QR. This guide covers the main international methods, how to set them up, and when each one makes sense.

Quick answer

• PayPal.Me: most universal. URL paypal.me/yourname turned into a QR at QRcito → PayPal preset.
• Stripe Payment Links: fixed links per product/amount. Ideal for freelance and e-commerce. Convert the link URL into a QR.
• Wise (formerly TransferWise): payment links for international accounts with lower fees.
• Revolut: payment links revolut.me/user. Great for quick payments between accounts.
• For local payments (Spain's Bizum, Brazil's Pix, UK's bank transfers), there are specific schemes. For deep-dive: QR for Bizum and payments.

Why use QR for payment

Turning a payment link into a QR removes three frictions:

1. No typing. The customer doesn't write your email, your IBAN, or look up your handle. Camera → pay.
2. No payment terminal. If you sell at markets, events, freelance, you don't need a physical card reader or tablet with an app.
3. Works offline for you. You don't need internet at the moment of charging — the customer pays from their phone with their connection.

Typical cases where it pays off:

• Freelancer charging international clients.
• Vendor at fair/market.
• Donations (churches, NGOs, charity events).
• Quick checkout in restaurants and bars for tips or small bills.
• Service booking (dog walker, private tutor, home hairdresser).

PayPal: the most universal

PayPal.Me (personal link)

PayPal.Me is the simplest option. Anyone with your URL can pay you without needing to know your email.

1. Enable your PayPal.Me at paypal.me. Pick a name (paypal.me/yourbiz).
2. In QRcito, pick the PayPal preset.
3. Enter user and, optionally, amount: paypal.me/yourbiz/25 charges 25 units of your main currency.
4. Download the QR.

Pros:

• Universal (PayPal operates in 200+ countries).
• No fee for the payer.
• Works with card without the customer needing a PayPal account (though PayPal will try to "sell" it during checkout).

Cons:

• PayPal charges receiver ~2.9% + fixed fee for commercial payments.
• Currency conversion with 3-4% margin (expensive for high volume).
• For local payments in Spain, there are now cheaper alternatives.

QR for PayPal Business

If you have a PayPal Business account, you can create payment buttons with fixed amount and product info. Generate the link at business.paypal.com → Payments → Create button, copy the final URL, convert to QR.

Stripe Payment Links

Stripe is the professional option. It accepts:

• Card (all banks).
• Apple Pay, Google Pay.
• In some countries: SEPA debit, Bancontact, iDEAL, BLIK, Bizum.

How to create a Payment Link

1. Go to dashboard.stripe.com → Payments → Payment Links → New payment link.
2. Create or select a product (with name, description, optional photo).
3. Set the price (can be fixed or "customer chooses").
4. Configure: allow quantity adjustment? request email? request address?
5. Generate the link. It'll look like buy.stripe.com/xyz123abc....
6. Copy it to QRcito, URL preset. Download the QR.

Pros:

• Lower fee than PayPal (1.4% + €0.25 in Europe; 2.9% + 30¢ in US).
• One-click payment in many cases.
• Multiple methods without extra configuration.
• Automatic email receipts.

Cons:

• Slower onboarding (identity verification, IBAN).
• Stripe doesn't officially operate in every country (~50).
• Need a business or personal bank account in your name.

Stripe + recurring subscriptions

Payment Links also support subscriptions. Useful if you sell monthly access to something: gym, online classes, software, community.

The link QR works the same: the customer scans, pays the first installment, and is set up for following automatic payments.

Wise (TransferWise)

Wise is designed for freelancers and professionals with clients in different countries. Its payment links have low fees and currency conversion at mid-market rate (no hidden margin).

How to generate Wise payment QR

1. In Wise: Receive money → Create invoice → Generate link.
2. Set amount, currency, description.
3. Wise gives a URL like wise.com/pay/business/....
4. Convert to QR in QRcito → URL preset.

Pros vs PayPal:

• Currency conversion much cheaper (~0.5% vs 3-4%).
• You receive in your multi-currency Wise account, no conversion.
• Ideal for freelancers with clients in USD, GBP, EUR, etc.

