Business card back
A code next to the printed number, for anyone who would rather scan than retype it into a new contact.
tel:+442079460321
Phone number QR code generator
A phone number QR code opens the dialler with the number already entered, so calling means one scan and one tap instead of typing digits. It works the same on a business card, a van door or a repair sticker.
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Saved
Scan it once from the screen before you print a batch. Keep it 2 cm or larger on paper, and leave the white margin around it.
Do more with it
Same code, more placesSave this design - colors, corners, logo and frame - and put it on any code later. Saved in this browser.
One value per line, or paste a CSV. With two columns the first is the file name and the second is the value. Every code uses the design you set up above.
Lay the code out on an A4 page with cut marks, ready for the printer or a label sheet.
How a click to call QR code turns into a dialled number
A tel QR code is the click to call link from a website, carried in a code instead of blue underlined text: tap a number on a page and the dialler opens; scan the code and the same thing happens.
From a typed number to a dialled call
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Type the number
Enter it as you have it - with spaces, brackets or a leading 0, it does not matter yet.
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The code stores a tel: link
tel:+442079460321 - the format phones recognise as a number to dial rather than text to read.
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One tap opens the dialler
The reader's own phone app opens with the number already in place; they choose when to place the call.
Which number format a phone number QR code needs
A number typed the way it is written locally only dials correctly on a phone already set to that country. The safer format is E.164 - a plus sign, the country code, then the number with no leading 0 - which works from any phone, anywhere.
| Format | Example | Dials correctly |
|---|---|---|
| Local, no country code | 020 7946 0321 | Only from a phone already set to the same country. |
| E.164 (recommended) | +44 20 7946 0321 | From any phone, anywhere - the + adds the right exit code automatically. |
| With brackets or dashes | +1 (212) 555-0142 | Usually fine - most phones strip the punctuation - but plain digits after the + are safest. |
What a click to call QR code does not do
Assumes
Expecting the call to start the moment the code is scanned.
Actually happens
The dialler opens with the number ready; the reader still presses the call button themselves.
Assumes
Printing the number exactly as saved in a contacts app, brackets, dots and all.
Actually happens
Printing it in E.164, so a visitor from another country can call it without editing anything first.
Where a phone number QR code gets more calls than a printed digit string
Van signage
On the back doors, where a driver in traffic can scan at a red light instead of memorising digits.
tel:+447700900456
Repair service sticker
On the equipment itself, so a call-out starts from the machine that broke, not a search for the right number.
tel:+12125550142
Sources
Checked September 2026
- RFC 3966: The tel URI for Telephone Numbersrfc-editor.orgthe tel: format and the recommended global (E.164) number form
- ITU-T Recommendation E.164: The international public telecommunication numbering planitu.intthe +, country code and up-to-15-digit format
Numbering rules occasionally change by country; for a number printed at scale, a quick check with the recipient's own phone company is worth it.
Phone number QR code questions
Yes. Both recognise a tel: link from the camera and open their own dialler with the number filled in.
No - the number appears ready to dial, but the reader has to tap the call button themselves.
Only if it needs to work outside the number's own country. For a local audience a plain local number is fine; for anyone travelling, E.164 is the safer choice.
Yes - a tel: link does not distinguish mobile from landline; it just opens whichever calling app the phone has.
The dialler may still open with the number filled in, but without a SIM or an app like FaceTime or WhatsApp behind it, there is no network to place the call.
Want one QR that opens a landing page?
Build a QR landing page: add links, text, images and your logo, then point one editable QR at it.
- Private by design Everything runs in your browser. Your content is never uploaded, saved, or shared.
- No account needed Open the page and start. No sign up, no limits, and nothing to install.
- Use it anywhere Download PNG, SVG, or WEBP and place your code in print or on screen.