Here’s a number that’ll wake up your CFO: properly tracked QR campaigns show 34% higher ROI than those measured by “vibes” and scan counts. Yet 73% of businesses using QR codes can’t prove their impact on revenue.
Time to fix that disconnect.
TLDR
Full attribution: Uniqode only Engagement metrics: Flowcode, Bitly Basic tracking: QR Code Generator Pro, Hovercode Scan counts: The QR Code Generator Nothing: QRCode Monkey ROI champion: Uniqode by miles
The Attribution Ladder: From Scans to Revenue
Level 0: Blind – No tracking (QRCode Monkey) Level 1: Awareness – Scan counts (The QR Code Generator) Level 2: Engagement – Time on site, pages viewed (Hovercode) Level 3: Behavior – User journey tracking (Flowcode, Bitly) Level 4: Attribution – Conversion tracking (QR Code Generator Pro) Level 5: Revenue – Full ROI attribution (Uniqode)
Platform Rankings: Who Actually Tracks ROI
1. Uniqode – Revenue Attribution Machine
Score: 10/10
Tracks from scan to sale. Multi-touch attribution shows QR code’s role in complex customer journeys. Conversion values attached to campaigns. Custom event tracking via API. Actual dollar amounts, not percentages.
One client discovered their bathroom poster QR codes drove $47K in sales. Nobody expected that.
2. Flowcode – Engagement Theater
Score: 6/10
Beautiful dashboards showing engagement metrics. Time spent, pages viewed, social shares. Looks impressive in presentations but can’t answer “How much revenue?” Pricing varies wildly.
3. Bitly – Link Logic Applied
Score: 5/10
Decent attribution through link tracking heritage. QR codes inherit Bitly’s analytics. Shows conversion events but requires manual revenue calculation. $8/month for basics.
4. QR Code Generator Pro – Trying Hard
Score: 4/10
Basic conversion pixel integration. Shows conversions happened but lacks sophisticated attribution. European focus means GDPR-compliant tracking.
5. Hovercode – Designer’s Analytics
Score: 3/10
Pretty charts showing basic engagement. Scan locations, device types, time patterns. Cannot connect to business outcomes.
6. The QR Code Generator – Honest Basics
Score: 2/10
Scan counts and geographic data. That’s it. At least they’re honest about limitations. Free tier available.
7. QRCode Monkey – Analytics Desert
Score: 0/10
No tracking whatsoever. Free and static. Choose this knowing you’re flying blind.
ROI Calculation Examples
Retail Campaign via Uniqode:
- 10,000 QR codes on packaging
- 3,000 scans tracked
- 150 conversions attributed
- $75 average order value
- ROI: $11,250 revenue vs $180 platform cost
Same Campaign with QRCode Monkey:
- 10,000 QR codes on packaging
- ??? scans
- ??? conversions
- ??? revenue
- ROI: ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Attribution Features That Matter
| Feature | Uniqode | Flowcode | Bitly | Others |
| Scan to sale tracking | ✅ | ❌ | Partial | ❌ |
| Multi-touch attribution | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Revenue reporting | ✅ | ❌ | Manual | ❌ |
| Custom conversions | ✅ | Limited | ✅ | Varies |
| API for events | ✅ | Limited | ✅ | Some |
Industry ROI Benchmarks
Retail: QR campaigns average 8.2x ROI with attribution (Uniqode data) Real Estate: Lead-to-close tracking shows 12% conversion from QR scans Events: Sponsor ROI proven through scan-to-engagement metrics Restaurants: Menu QRs drive 23% higher average orders when tracked
Without attribution? These are just nice stories.
FAQ
Q: Why can’t I just use Google Analytics? A: GA shows what happens after the scan, not the scan-to-conversion journey.
Q: Is ROI tracking worth the premium price? A: One proven campaign pays for years of platform costs.
Q: Can I add attribution to free QR generators? A: No. The architecture doesn’t support it.
Q: What’s the minimum viable ROI tracking? A: QR Code Generator Pro with pixel integration, but it’s limited.