When to choose: if you bill clients in different currencies frequently. For local one-off payments, PayPal or Stripe is faster to set up.

Revolut (Revolut.me)

Works like PayPal.Me but inside the Revolut ecosystem. URL revolut.me/youruser.

1. Activate your Revolut.me from the Revolut app: Me → Profile → Share.
2. Copy the link.
3. Convert to QR in QRcito.

Pros:

• Instant payments between Revolut accounts.
• No fees between Revolut users.

Cons:

• Only works well if customer also has Revolut.
• If they pay with non-Revolut card, fee similar to PayPal.

For quick peer-to-peer payments inside a Revolut circle (common among digital nomads and urban young people), it's excellent. For open professional charging, better Stripe or PayPal.

Bizum / Pix (local schemes)

If your market is Spain (Bizum) or Brazil (Pix), local schemes still win for instant transfers up to certain limits. Detail in QR for Bizum and payments.

These schemes lack a universal URI standard across all banks. What works:

• Bizum: most banks have QR Bizum natively to charge inside their app. Universal alternative: share text with your associated phone number: Bizum: 6XX XXX XXX. Encode as "Text" type QR.
• Pix (Brazil): standardized — the BR Code is essentially a QR with EMV-compliant payload. Generate at your bank app, scan with any Pix-enabled app.

Quick comparison

Method	Receiver fee	Best for
PayPal.Me personal	0% (with email)	Casual international one-off payments
PayPal.Me business	~3%	Professional charges without customer needing account
Stripe Payment Link	~1.4% + €0.25	E-commerce, professional freelance
Wise link	<0.5% in currencies	Freelance with clients in multiple countries
Revolut.me	0% between Revolut	P2P between Revolut users

Best practices for payment QR

Confirm URL before printing

Very common to generate the QR with a test amount (paypal.me/you/1) and forget to change it. Always verify.

Add your logo

Huge trust boost. The customer sees paypal.me/X in the URL and your logo in the QR; knows it's not a quishing scam. How to: QR with logo tutorial.

Label near the QR

"Scan to pay $25" in text near the QR. Increases trust and conversion.

Watch out for quishing in payment areas

If your QR is stuck on a bar table or shop window, someone could paste another QR over yours with their own payment link. Check periodically that your QR is the original. More info: Quishing and QR scams.

Verify the QR scans from a distance

If you stick it on a table, 2.5×2.5 cm. If on a counter with the customer 50 cm away, 5×5 cm minimum. Review the size guide.

Privacy

QRcito generates all QR locally in your browser. Your payment URL, amount, username — nothing leaves your browser. The resulting QR is an image you download. No record of who you charge, how much, or which method you use.

This matters especially if you sell something sensitive (consulting, adult content, gambling, mental health) and prefer the payment data not be logged by a QR-generation service.

Frequently asked questions

Does a payment QR expire? The QR is just an image; what may expire is the URL it encodes. PayPal.Me and Stripe Payment Link links are permanent unless you delete them. Wise depends on whether you set expiry on the invoice. More on this: Does a QR code expire?.

Can I receive crypto via QR? Yes. Most wallets (Metamask, Phantom, Trust Wallet, Ledger Live) generate receive-address QR codes. QRcito has a Crypto preset for Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, USDC, etc.

Does the customer need the same app as me? For PayPal.Me, yes (or card via PayPal). For Stripe, no — pay with any card. For Bizum, yes (account in bank with Bizum). For Wise, no for card-paying payer.

Is there a way to know who paid? Stripe is most informative (detailed receipts, email, dashboard). PayPal notifies by email but receipt is less detailed. Wise gives full invoice.

Which has lowest fees? For local payments in euros, Bizum (free up to bank's limit). For international: Wise in currencies, Stripe within same European country (~1.4%).

In short

PayPal.Me for occasional global payments. Stripe for professionals and e-commerce. Wise if you handle currencies. Revolut between Revolut users. Bizum in Spain for up to €1000. For any of them, the QR is the same: you copy the link, paste it in QRcito, and download.

Create your payment QR free, no signup and without your data touching any server: qrcito.com