Case Study: Case of Pricing QR Codes

So this brings me to the many responses I received to the effect that, “I’ve never had a request for a QR code, so I don’t know how to price them. But if I ever get a request, I will figure something out.”

Hmm…QR codes are something the customers need to know about because it could make them more money. So, shouldn’t we be seeking them out to tell them, or should we wait until someone asks? I’m all about seeking.

Pricing QR Codes

In pricing QR codes, it is usually not the price itself that is at issue. It is whether the seller can differentiate and justify the price that is the issue. No one knowingly pays more than they have to unless they feel it is worth it. Another way of saying that is: if all things are equal, then the lowest price wins. So, never ever allow all things to be equal.

But doesn’t the lowest price win anyway? No. That’s stinking thinking and is why so many printers are poor. It’s too much to explain here so see my 18-minute video at www.crouser.com on the Role Price Plays in Our Success. And the answer is, “Yes, we can sell for more.”

Here are customer questions you might use, taken from my QR code report.

• “Was this code generated for digital or print?” If the customer doesn’t know, then perhaps you should generate it for them since there are size and resolution issues.

• “Yes, we charge $xx for the creation of a static QR code. We’re careful to create the proper code—for print or digital—as there are resolution differences. And we include testing in this charge. We test during creation (pre-press) as well as during proofing and production. Not only that, our testing includes three types of smartphones: iPhone, Blackberry, and an Android. So, yes, we should charge for the creation of a static QR code. Or we can go ahead and use your copy. Which would you prefer?”

• “May I recommend using a trackable QR code? We can create one for $xx and that includes 60 days of tracking reports.”

So, with an appropriate justification, one can and should charge for QR codes. Either that or use what the customer provides.

How Much?

So, how much? Should we average the charge of all printers, many of whom don’t know the difference between static and trackable? Should we include those who don’t know about the codes at all? I used the 50% of printers who do charge for a static QR code and found that the charges ranged from $5 to $500 (with landing page construction). So what should you charge? That’s the difference between a survey and a price advisory service.

I recommend you charge from $15 to $36 for a static QR code, with a typical price being $25. The $15 price would be in a lower cost area, $36 in a higher cost area, and $25 for the broad middle cost area.

Now, if you’d like to know my recommended charges for trackable and redirectable QR codes, including monthly monitoring as well as other insights on justifying charges, please check out the report How to Price QR Codes at www.crouser.com. It is available for $75. If you would like to receive reports like these without cost, go to www.crouser.com/panel, join my panel, and participate in the studies. In addition, subscribers to any of my Crouser Price Guides receive copies of all reports at no additional charge. Got a pricing question? Message tom@crouser.com and I’ll try to give you an answer.

Tom Crouser is author of the newly released Digital Printing Price Guide as well as the Crouser Guide to Small Press Printing (www.crouser.com). He’s located at Crouser & Associates, Inc., 4710 Chimney Drive, Charleston, WV 25302, 304-965-7100. Follow Tom’s Small Business, Schmizness column on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/smallbusinesss, friend him on Facebook, link into him on LinkedIn, and follow his tweets at www.twitter.com/tomcrouser.