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QR Cost Per Scan Calculator

Work out what each QR scan really cost: enter your total campaign spend and total scans, and get cost per scan, cost per 1,000 scans, and scans per $100.

Enter your numbers

Cost per scan = total spend / total scans. Cost per 1,000 scans = cost per scan × 1,000. Scans per $100 = scans / spend × 100. Enter the spend and scans you actually measured for the campaign.

Result

Cost per scan
$0.2000
Cost per 1,000 scans$200.00
Scans per $100 spent500.0
Inputs$500.00 / 2500 scans

Compare campaigns on cost per scan, not on raw scan counts: a campaign with twice the scans at three times the spend is the worse deal.

How to use the QR Cost Per Scan Calculator

How this calculator works

Cost per scan is total spend divided by total scans. It turns two numbers that are hard to compare across campaigns — money out, scans in — into one number you can compare directly. Cost per 1,000 scans is the same figure scaled up for readability, and scans per $100 is the same relationship read the other way round.

What counts as spend

Include everything the campaign cost: design, printing, placement, and any platform fees, not just the print bill. Leaving costs out flatters the result and makes campaigns look cheaper than they were. If a placement carries several campaigns, split its cost across them on a stated basis rather than assigning the whole bill to one.

Using the result

Use cost per scan to compare like with like: the same placement across months, or two placements in the same campaign. A scan is not a sale, so pair this figure with what happened after the scan — sign-ups, purchases, or bookings — before calling a campaign a success.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good cost per scan?

There is no universal good figure — it depends on what a scan is worth to you. A scan that leads to a high-value booking can justify far more than a scan that leads to a brochure view. Compare your own campaigns against each other, and against what you would pay for an equivalent click elsewhere.

Should I include design and placement costs?

Yes. Include every cost the campaign incurred: design, printing, placement, and platform fees. The result only means something if the spend is complete.

Does a low cost per scan mean the campaign worked?

Not by itself. Cost per scan measures efficiency, not outcomes. Pair it with what happened after the scan — sign-ups, purchases, or bookings — before judging the campaign.

Why show cost per 1,000 scans too?

Cost per scan can be a tiny decimal that is hard to compare at a glance. Cost per 1,000 scans is the same figure scaled up, which makes small differences easier to see and discuss.