QR codes for restaurants
A menu QR code has one job: open the current menu. The problem is that the menu moves. A new PDF, a seasonal page, a different ordering provider, and a static code printed on every table is now pointing at a dead link. Reprinting table tents because a URL changed is the kind of busywork TangoQR exists to kill.
Every TangoQR code is a redirect you control. The QR on the table tent points at a TangoQR link, and you change where that link sends people whenever you want, from your phone, in seconds. Swap the menu PDF, move to a new online-ordering page, point at tonight's specials: the printed code never changes, so nothing on the table has to be reprinted.
It's editable on the free plan, not just on paid, so a single location can run real menu codes without a subscription. Each code shows its total scan count on every plan, and detailed analytics (when people scan, on what devices) for its first 50 scans, which is usually enough to tell you whether the table-tent code is actually getting used. Custom colors and a logo in the center are available on every plan, so the code can match the room.
And because the redirect is the product, a code keeps working forever. If you cancel, downgrade, or just walk away for a season, the table codes still resolve to the last menu you set. They don't switch off.
A worked example. You print table tents with a TangoQR code that points at your spring menu. Summer arrives and you upload a new menu PDF. You open your dashboard, click Edit destination on that code, paste the new link, and save. Every table tent in the room now opens the summer menu, and you didn't reprint a thing.
Getting started
Three steps:
- Paste your menu link into the builder on the home page.
- Add your colors or a logo, then download the PNG or SVG and print your table tents.
- When the menu changes, repoint the code from your dashboard. No reprint.
Common questions
How do I make a QR code?
On the TangoQR home page, paste your link into the builder and a QR code appears right away. Download it as a PNG or an SVG and put it wherever it needs to go.
You don't need an account for your first code. If you want to come back and change where it points later, add your email when you download it so it's saved to your inbox, then sign in with that email.
Do I need an account to use TangoQR?
Not for your first code. Paste a link, get the QR, download it; no signup. To save a code so you can manage it later, enter your email when you download it; we'll send the code to your inbox. When you sign in (with Google, Apple, Facebook, GitHub or Microsoft) using that same email, the codes you saved are linked to your account automatically.
What makes a TangoQR code different from a regular QR code?
A plain QR code from most free tools has your URL baked straight into the pattern. Print it, and it can never change; if the link dies, the code dies with it.
A TangoQR code points at a short redirect we host, not at your link directly. The image stays the same forever; you change where the redirect sends people whenever you want. So a printed menu, sign, flyer or box keeps working even after the page behind it moves. This is true on every plan, including the free one; it's not a paid feature.
Can I change where my code points after I've printed it?
Yes; that's the point of TangoQR. From your dashboard (Your codes), click the pencil icon labelled Edit destination next to the code, type the new URL, and click Save. The printed image doesn't change; everyone who scans it from now on lands at the new destination.
Editing destinations is included on Pro across every code, and on the free plan for each code's first 50 scans. See pricing for the details.
Will my printed codes break if I change the destination?
No. The QR image is just a pointer to a TangoQR redirect; when you edit a code, only the redirect's target changes. Codes already printed on menus, signs, packaging or flyers keep working; they just send people to the new place.
Do my codes keep working if I cancel or downgrade?
Yes. Every code keeps resolving to the last destination you set, on every plan, forever; the redirect never switches off. If you cancel a paid plan or downgrade, your dashboard reverts to free-plan behavior (editing and detailed analytics lock; the total scan count still shows), but printed codes keep redirecting. Re-subscribe and everything turns back on with nothing lost.
How fast is the redirect?
A scan hits TangoQR, we look up the code, and send the browser straight on to your destination. It's quick: fine for menus, signs, packaging, event materials and anything else people scan on the go.
What scan analytics do I get?
Every plan shows the total scan count for each code; on your dashboard, each code lists how many times it's been scanned. On Pro you also get the breakdowns across every code: which regions scans come from, what devices people use, what times of day they scan, and how scans add up over time. On the free plan you get the same breakdowns per code for its first 50 scans. Expand a code on your dashboard to see its detail view.
Where do I see a code's scans?
