Why Every E-Commerce Brand Should Be Using QR Codes in 2026
The moment a customer opens their product package is now one of the few remaining undistracted, high-attention touchpoints a brand owns. And increasingly, the brands capturing that moment all have one thing in common: QR codes.
QR codes have become a vital tool for enhancing engagement, driving conversions, and improving the customer experience. Consumers now instinctively know what to do when they see one — and more importantly, they expect to. What was once a novelty has quietly become a standard, and brands that aren't using them inside their packaging are leaving a direct line to their customer completely untapped.
What is a QR code?
A QR code (quick response code) is a two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned instantly with a smartphone camera. There's no need to download any applications or type in any URLs; a user can simply scan and go.
There are different types of QR codes, such as static or dynamic. Here is a guide that explains the similarities and differences between the two in more detail.
Why QR Codes Are A Necessity
Smartphone cameras now scan QR codes by default. Consumers use them in restaurants, airports, for payments, and for event check-ins. Scanning has become a second nature so QR codes are not just "nice to have" to strategically essential for e-commerce brands.
QR codes now offer the advantage of having a direct, owned, post-purchase connection to the customer.
1. E-Commerce Packaging is The Perfect Touchpoint for QR Engagement
QR codes are now a direct engagement channel. 60% of shoppers scan QR codes on packaging for product information before purchase (source: Hovarlay), indicating strong customer demand for deeper insights on the products they've purchased and expecting additional experiences with the brand.
These stats illustrate that QR codes on packaging including package inserts act as a meaningful engagement channel. There are different type of package inserts a brand can use from thank-you cards, care guides, or exclusive offers.
2. QR Codes Scan Rates
Higher-engagement package insert QR codes such as care guides or brand stories, where the insert add real value and strong calls to action see an average scan rate of 12 to 18% (source: eCommerce Fastlane).
Note that scan rates depend on a lot of factors such as how you frame the offer and where you place the code:
Value proposition matters - customers will scan when they know exactly what they'll get (discount, tips, warranty, loyalty program).
Design and placement - codes on easy-to-find inserts with clear call-to-actions outperform ones hidden on packing skips.
Mobile optimization - once a customer scans the QR code, the landing page must be fast and useful; otherwise, scan-to-conversion drops even if scan rates are decent.
3. QR Codes Help Build First-Party Data
QR codes offer a clean way to collect first-party data. In a 2025 industry survey, 95% of business leaders using QR codes said they collect first-party insights directly from customers (source: Forbes).
By linking scans to tracking pixels, customized landing pages, e-commerce brands can gather high-quality first-party data to personalize and retarget.
In 2026, the brands that are succeeding in the e-commerce game aren't just the ones with the best ads or the fastest shipping - they're the ones that continue the conversation after the purchase. QR codes make that possible.
The data is clear. Consumers are comfortable scanning. Package inserts outperform many traditional channels. And when QR codes offer real value - customers respond.
4. The Moment After the Box Opens Is the Most Underrated Moment in E-Commerce
Most e-commerce brands spend thousands optimizing the moment before a customer buys — the ad creative, the landing page, the checkout flow. Yet the moment a customer opens a package and holds your product in their hands is arguably the highest-trust moment in the entire relationship. They've already paid. They're curious, even excited. There's no buyer's remorse yet, no competing distractions — just your product and whatever you put in the box with it. A QR code on a package insert is the only marketing channel that lives inside that moment. It's not an ad interrupting someone's scroll. It's an invitation extended at peak receptivity. No other digital touchpoint — not email, not SMS, not retargeting — can say the same.
Other Resources
Here are some other helpful guides to get you started with GetReviews and in collecting reviews.
What is GetReviews.ai?
GetReviews.ai is a tool designed for e-commerce sellers on Amazon, Walmart, and more to increase post-purchase customer engagement platform through QR codes, and survey flows and help generate more authentic, compliant product reviews and build stronger relationships with their customers after every sale.
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