What is a QR menu and how do you create one? Options and prices for restaurants (2026)

A QR menu is a digital menu that a guest opens by scanning the QR code on the table with the phone's camera. There is no need to download a separate app: the camera recognises the code and the menu opens in the browser. For a restaurant, this means not having to reprint the menu when a price or a dish changes; for the guest, it means not waiting for a menu.

Key takeaways:

• A QR menu can be created in three ways: a PDF file and a free QR code, a ready-made QR menu service, or a menu page on the restaurant's own website.
• QR menu services in Azerbaijan have free plans; paid plans cost roughly 11–40 AZN (manat) a month.
• A static QR code does not expire, but if the address it points to changes, the code stops working. So the code should always lead to an address that you control.
• Prices must be shown only in manat and information must be provided in Azerbaijani; these requirements apply to a digital menu too.
• A QR menu should not fully replace the paper menu: some guests prefer a paper menu.

What is a QR menu?

A QR code is an image made up of black-and-white squares that holds an address (link) inside it. When a phone's camera reads it, that address opens. In a QR menu, this address is the restaurant's menu: a PDF file, a web page or an ordering system.

All the guest has to do is point the camera at the code. On an iPhone, the standard Camera app reads the code (Apple); on Android, according to Google, you need Android 9 or a newer version to read a code with the device's own camera (Google). In practice, that covers almost all the phones in use today.

What does a QR menu give a restaurant?

• Lower print costs. When a price or a dish changes, there is no need to reprint the menu.
• The menu updates instantly. Hiding a dish that has run out or adding a special of the day is a one-minute job.
• Photos and descriptions. A photo, ingredients and weight can be shown for every dish; a paper menu does not have the room.
• Several languages. A tourist reads the menu in their own language.
• The waiter's time. The guest does not wait for a menu, and the waiter spends time on orders and service.
• Extra functions. Some systems allow ordering from the table, calling the waiter and paying the bill.

There is a downside too, and you need to know about it. We did not find a survey published for Azerbaijan, and surveys in the US show a contradictory picture. According to the National Restaurant Association's 2024 report, 59% of restaurant guests are ready to open the menu with a QR code (National Restaurant Association). In Ipsos's 2025 survey, by contrast, the share of people who use QR menus reached 65%, yet only 37% said they liked the experience, and 58% said they wanted paper menus to come back (Ipsos).

The conclusion: a QR menu works well as an added convenience alongside the paper menu, but creates dissatisfaction as a compulsory replacement for it.

What types of QR menu are there?

How is a QR menu created?

There are three ways, and they differ in price, convenience and control:

How do you create a free QR menu?

1. Prepare the menu for phones. The A4 file of the print menu cannot be read on a phone. Prepare a separate version with one column and large type.
2. Put the file on the internet. On your own website if you have one; if not, on a file storage service. The main condition: opening the link must not require registration.
3. Create the code in a free generator. You enter the link and download the code as an image. For example, QRCode Monkey and Adobe Express state that the static codes they create do not expire (QRCode Monkey, Adobe Express).
4. Test before printing. Scan the code with several phones, including an older model.
5. Print it and place it on the tables.

The weak point of this way is updating: when you change the menu, you must upload the new file to the same address, otherwise the printed codes will show the old menu.

With a ready-made QR menu service

On a ready-made service, you register, enter the categories and dishes in the admin panel, and the system gives you a phone-friendly menu page and a QR code. Changing a price means changing one field in the panel; the code stays the same.

On your own website

The menu is built as a separate page on the restaurant's website and updated from the admin panel. The advantage of this way is control: the address is on your domain, the design matches your brand, and the menu page appears on Google for the query "restaurant name menu". We explained the types of website in the article what a website is.

How much do QR menu services cost in Azerbaijan?

The prices below are as shown on the services' own websites in October 2026; this is not a ranking:

When comparing, look at five things besides the price:

• Item limit. Free plans usually limit the number of items.
• Languages. Are Azerbaijani, Russian and English supported in the same menu?
• Link to the POS system. This matters for a QR menu with ordering.
• Branding. Does the menu appear with your logo and colours, or with the service's own design?
• What happens if you leave the service? If the code points to the service's address, all the printed codes will stop working when you end the subscription.

Static and dynamic QR codes: what is the difference?

A static code itself does not go out of date; it stops working only when the page it points to is deleted or its address changes. The safest approach is this: the code should lead to a permanent address on your own domain, for example restoran.az/menyu. Then you can change the menu, even the menu service, as often as you like, and the printed codes will keep working. We explained how a domain is bought in the article what a domain is and how to buy one.

What does the law require for a menu?

A digital menu is still a menu, and the same rules apply to it. The main requirements:

• Prices only in manat. Under Article 13 of the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights", a seller must show the prices of goods and services sold in the territory of Azerbaijan only in manat (text of the Law).
• Correct and complete information. The same article requires the seller to provide necessary and correct information about the price and the properties of the product.
• The menu and the Azerbaijani language. According to the public catering rules approved by Decision No. 94 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 3 April 2014, information about products and services must be conveyed through an approved menu and given in Azerbaijani, and where necessary in other languages as well (Cabinet of Ministers).
• Additional charges in the menu. According to the same rules, the cost of additional services must be shown in the menu or price list, and no compulsory additional service may be provided to the consumer. So if you apply a service charge, state it openly in the menu.

