A UPI QR code lets anyone pay you by scanning it with Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM or their bank’s app. You do not need a card machine or a payment gateway: the code simply holds your UPI ID, your name and, if you like, a fixed amount. This guide shows how to make one for free, choose between a fixed and an open amount, and print it so it scans every time.
What a UPI QR code contains
Inside every UPI QR code is a short payment link that looks like this:
upi://pay?pa=yourname@okhdfcbank&pn=Your%20Name&am=499.00&cu=INR&tn=Invoice%2042
- pa is the payee address: your UPI ID (also called a VPA).
- pn is the payee name the customer sees before paying.
- am is an optional fixed amount in rupees.
- tn is an optional note, such as an invoice number.
Because the details are stored in the code itself, a UPI QR code never expires and has no scan limit. It keeps working for as long as the UPI ID is active.
Make your UPI QR code in four steps
- Open the QR Code Generator and choose UPI.
- Enter your UPI ID exactly as it appears in your payment app, for example
shopname@oksbi, and the name you want customers to see. - Leave the amount empty for a counter or shop, or enter an amount for a specific bill.
- Download it as PNG for WhatsApp and websites, or SVG for printing, and test it with your own phone before you share it.
Fixed amount or open amount?
An open-amount code (no amount filled in) is right for a shop counter, a donation box or a tiffin service: the customer types the amount each time. A fixed-amount code is better on an invoice or a bill, because the customer only has to confirm, and you will not get underpayments by mistake. Our Invoice Generator and Broadband Bill Generator add a fixed-amount UPI QR code to each bill automatically, with the invoice number as the payment note.
Personal or business UPI ID?
Any UPI ID can receive money, so a personal ID works for occasional payments. If you take payments every day, ask your bank or payment app for a merchant or business UPI ID. Business IDs usually come with payment notifications, settlement reports and a soundbox option, and they keep your business money separate from personal transfers.
Printing a QR code that always scans
- Size: print the code at least 3 cm wide for a counter, and bigger if people will scan it from a distance.
- Contrast: keep a dark code on a white or very light background. Light codes on dark backgrounds and low-contrast colours fail on many phones.
- Margin: leave a white border around the code at least as wide as two of its small squares.
- Format: use SVG for printing so the code stays sharp at any size.
- Protection: laminate printed codes and check them now and then; a scratched code can stop scanning.
Stay safe from QR code scams
Teach your staff and customers one rule: you never need to enter a UPI PIN to receive money. Entering a PIN always sends money out of your account. Fraudsters sometimes send a QR code claiming it will “receive” a payment or a refund; scanning it and entering a PIN pays them instead. Also check your printed codes regularly, because a fake sticker placed over your real code is a known trick.
Frequently asked questions
Is a UPI QR code free to make?
Yes. A UPI QR code is just a payment link turned into an image. There is no fee to make it, and UPI payments to it are normally free for the person paying.
Can I put my UPI QR code on my website?
Yes. Download the PNG and add it to your website, or use a “Pay with UPI” link with the same upi:// address so customers on phones can tap it directly.
Why does my QR code say “invalid UPI ID”?
Check for typing mistakes and spaces in the UPI ID, and confirm it is active by sending yourself ₹1 from another app. UPI IDs are not case sensitive, but the part after the @ must be exactly right.