QR Code Playbook
Class Reunion QR Codes: Name Badges, Check-In, Payments
Five practical QR code uses at a class reunion - with how-to instructions, free generators, and an honest take on which ones actually move the needle. Spoiler: QR-on-name-badge is the killer feature; QR-everywhere is not.
The Killer Use: QR on the Name Badge
At every reunion, the same scene plays out at the bar around 9 PM: two classmates who've just spent 45 minutes reconnecting realize they should exchange contact info. Phones come out. They squint at each other's name badges. They try to spell the last name correctly into LinkedIn search. Half the time it doesn't work and they promise to find each other "on Facebook" and then never do.
A QR code on the name badge solves this in 4 seconds. Phone camera up, scan the code, tap "Add to Contacts", done. Full name, current city, email, LinkedIn - all saved correctly with one tap.
This single feature is why we built Reunly's QR-badge featureas a default. It's the highest-utility thing a committee can ship.
🎉 With Reunly
Reunly auto-generates QR name badges from your RSVP list
Each badge is unique, scannable, and links to a vCard the guest can save in one tap. Included in the $79 flat fee.
The five uses
Five QR Applications That Actually Work
1. QR on the name badge - instant contact exchange
The single most useful QR application at a class reunion. Replaces awkwardly typing each other's last names into LinkedIn at the bar.
How it works
- Each badge prints with a unique QR code below the name
- Scanning the QR opens a contact card (vCard) with name, current city, email, LinkedIn, and an optional fun fact
- Phone offers to save the contact to Contacts in one tap
- Works on iPhone and Android cameras with no app install
What you need
- A profile page per attendee (Reunly auto-builds these from the RSVP form)
- Badge stock - 4x3" plastic badge holders, ~$0.40 each in bulk on Amazon
- A printer that can output 600x600px QR codes cleanly (any laser printer)
- QR generator that produces high-error-correction codes (so they scan even when scratched)
Tradeoff: Privacy: some attendees won't want their email or LinkedIn on a scannable badge. Make the profile fields opt-in during RSVP, with sensible defaults like name and city only.
Tool: Reunly auto-generates these as part of the RSVP flow. DIY: VCard.io for vCard generation + QR Code Monkey for the codes.
2. QR for check-in scan
Cut check-in time from 45-60 seconds per guest (finding a name on a printed list) to 8-10 seconds (scan and tick).
How it works
- Each guest receives a personal QR code in their confirmation email and the reminder text
- At the door, a volunteer with a phone or tablet scans the code
- The check-in app marks them present, shows their plus-one and dietary restriction, and offers to print the badge
- Bypass for guests who forgot the email: search by maiden name, scan their license, or type their name
What you need
- QR codes generated per RSVP (built into Reunly, Eventbrite Organizer, Zkipster)
- A phone or tablet per check-in lane (1 lane per 50 expected guests)
- Wifi or LTE at the venue (download the guest list for offline mode)
- A volunteer who's used a smartphone in the last week
Tradeoff: If wifi at the venue fails and you didn't pre-download the offline list, you're back to paper. Always pre-download.
Tool: Reunly's check-in app (included), Eventbrite Organizer (included with Eventbrite), Zkipster ($199+/event standalone).
3. QR for Venmo / Stripe / Zelle payment
For the 5-10% of classmates who didn't pay during RSVP. A QR at the welcome table converts them at the door instead of in awkward conversation.
How it works
- Print a small QR pointing at your Stripe payment link (or Venmo @username, Zelle email, etc.)
- Tape it to the welcome table with a sign: "Didn't pre-pay? Scan here"
- Confirmation drops into the treasurer's email or Reunly dashboard within seconds
- Cross-reference at end of night to confirm all attendees paid
What you need
- A Stripe payment link (free to generate) OR Venmo / Zelle / PayPal handle
- QR generator pointed at the link
- A printed sign at the welcome table, ~5x7 inches
- Backup: an iPad with Square reader for cards if a classmate doesn't have Venmo
Tradeoff: Venmo personal payments technically violate Venmo's terms for business use - use Stripe or Venmo Business for compliance. Cash handling adds risk; avoid if possible.
Tool: Stripe Payment Links (free), Venmo Business (~1.9% + 10¢), QR Code Monkey or qrcode-monkey.com for free codes.
4. QR for memory-wall photo upload
A live-updating photo wall where classmates contribute photos throughout the night. The most-talked-about decoration we've ever shipped.
