If you sell anything in the Philippines, customers probably ask, "Pwede GCash?" Many small sellers then print a QR code, but there are two very different kinds of "GCash QR," and mixing them up causes failed payments and confused customers, and it can make scams easier. Here's how to tell them apart and use each one safely.
Two different things
1. The official payment QR (QR Ph). This is the code your GCash, Maya, or bank app generates for receiving money. It follows the national QR Ph standard, so a customer can usually scan it from different e-wallets and bank apps. It's tied to your account by the provider. This is the code for payments. Only your provider can issue it, and you download it from the app.
2. A QR code for a link. This is an ordinary QR code that opens a web address, for example a Maya Business mymaya.me page, a payment request link, or a page that explains how to pay you. Any QR generator can make one. It's useful, but it is not a payment code. When scanned, it opens a web page in the browser. It doesn't open the payment screen in the customer's e-wallet.
When to use which
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Customers paying at your counter or stall | Official QR Ph from your app |
| Sharing a payment page in a post or message | A link (or a QR for that link) |
| Printing "How to order/pay" instructions | A QR for an info page |
| Facebook page, Shopee store, menu | A QR for that link |
A good rule: payment code for payments, link codes for everything else.
Making a link QR for free
If you have a link worth sharing, like a mymaya.me page or a Facebook page that explains your payment options, you can turn it into a QR code with qrfyy (https://qrfyy.com). It has dedicated GCash link and Maya link types, and the site states clearly that these are QR codes for web links, not GCash, Maya, or QR Ph payment codes. There's no signup and no watermark. Paste the link, add a frame like "Scan Me," and download PNG or SVG.
Label it honestly. Print text under the code saying what it opens, for example "Our Maya page" or "Order and payment info," so nobody mistakes it for your payment QR.
Safety tips for sellers
- Download the payment QR only from the official app. Don't use a version someone sent you or one you found online.
- Protect your printed QR. Scammers sometimes stick their own code over a shop's payment QR. Laminate yours, check it daily, and put it where staff can see it.
- Never put your PIN or OTP anywhere. No legitimate QR, link, or "verification" ever needs them.
- Check the name on payment. When customers scan, their app shows the recipient's name. Tell them what name to expect.
- Confirm payments in your app, not from a screenshot. Fake receipts are a common trick.
Safety tips for customers
- Before you pay, check the recipient name that your app shows after scanning.
- Be careful with a QR that opens a browser page asking for login details. Your e-wallet app never needs you to log in through a random web page.
- Look for stickers on top of stickers. A code pasted over another code is a red flag.
- When in doubt, ask the seller to show the code inside their app.
Static or dynamic for link codes?
For a link that won't change, a static code is simplest. It stores the link inside the image and keeps working forever. If you might switch links later (a new payment page, a new promo), a dynamic code lets you change where it goes without reprinting. qrfyy offers up to 20 free dynamic codes per owner key. Just keep the owner key safe.
The takeaway
Your official QR Ph code handles payments. Everything else (your menu, your social pages, your ordering instructions) can be a free link QR. Keep the two clearly separate, label both, and check your printed codes regularly. That protects your customers and your income.
