What a crypto payment QR code does
Cryptocurrency addresses are 26 to 62 characters of mixed case letters and digits; nobody types them by hand. A payment QR code encodes the address — and optionally an amount and a label — so a wallet app can scan it and pre-fill the transaction. This generator supports Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin and Dash, builds the code in your browser, and gives you a PNG or SVG for invoices, donation pages, tip jars and point-of-sale displays. It never sees your private keys; only the public receiving address goes into the code.
What is inside the code
Bitcoin (BIP 21): bitcoin:bc1qar0srrr7xfkvy5l643lydnw9re59gtzzwf5mdq?amount=0.0025&label=Invoice%2042
Ethereum (EIP 681): ethereum:0x71C7656EC7ab88b098defB751B7401B5f6d8976F?value=1e16
Litecoin: litecoin:ltc1q…?amount=0.5
Bitcoin Cash: bitcoincash:qp…?amount=0.1
Dash: dash:X…?amount=2Each is a URI scheme the wallet apps recognise. The amount is in the coin's main unit (BTC, ETH, LTC); Ethereum wallets that follow EIP 681 expect the value in wei, which the generator converts. A label is a human-readable note shown in the wallet; it is not recorded on the blockchain.
Address formats to expect
| Coin | Address starts with | Example length |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (native SegWit) | bc1q | 42 |
| Bitcoin (Taproot) | bc1p | 62 |
| Bitcoin (legacy / P2SH) | 1 or 3 | 26–35 |
| Ethereum and ERC-20 tokens | 0x | 42 |
| Litecoin | ltc1, L or M | 34–43 |
| Bitcoin Cash (CashAddr) | q or p (often with bitcoincash: prefix) | 42 |
| Dash | X | 34 |
The generator does not validate addresses beyond basic format. Copy the address from your wallet, paste it, and compare the first and last few characters before printing — clipboard-hijacking malware that swaps addresses is a real attack.
Fixed amount or open?
- Leave the amount blank for donations and tip jars; the payer chooses.
- Set an amount for invoices and price tags so the payer cannot mistype it. Remember exchange rates move — a fixed BTC amount on a printed menu will be wrong within days. For fiat-priced goods, generate the code at checkout time.
- Use the label for an invoice number or order reference so the payment is identifiable in your wallet.
Privacy and reuse
Every transaction to an address is publicly visible on the blockchain forever. A single printed Bitcoin address on a shop counter links all payments together and lets anyone look up your takings. Wallets generate a fresh receiving address for each payment for this reason. For a static print (a donation poster, a business card), accept the trade-off knowingly, or use a payment processor or a BIP 47 / silent-payment address that derives fresh addresses behind a static code. Ethereum accounts are inherently reusable and equally public.
Safety checklist
- Only ever encode a receiving address. Never put a seed phrase or private key in a QR code that will be printed or shared.
- Scan your own printed code with your wallet and confirm it shows the right address before distributing it.
- Match the coin to the address. Sending BTC to an LTC address, or ETH to a Bitcoin address, loses the funds.
- For Ethereum, the same address works for ETH and ERC-20 tokens, but the payer must send on the right network (mainnet vs an L2).
- Protect physical codes from tampering — a sticker with a different code over yours redirects payments to a thief.