A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese automotive company Denso Wave.

The Quick Response system became popular outside the automotive industry due to its fast readability and greater storage capacity. Applications include product tracking, item identification, time tracking, document management, and general marketing.

There are a great many QR code generators available as software or as online tools that are either free, or require a paid subscription. The QR code has become one of the most-used types of two-dimensional code.

A September 2020 survey found that 18.8 percent of consumers in the United States and United Kingdom strongly agreed that they had noticed an increase of QR code use since the begin of COVID-19 related shelter-in-place orders in March 2020.

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