On your dashboard (Your codes). Each code's row shows its scan count and when you last edited it. Click the expand icon on a code to open its detail view with the fuller picture (Pro shows the geo, device and time-of-day breakdowns there for every code; the free plan shows them for each code's first 50 scans).
Do you track who scans my codes?
We log a timestamp for each scan, an approximate region worked out from the visitor's IP address, and the browser or device type, but nothing that identifies the person, and no cross-site tracking. It's enough to tell you "scans are coming from these regions, on these devices, at these times," not who anyone is. See our privacy policy for the full picture.
What happens to a free code's detailed analytics after 50 scans?
The total scan count keeps ticking up; that's your signal the code is working. The breakdowns (region, device, time of day, scans over time) move behind an upgrade once a code passes 50 scans on the free plan. Upgrade to Pro and the detailed analytics come back on every code. The limit is per code, so codes still under 50 scans are unaffected. See pricing.
Can I put my own logo in the center of the code?
Yes; on every plan, including free. You can drop a logo into the middle of the code, pick your colors, and save styles to reuse. Custom branding isn't a paid feature; it's there from the start.
(One thing that's plan-specific: free-plan images carry a small TangoQR wordmark in the corner. That comes off on Pro.)
Does the free plan put a TangoQR mark on my codes?
Yes; free-plan images have the TangoQR wordmark in the corner. It sits alongside your own logo (it doesn't replace it). On Pro the wordmark is off, with no per-code toggle; paid means clean codes. See pricing.
Can I change the QR code's colors?
Yes, on every plan. Set the code's colors to match your brand, and save the style so your next code uses the same look. Keep enough contrast between the pattern and the background so scanners can read it cleanly.
What do the plans cost?
Free is $0. Pro is $10 a month, or $100 a year (two months free). The pricing page has the full comparison.
How does the free plan work?
You can make unlimited codes for free. Each code gets the full product (editing the destination and the detailed analytics) for its first 50 scans. After that, those move behind an upgrade for that code, but the code keeps redirecting forever and the image stays downloadable, and the total scan count keeps showing. The 50-scan limit is per code, not per account: a code that never passes 50 scans stays fully editable for free, forever. See pricing for the details.
How do I upgrade, change plans, or cancel?
To upgrade, open your dashboard and click Upgrade; that takes you to a secure checkout. Once you're on a paid plan, a Manage billing link on your dashboard opens the billing portal, where you can switch plans, update your card, or cancel. If you cancel, your codes keep redirecting; the dashboard just reverts to free-plan behavior.
Is there a free trial of Pro?
There's no time-based trial. Instead, every code on the free plan gets Pro-level editing and detailed analytics for its first 50 scans, so you see the value on real codes before you pay for anything. If you want it across all your codes from then on, upgrade to Pro. See pricing.
Can I keep codes I made before I signed up?
Yes. If you added your email when you saved a code (the "save it to your inbox" step at download), then signing in with that same email links those codes to your account automatically. The first time you sign in you'll see them gathered up under your account, ready to edit and track.
What formats can I download my code in, and can I re-download it later?
PNG and SVG. Use the SVG for anything that prints large; it scales to any size with no fuzziness. PNG is fine for screens and small print. You can download a code again any time from your dashboard, and if you saved a code to your inbox, the email has it too.
My code isn't tracking scans
A few things to check:
- Make sure people are scanning the TangoQR code (the one that goes through our redirect), not an older static image of the same link from somewhere else.
- Scans can take a moment to show up; give it a few minutes and reload your dashboard.
- If the code is on the free plan and has passed 50 scans, the total scan count still updates, but the detailed breakdowns are locked until you upgrade.
Still not adding up? Let us know.
My QR code won't scan
Usually it's size, contrast, or cropping:
- Size: print it big enough for the distance people scan from; a table tent can be small, a yard sign or poster needs to be larger. Use the SVG so it stays crisp at any size.
- Contrast: keep the pattern dark on a light background (or vice versa). Very light colors or busy backgrounds behind the code hurt readability.
- Cropping: don't trim the quiet space around the code, and don't cover too much of it with a logo.
If it still won't scan, contact us with a screenshot.