Easy Tech TutsHow to Scan a PayPal QR Code Easily 2026
By Impran M NLast checked against official docs
PayPal's QR code payments are built to remove the checkout dance at a market stall or small counter: instead of typing card details, one side displays a code and the other scans it. PayPal's own QR code documentation lays out the process for both sides of the transaction, what a customer does to pay and what a seller does to generate and price a code. This guide walks through that documentation directly, so you know what each step does before relying on it in person.
01What a PayPal QR payment is
By PayPal's own description, QR code payments let a seller get paid in person just by displaying a code that a customer scans with their phone's camera or the PayPal app. Creating and sharing a code is free, and no extra hardware is needed on either side. The transaction runs through the code and the two PayPal accounts behind it.
02How the customer's side works
PayPal's support documentation describes more than a bare scan. In the app, the customer taps the QR code icon at the top right of the screen, points the camera at the seller's code, and scans it.
From there, the customer enters the amount owed (PayPal's business page notes a tip can be added here too), picks a payment method, and taps Send. Scanning with the phone's plain camera app instead of PayPal's own works too and opens the same flow. Either way, the amount screen is where the payment gets confirmed, not the scan itself.
03How a seller downloads a QR code from a computer
For sellers setting up their own code, the recorded walkthrough shows five steps from a desktop browser: click Pay & Get Paid, click QR Code, click Generate your QR Code, click Download your QR Code, and print it. Once downloaded, the code is ready to display and accept payment; there's no separate activation step.
04How a seller generates a code from the mobile app
The PayPal Business app offers a separate path: log in, tap More, tap Get paid with QR codes, and save the resulting code to your camera roll. It's the faster option for a seller who wants a code ready to print or display without sitting down at a computer.
05Setting a fixed price on a QR code
Sellers who want a code tied to a specific amount, instead of a generic code the customer types an amount into, follow a slightly longer path: tap the Menu icon, scroll to Get Paid and tap Seller QR Code, tap the Pencil icon, select Add an amount and enter it, then tap Apply settings. The finished custom code saves to Photos and can be downloaded and printed from there. This is the Seller QR Code specifically, and it carries its own fee and country restrictions; see the cost note below.
06Where to check if something isn't working
PayPal's support site runs a dedicated FAQ section on common snags: how to download your QR code, how to find a code you've already downloaded, how to set one up, and how long a code stays valid. If a code isn't scanning, or you've lost track of a downloaded file, this section is built specifically to answer that before you troubleshoot on your own.
When it doesn't work
The Seller QR Code option doesn't show up in the app
Why: Seller QR Code is limited to a specific list of countries. It isn't offered on every PayPal account.
Fix: Check PayPal's current country list for the feature. Where it isn't available, a generic code without a preset amount is still an option.
A customer scans the code, but nothing seems to happen
Why: A generic code still needs the payer to enter the amount and confirm on the following screen. If they back out of that screen or the app doesn't recognize the code cleanly, no payment sends.
Fix: Confirm the amount-entry screen appeared before assuming the scan failed, and try the scan again if the code wasn't read properly the first time.
Can't find a QR code downloaded earlier
Why: A downloaded code saves as a plain image file, to the computer's downloads folder or the phone's camera roll, not inside PayPal itself. PayPal has no record of it once it's off-platform.
Fix: Regenerate the code from the same seller account and download it again. PayPal's QR FAQ section covers this exact case.
Frequently asked questions
What does a customer need to do to pay with a QR code?
Open the PayPal app, tap the QR code icon, scan the seller's code, then enter the amount, choose a payment method, and tap Send. Scanning with the phone's regular camera works too and leads to the same steps.
Do I need special hardware to accept QR payments as a seller?
No. A downloaded or printed code plus a customer's phone camera is enough; no additional devices are required.
Can a seller set a fixed amount on their QR code?
Yes, through the Seller QR Code option: tap the Pencil icon, add an amount, and apply it before saving the custom code.
How long does a PayPal QR code stay valid?
PayPal addresses this in its QR code FAQ section directly. Check "How long is my QR code valid?" there for the current answer, since validity policies can change.
Is there a fee for QR code payments?
A plain, no-amount QR code is free to create and use. A Seller QR Code, the type a business generates to collect a set amount, carries PayPal's standard 2.29% plus $0.09 per-transaction fee.
Is the Seller QR Code available everywhere?
No. It's limited to a specific list of countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, and most of the EU. A personal QR code without a preset amount doesn't have that restriction.
Sources and last check
The desktop and Business-app generation steps, and the two screenshots, come from a recorded walkthrough of PayPal's own support pages. The customer-side scan flow, the transaction fee, and the Seller QR Code country limits were re-checked against PayPal's official help and business pages in September 2026. That check corrected the original claim that PayPal's documentation describes nothing beyond a bare scan on the customer's side: it lists entering an amount, choosing a payment method, and confirming, too.
About the author
Impran M N
I've been hooked on technology for as long as I can remember — especially the new tools and AI apps that seem to land every other week. Easy Tech Tuts is where I write up whatever I've just worked out: I do the task in the real product, record the screen, and turn it into the guide I wish I'd found first.
