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QR codes and older customers: what the research says

QR menus save money and paper. For some guests over 60, they also spoil the visit. A 2026 study looked at why, and at what makes the difference.

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The short version

  • Print the code bigger, dark on light, on matt paper.
  • Make the menu page easy to read on a phone.
  • Keep paper menus, and offer one.

Hard-to-use codes were linked to angry, less loyal guests

Researchers at the University of South Florida, Zvijezdana Petkovic, Luana Nanu and Trishna Mistry, studied how adults over 60 experience QR codes in restaurants and hotels. They interviewed people aged 60 to 82, then surveyed a larger group to check the results. The paper appeared in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights in April 2026.

  • The problems were practical. Glare on the code, codes in awkward places, and small text on the page that opened.
  • Hard codes were linked to anger. The struggle took mental effort, and people described frustration and anger. Some said it made them feel useless.
  • Anger was linked to loyalty. In the survey, anger was the link between a hard-to-use code and lower satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Easy codes were linked to better visits. Guests who found the code easy described smooth visits and wanted to return.

The study does not say older guests cannot use QR codes. It links a badly made code to a worse memory of the visit.

Check your code in two minutes

Print your code at the size you plan to use and put it on a table. Ask someone over 60 to sit down, scan it in the room's normal light, and read the first item on the menu. Watch where they hesitate.

What to change

  • Print it bigger. The authors recommend a minimum size for codes. We suggest at least 2 cm wide, and more on a table where people scan from their seat.
  • Dark on light, matt finish. Glossy lamination under strong lights causes glare.
  • Put it where people look. At eye level, or flat on the table.
  • Make the menu page easy to read. The authors recommend large text and simple navigation on the page that opens.
  • Keep paper menus. The authors recommend keeping printed menus. We suggest offering one before the guest has to ask.
  • Have staff ready to help. The authors recommend staff support alongside the code.

How QR Lasts helps

A menu code made here can be dynamic. When prices change, you edit where it goes, and every printed card opens the new menu. A free account includes 10 dynamic codes.

Every code made here, free or paid, keeps redirecting. The only reason we stop one is abuse, checked with Google Web Risk.

Sources

If we have misread a study, tell us and we will correct it.

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