QR codes for theaters, playbills and community productions

A community theater prints posters months ahead, and the details change: a new date, a sold-out night, a cast change. A code on the poster that opens the live ticket page means nobody follows a wrong date.

Playbills are expensive to print and thrown away. A short playbill with a code that opens the full cast list, program notes and donation page costs less and can be corrected after printing.

This is a dynamic QR code: $3 once, and you can change where it points at any time without reprinting. How that works

LITTLE WOMENScan for tickets
A playbill under stage lights with a code that opens tickets.

What should a theater QR code link to?

Think about the audience at each stage.

StagePlacementOpens
BeforePosters, shop windows, flyersTickets and dates
ArrivalLobby sign, programSeating info, cast list, late-seating policy
IntervalTable card, programInterval orders, raffle
AfterExit sign, thank-you cardDonate, join the mailing list, rate the show

Can I put a QR code on a playbill?

Yes. Put it on the back page or beside the cast list, at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) square, on matte paper. Theater lighting is low, so keep the code dark on a light background, and avoid placing it on a dark or colored panel.

Does a QR code work in a dark theater?

Scanning in the dark is unreliable, and phones should be off during the show. Use codes before the performance, at the interval and on the way out, where there is light.

How do I use QR codes for fundraising?

Put a code on the lobby donation box and the program that opens your donation page. Say what the money funds in one sentence. ThreeDollarQRCode provides the code only. Use your own payment provider for gifts.

Example signs

Each example code opens threedollarqrcode.com. Your code can open any page you choose.

Buy ticketsScan to learn more
Opens threedollarqrcode.com
Cast and crewScan to learn more
Opens threedollarqrcode.com
DonateScan to learn more
Opens threedollarqrcode.com

Questions

Can I update the show dates after printing posters?

Yes. Update the page the code opens.

Can I use the same code every season?

Yes. Change the destination for each production.

Do patrons need an app?

No.

Cost?

$3 once per code.

Can I sell tickets with a QR code?

The code opens your ticketing page. Ticket sales and scanning at the door are handled by your ticketing system, not by us.

How big should a poster code be?

About 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3 inches) on a poster read from a step or two away, and larger on a window poster.

Get a dynamic QR code for $3

Pay once. Pick the page your code opens, print it wherever you need it, and change the page whenever you like.

Make my code

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