QR: Bar Codes for the Rest of Us

Quick Response codes (or QR) are small squares that look something like mutated bar codes. Instead of a series of vertical bars, QR codes consist of rectangles and squares. You can find QR codes in the display windows of some shops. If you’ve been inside a Best Buy store recently virtually every item on the shelves has a QR code. You’ll also find QR codes in many magazines.

But for many people, they’ve first taken note of QR codes when they’ve used a mobile boarding pass system for a flight. Once you’ve seen the distinctive square design, you start to notice how often they’re popping up everywhere. Some call it “mobile tagging.” It’s been used in some countries, such as Japan, for years, but its popularity with marketers in the US is growing fast.