We did not find an explicit provision in the rules on whether presenting the menu only by QR code is sufficient. For this reason, and for the guests' convenience too, keeping a paper menu is safer. This section is not legal advice: check the current version of the rules on the e-qanun.az website or consult a lawyer.

What should a good QR menu be like?

1. It opens in three seconds. Heavy images and a 20 MB PDF keep the guest waiting on mobile internet.
2. It reads on a phone without zooming. One column, large type, clear categories.
3. Prices are visible. Next to every dish, in manat.
4. Ingredients and weight are stated. This is important information for a guest with allergies.
5. Photos are real. A stock photo misleads expectations.
6. Languages are complete. A half-translated menu is worse than a menu with no translation at all.
7. Dishes that have run out are hidden. The answer "Sorry, we don't have it" robs a digital menu of its point.
8. Wi-Fi is simple. If mobile internet is weak in the dining room, the Wi-Fi name and password should be next to the code.

Most of these rules apply to mobile design in general; we explained them in more detail in the article what web design is.

How should you print a QR code and where should you place it?

• Size. A code on a table should be at least 2–3 centimetres wide; a code on a wall or in a shop window should be larger.
• Contrast. A black code on a white background is the most reliable. Test a coloured code or one with a logo on several phones before printing.
• Glare. Glossy lamination makes scanning harder under light; a matt surface is better.
• Position. On every table, at eye level. The guest should not have to look for the code.
• Short instruction. One sentence next to the code: "Point your camera at the code for the menu".
• Backup. Also write the short address under the code: if the code does not scan, the guest can type the address by hand.

How do a QR menu, the website and Google Maps work together?

A menu is not only for the guest at the table. People also want to look at the menu and prices before coming to the restaurant, and they do it on Google. If the menu is a page on your own website, the same page does three jobs: the QR code on the table leads to it, people searching Google by the restaurant's name find it, and your profile on Google Maps links to it.

We showed step by step how a Google Maps profile is set up in the article how to add a place to Google Maps.

What are the most common mistakes with QR menus?

1. Uploading the print menu's PDF as it is. It cannot be read on a phone.
2. Tying the code to a temporary or a third-party address. When the service closes or the file is deleted, all the codes stop working.
3. Abolishing the paper menu completely. A guest who has no phone, whose battery has run out or who simply wants paper is left dissatisfied.
4. Not updating prices. If the price on the menu differs from the price on the bill, it destroys trust and also goes against the requirement to give the consumer correct information.
5. Weak internet. The dining room has neither mobile internet nor open Wi-Fi.
6. Only one language. A menu only in Azerbaijani in a tourist area.
7. Not testing the code. After printing, it turns out that the code is too small or does not scan.

How does Advertol approach restaurant websites?

In Advertol's website projects, the client's team updates the content itself from the admin panel; for frequently changing information such as menus and prices, this is a key requirement. For example, in the Assistance Group project the team publishes projects and news itself, and on the Padel 77 website, prices, club rules and online booking work in three languages.

Advertol is an agency based in Baku: website and mobile app development, Meta and Google advertising, SMM, CRM and AI automation are handled by one team. If you are planning a website for your restaurant with a menu, reservations and several languages, see how the website and app development service works.

Frequently asked questions

Is a QR menu free?

It can be. A PDF file and a code created with a free generator cost nothing, and the ready-made services have free plans too. When the number of items grows, or when you need several languages or ordering from the table, you have to move to a paid plan.

Does a guest need to download an app to open a QR menu?

No. The phone's ordinary camera reads the code and the menu opens in the browser. A menu that requires downloading an app loses the guest: people do not install an app for a single dinner.

Does a QR code expire?

A static code itself does not expire. It stops working only when the page it points to is deleted or its address changes. Dynamic codes depend on the service that created them, so read the service's terms in advance.

Do you have to reprint the code when you change the menu?

If the code points to a permanent address, no: you update the menu and the code stays the same. Reprinting is needed only if the address itself changes, for example if you switch to another service and the code is tied to the old service's address.

Can I give up the paper menu completely?

We do not recommend it. Some guests prefer a paper menu, a phone's battery can run out or the internet may not work. Keeping a few paper copies is cheap and prevents dissatisfaction.

Can I take orders and payments with a QR menu?

Yes, some systems allow ordering from the table, calling the waiter and paying the bill. For this, the menu must be connected to the POS system, and for payment you must have a contract with a bank or a payment provider.

Conclusion

A QR menu is a simple way to bring a restaurant's menu to the phone: you can start with a free PDF, move to a ready-made service or build the menu on your own website. Point the code to a permanent address under your control, prepare the menu separately for phones, keep prices in manat and up to date, and do not abolish the paper menu.

If you would like to build a website with a menu and reservations for your restaurant, book a free strategy meeting or write to the Advertol team.

Sources

• Apple Support — scanning a QR code with an iPhone, 14.09.2026
• Google Account Help — scanning a QR code with the Android camera
• National Restaurant Association — Restaurant Technology Landscape Report 2024
• Ipsos — QR code menus are growing even less popular, 21.07.2025
• QRCode Monkey — free QR code generator
• Adobe Express — QR code generator
• QR Menyu AZ — pricing
• Menyuu.az — pricing
• Qlist.az — pricing
• CentralDev — QR menu
• Clopos — pricing
• "On Protection of Consumer Rights" Law, Article 13 (copy of the text)
• Decision No. 94 of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 3 April 2014