I’ve received an email from Zazzle that says they are replacing the QR Code placeholders in my designs with their own QR Codes.
This is not good. The Zazzle QR Codes simply allow shoppers to enter a website URL. Many of my best selling products with QR codes are those that that allow access to wifi - where a user just points their phone at the QR code and it fills in the user name and password, and logs in automatically - NOT just a simple URL! There are also other possibilities - like QR codes that are used for adding V-card contact information, etc. Examples can be seen here: https://www.qr-code-generator.com/
So, unless Zazzle improves the options for QR code use, I would prefer that shoppers can create their own QR codes from any of the numerous sites that create these, and download and replace as they have been doing up until now.
Users can still delete and replace like they could before. Payment sites like PayPal allow you to use a URL that should generate a QR code. Example www.paypal.me/USERNAME will generate a QR code still.
Thanks! But based on the questions I get on chat, I think customers don’t understand even easier parts of the design tool. I’m not sure most of them are aware of these options. We’ll see if sales decline further.
What if I still want to use QR codes as images (the one on Zazzle is neither pretty, nor customizable enough), will you revert those to built-in QR codes in the future?
There is no qr code that a user can generate outside of Zazzle, which they cannot generate using our QR code generator.
For any product with a QR code, you should always have force replace activated (this was a key part of this update, we defaulted the force replace), in which case, they will be prompted to replace the image anyway. So even if a URL can’t be used, and it’s like a wi-fi QR code, they are prompted to take the necessary action regardless..
I logged out and looked at it as if I was a customer. The option to replace the placeholder QR code didn’t show until right at the end of the process, and then it wasn’t obvious. Hopefully it will be improved.
I started making Qr code cards originally from my end, also Qr code arts. At that times, Zazzle had not yet introduced the Qr Code editing in Zazzle design tool. At that times I placed just a Qr Code image placeholder to invite clients acting with consequenst action without forcing anyone. After few years Zazzle introduced Qr code in Zazzle design tool, easily customizable with Url and colors, so I was pushed out with my old design. But I decided to still give the customer the option to upload a customized Qr Code with Arts, as it happend from some of my clients.
Few days ago I received an email from Zazzle, where they noticed me they applied a change on some of my Cards with Qr Code. Basically they applied a change on my designs without noticing me upfront.
I asked suppport immediately and they say this is not more changeble back…
I’m very tired to explain more about so much disappointing events I’m facing.
Much disappointed about that and I’m asking at this point me what they are looking for…
I placed on my design Zazzle version of Qr code from the edit tool since it was created. I just didn’t delete my old version (Upload image) and left that for clients uploads of images.
Nigel, I read your comment and I hope I’m responding with the right research. I looked into this because the whole situation didn’t sit right with me either.
Zazzle has always told us we are independent creators, not employees, and that we earn a royalty when our product designs sell. We were also instructed to add our own store QR codes to products and to test them to make sure they linked back to our stores.
What I found is that QR codes aren’t “owned” the way artwork is, but the destination they point to absolutely matters. A QR code can link to a store, a vCard, WiFi login credentials, or any number of functions that customers expect to work exactly as designed. When Zazzle replaces a creator’s functional QR code with a generic one, it doesn’t just change the artwork it changes the purpose of the product.
Zazzle’s Creator Agreement does allow them to modify design elements, but rerouting or replacing a QR code in a way that removes the creator’s intended function is a different issue. That crosses into customer use and product functionality. If a customer buys a product expecting the QR code to perform a specific task and it no longer does, that becomes a problem for both the buyer and the creator.
So unless Zazzle expands their QR code options to support the same functions creators are already using WiFi access, Cards, store links, and more replacing our codes with their own could interfere with how the product is meant to work.
We need to know whether this is a technical limitation or a policy change, because it directly affects our stores and the customer experience.
James, please help me understand this modification of QR codes.
If customers are going to be prompted to replace the QR code anyway, then why were creators instructed to add our own store QR codes and test them to make sure they linked correctly? That instruction only makes sense if the creator’s original QR code is meant to stay intact.