How it works
- Set up a shared Google Drive folder, Dropbox folder, or Reunly slideshow with upload enabled
- Generate a QR pointing at the upload URL
- Print 6-8 copies of the QR around the venue with the sign "Upload your photos here - they'll appear on the screen"
- Project the folder's latest uploads on a screen or large monitor
What you need
- A shared cloud folder with public upload (Google Drive: Anyone with the link can upload; Dropbox File Requests)
- A projector or large monitor
- A laptop running a slideshow of the folder (Google Slides auto-refresh works; Reunly does this natively)
- Wi-fi at the venue strong enough to handle uploads
Tradeoff: Moderation: a public upload link occasionally gets a joke photo or worse. Have one person assigned to delete inappropriate content within 5 minutes.
Tool: Reunly's slideshow feature (included), Google Drive (free), Dropbox File Requests (free with paid account).
5. QR for menu and program
The boring but reliable use: skip printing 200 menus when 200 QR codes do the same job.
How it works
- Build the menu as a PDF or a simple webpage
- Generate a QR pointing at that URL
- Tape one to each table - a 3x3 inch acrylic table tent costs $1-$2 each in bulk
- Guests scan to see the menu, the timeline, the seating chart, or the after-party address
What you need
- A PDF or webpage with the menu/program
- Table tent acrylic frames
- QR generator (free)
- Optional: backup printed menus for guests who can't scan
Tradeoff: 10-15% of older alumni will struggle. Print 20-30 paper menus as backup. Don't go QR-only.
Tool: Canva for the menu design (free), QR Code Monkey for the codes (free), Amazon for acrylic frames (~$20 for 24).
🎉 With Reunly
Reunly handles three of those five out of the box
QR badges, scan-in check-in, and the photo-upload memory wall - all included. The other two (payment, menu) are easy DIY adds.
Free QR Code Generators That Don't Suck
Most QR generators are paywalls in disguise - watermark the code, require login, or expire the link. These four don't.
QR Code Monkey (qrcode-monkey.com)
Good: Unlimited free codes, no signup, customizable colors, downloads as SVG or PNG, supports vCard payload.
Bad: Static only - link can't be changed after generation. Fine if you finalize your link first.
Best for: Single-use badge QRs and payment links. Our default for one-off codes.
QR Code Generator (qr-code-generator.com)
Good: Beautiful UI, supports many payload types (URL, vCard, WiFi, plain text), no watermark on basic codes.
Bad: Pushes dynamic-code paid tier hard. Stick with the free static generator.
Best for: When you want a clean UI without learning a new tool.
Canva
Good: Generates QR codes inside Canva designs - useful when building the badge or sign and you want the QR baked in.
Bad: Generated codes are basic; no customization beyond size and color.
Best for: Designing the full badge or table tent in Canva and you just need a QR on it.
Adobe Express QR generator
Good: Free with Adobe ID, integrates with Express graphics, clean default style.
Bad: Requires Adobe account; export sizes can be limited.
Best for: Already in the Adobe ecosystem for the rest of your reunion design.
DIY Step-by-Step: Build a QR Name Badge
If you're not using Reunly's built-in badge feature, here's the DIY path. Plan on 3-5 hours total for a class of 100.
Step 1: Collect data during RSVP
Add fields to your RSVP form: full name, maiden name, current city, email (opt-in for badge), LinkedIn URL (opt-in). Make opt-ins clear: 'Include this on my badge QR code? Yes / No'.
Step 2: Build a vCard per attendee
Use VCard.io or generate vCard text format in a spreadsheet. Each vCard is a short text string starting with BEGIN:VCARD and ending with END:VCARD. Save each as a tiny URL via a hosting service - or use Reunly's hosted profile pages.
Step 3: Generate QR codes
Bulk-generate QR codes pointing at each attendee's vCard or profile URL. QR Code Monkey supports batch export; Google Sheets + Apps Script can do this for 100+ rows automatically.
Step 4: Design the badge in Canva
Use a 4x3 inch template. Layout: Name (60pt, top), Maiden name in parens (20pt), Class of [Year] (18pt), QR code (0.8x0.8 inch, bottom right). High contrast - black ink on white or cream stock.
Step 5: Print and assemble
Print on cardstock at home or send to a print shop. Cut to size with a paper cutter. Slip into plastic badge holders (4x3 inch, ~$0.40 each from Amazon in 100-packs). Lanyards are $0.30-$0.50 each.
Step 6: Test before the event
Print 5-10 badges and scan with multiple phones. Test in dim lighting (the dim ballroom is the failure mode). If any code takes >3 seconds to scan, increase size or error correction level.
🚀 With Reunly
That's 3-5 hours - or use Reunly and skip all six steps
QR badges generate automatically from RSVPs, ready to print on standard 4x3 inch badge stock.
Privacy: The Conversation Most Committees Skip
A QR-coded badge with a stranger's phone scanning it makes some classmates uncomfortable. Honor that. Here are the defaults we recommend:
Name and current city: Always public on the QR profile - it's the equivalent of what's already printed on the badge.
