Why UK Merchants Are Choosing QR Codes Over Card Machines

The quiet rise of QR code payments in the UK shows just how much small businesses are rethinking how they get paid.47

For years, accepting payments meant signing up for card terminals, paying network fees, and waiting days for funds to arrive. For many small and mid-sized merchants, that’s no longer a sustainable model.

Today, tools like QR code payments — especially when paired with open banking — are replacing clunky hardware with simple, real-time alternatives. And it’s catching on fast.

Listening to What Merchants Actually Want

Business owners aren’t necessarily asking for new tech. They’re asking for:

• Fewer fees
• Instant settlement
• Less hardware
• Simpler ways to serve modern, cashless customers

And QR code payments tick all those boxes.

“We’re seeing real impact on the ground,” says Furraz Hussain, UK Regional Sales Manager at Noda.
“In Glasgow, G4 Properties used to struggle with delays and confusion when collecting rental deposits. After switching to Noda’s QR codes and payment links, the whole process became quicker and clearer — and we added a tenant incentive too: a £50 IKEA voucher for those who paid with Noda.
In Neilston, Barber Browns — a small, family-run barbershop —chose to remove their card machine in favour of a simple QR code shown on a phone or even displayed on the counter for convenience. No hardware. No cables. Just instant payments. We teamed up to launch a local campaign: the first 50 customers who paid via Noda got their next haircut free. It was a hit with both the shop and their clients.”

Why QR Codes Are Gaining Ground

• No terminals needed: Payments can be taken via smartphone, tablet, or even printed paper
• Lower costs: QR payments via open banking avoid expensive card network fees
• Faster cash flow: Merchants receive payments instantly or same-day
• Better customer experience: No PIN entry, no receipts, just scan and go

For merchants doing business in-person — from salons to tradespeople — QR codes offer flexibility without complexity.

Open Banking Makes It Possible

The real driver behind these changes is open banking. When QR codes connect directly to a customer’s bank app, there’s no middleman. No card fees. No delays. And because payments are authorised via the user’s own bank, security and compliance are built-in by design.

“Open banking infrastructure gives us the speed and transparency that small businesses need,” says Hussain. “They don’t want to wait three days to access their money. With QR codes, they don’t have to.”

In the race to modernise payments, flashy features and jargon often steal the spotlight. But for real-world merchants — from letting agents to barbers — the winning tools are the ones that quietly remove friction and put money where it belongs: in the bank, instantly.

QR codes are more than a gimmick. They’re a gateway to better payments.