Right now, it feels like we’re being told to do work that gets overwritten, and then the customer is responsible for fixing something the creator already set up. That’s confusing for us and potentially confusing for buyers too.
So I’m hoping you can clarify the intent behind this update and how creators are supposed to preserve the functionality of their QR codes going forward.
If customers are going to be prompted to replace the QR code anyway, then why were creators instructed to add our own store QR codes and test them to make sure they linked correctly? That instruction only makes sense if the creator’s original QR code is meant to stay intact.
@Susang6 would you mind me asking where and when you were told this, please?
I can confirm that the addresses used in your QR codes were not changed. The customer still has the same experience if not better. The reason this was changed is because customers were ordering products with placeholder QR codes. Now with this change to existing QR codes, this shouldn’t happen. And if they want to add a WiFi connection QR code, this is something that only they can generate and replace the image anyway, so this is still possible. If you have evidence to the contrary, please do let me know and I can report it.
@James Sure. I used QR codes as a marketing tool for my own store, specifically on greeting cards. These aren’t products where a customer would need to swap in their own URL, like wedding invitations or business cards.
I remember Zazzle encouraging creators to add a QR code to the back of certain products (like cards) that links back to the creator’s store. I read a lot of Zazzle documentation over time, so I can’t pinpoint the exact page, but that guidance definitely shaped how I designed my greeting and holiday cards.
That’s why Nigel’s post caught my attention “Zazzle Removing QR Codes and Replacing With Their Own” suggests that even functional, creator‑added QR codes might be overwritten. That’s the part I’m trying to understand.
I started fixing those new QR codes automatically updated, but they are still pending in review. I didn’t put the .jpg back, just adjusted sizing and colors, because they look unacceptable. Do you have an estimate when they will be reviewed? It’s been about a week.
Quite a while back I played around with some of the free QR code generators. Many let you customize the colors and basic design pattern and apply the URL you wanted it to point to. Fun. But the catch was, once you create it, there was usually fine print saying it would expire in 30 days (or whatever time frame) or would stop working after X amount of scans. To keep it working or to create others that wouldn’t expire you needed to pay. One site I tried had options that went far beyond just having it point to a URL. For instance, you could include detailed contact information and when scanned the user could not only view that info, they could tap to have it automatically added to their phone’s contacts. Super cool. I tried it and it worked. (But my “free” QRs did indeed expire.) I thought using them for personal data instead of just a URL would be a fantastic idea for use on luggage tags and pet ID tags. Both things where there is not much space to print out all the relevant info, and in the case of luggage tags, you want your contact info available if your bag is lost, but you also don’t want it all printed out on the tag for every stranger in the airport to see. It stays private. Also could be used for medical alerts tags. But these sites only make the QR (and host it when its a dynamic one); it’s up to the user to figure out how to then put it on their biz card or invite or luggage tag etc… At that time I even posted to the forum that it would be cool if Zazzle could team up with one of these sites so that after generating the QR there’d be an integrated option to have it printed on a Zazzle product. And vice versa - make your design on Zazzle and have the integrated option to create a custom QR to add to it.
Now, Zazzle does have its own feature to generate a QR (that doesn’t expire and doesn’t cost extra) but I’ve always thought it was limited to just using a URL. But @James said
Further to this, i have confirmed that the QR code generator does not validate the QR code entered, meaning you can enter any string of value …
… There is no qr code that a user can generate outside of Zazzle, which they cannot generate using our QR code generator.
which makes me think this field can be used for anything, not just pointing to a URL. But how does one do that? How do we figure out what data it can be coded to hold and how to properly format it to type/paste it into the provided template field? I am excited about the possibilities here but we need information and instructions from Zazzle on how we can really utilize this feature beyond just simply pointing to a web link.
If I click the little arrow to see the full text I get a message that my phone doesn’t have any apps that can “use the info in this code”. But the Copy button did copy the full text to clipboard. Results will vary depending on device of course, but OK, this is a good start.
Creators are always free to use their own QR codes to link to their stores or sites etc still. We are only updating how QR codes work within templates , specifically for cases where a customer is expected to replace the code with their own.