Email: Opt-in. Default OFF. Ask explicitly during RSVP.
Phone number: Opt-in. Default OFF. Most classmates prefer email-first contact.
LinkedIn URL: Opt-in. Default ON for under-60 classmates; OFF for 60+. Younger classmates expect it; older alumni may not have LinkedIn at all.
Personal photo: Opt-in. Default OFF. Use the yearbook photo instead if the field is empty.
Spouse/family info: Never. Don't ask. Don't include.
Home address: Never. The badge profile is not a directory; it's a quick-contact card.
Mention the privacy policy in the RSVP form, in the confirmation email, and on a small placard at the welcome table. Clear consent matters more than clever features.
🎉 With Reunly
Reunly's badge profiles use these defaults out of the box
Opt-in toggles for every sensitive field, set in the RSVP form. No surprises for classmates.
Pre-Event Testing Checklist
Print 5 badges representing different name lengths (short, long, hyphenated).
Scan each badge with an iPhone (latest iOS) from 6 inches and 3 feet.
Scan each badge with an Android (last 2 years) from 6 inches and 3 feet.
Test in three lighting conditions: bright daylight, normal indoor, dim ballroom.
Confirm the vCard saves correctly to Contacts on both phones.
Test the check-in QR with the check-in app on 2 different phones.
Test the payment QR with at least one real $1 transaction end-to-end.
Test the photo-upload QR by uploading 3 photos from 3 different phones.
Print 20 backup paper menus and 10 paper check-in lists in case wifi fails.
Have a backup phone with the check-in list pre-downloaded for offline mode.
✅ With Reunly
Get this checklist auto-generated for your event in Reunly
Plus pre-flight testing scripts and offline-mode failover for check-in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are QR codes worth it for a class reunion?
Yes, for two specific uses: name-badge contact exchange and check-in. Both save dramatic amounts of time and reduce friction. The other QR uses (payments, photo wall, menus) are nice-to-haves that work if your audience skews under 55 but fail when older alumni can't get the camera to focus on a code in dim lighting. Print backup paper versions of anything QR-dependent.
Do older alumni know how to use QR codes?
Most do now - the pandemic-era restaurant menu push trained almost everyone over 50. But not everyone. Expect 5-10% to need help: bad eyesight, dim phone screens, cameras that won't auto-focus. Have a volunteer at each QR station ready to help, and never make a QR the only path to a critical action like check-in or payment.
What's the best free QR code generator?
For static QR codes (link doesn't change after printing): QR Code Monkey (qrcode-monkey.com), QR Code Generator (qr-code-generator.com), and Canva all generate clean codes for free. For dynamic QR codes (link can be updated after printing - useful if your venue address changes): Beaconstac, QR Code Generator Pro, or built-in features in Reunly. Avoid generators that require login or watermark the code.
Should I use a custom QR code design?
Optional. A black square QR scans fastest. A QR with your school logo in the center looks better but scans 10-20% slower in low light. If you go custom, keep error correction at the highest level (H, ~30% damage tolerance) so the code still scans with the logo overlay. Test scan from 6 feet away in indoor lighting before you print 200 badges.
How big should the QR code be?
On a 4x3 inch name badge: the QR should be at least 0.8x0.8 inches with the highest error correction level. On a 5x7 sign on the welcome table: 1.5x1.5 inches minimum. On a poster: 4x4 inches minimum. Rule of thumb: scan distance in inches divided by 10 equals the minimum code size in inches.
Can I use one QR code for the whole reunion?
You can use one QR for the program page (which then links to menu, schedule, photos, etc.). For check-in and contact exchange, each attendee needs their own unique QR. For payments, one shared QR works fine. Most committees end up with: one shared QR for the program, one per-attendee QR for badges and check-in, and one shared QR for the photo upload.
What about privacy on QR-coded name badges?
Make the per-attendee profile fields opt-in. Reasonable defaults: name and current city are public; email, phone, and LinkedIn are opt-in. Some classmates won't want their info on a scannable badge - and that's fine. The badge can still print their name; just the QR points to a minimal profile or no profile at all.
How do I test QR codes before the event?
Print one badge for every committee member. Take them to a venue with similar lighting (dim restaurant, dark hotel ballroom). Scan from 6 inches and from 3 feet. If any badge fails to scan in under 3 seconds, increase the code size or error correction. Test on at least 2 iPhones and 2 Androids; cameras vary.
🚀 With Reunly
Stop reading. Start scanning.
Reunly's QR badges, check-in app, and slideshow upload work out of the box. Try it free.
QR Codes Built In - No DIY Required
Reunly auto-generates QR name badges, runs the check-in scan, and powers the live photo-wall upload. All included in the $79 flat fee.