What is the difference between a UPI QR code and a payment link?

They carry the same payment data in different containers. A QR code is an image that must be scanned with a camera, while a payment link is a URL that can be tapped. Use a QR in person and a link in chat, email or an invoice.

Can I use both at once?

Yes. UPIPE generates both from the same input, and a payment link page also displays a QR code, so a desktop viewer can scan it with their phone.

Do UPI payment links work on a computer?

The page opens on a computer and shows a QR code to scan, because UPI apps only exist on phones. On a phone the same link opens the UPI app directly.

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UPI QR code vs payment link

Underneath they are the same thing. The difference is entirely about how the payer receives it, and that difference matters more than people expect.

They encode identical data

Both carry the same NPCI-specified payment instruction. A QR code draws it as squares; a payment link wraps it in a web page:

QR image  →  upi://pay?pa=you@okhdfc&am=500.00&cu=INR
Link      →  https://upi.pe/you@okhdfc/500  (which hands off the same upi:// URL)

Nothing about the payment differs. Same payee, same amount, same instant bank-to-bank settlement, same 0% MDR.

Where each one wins

Situation	Better choice	Why
Shop counter, in person	QR code	The payer already has their camera out. No typing, no sharing a link.
WhatsApp, SMS, Telegram	Link	Tappable in one action. An image has to be saved and re-opened in a scanner.
Email or a PDF invoice	Both	Link for phone readers, QR for anyone printing it.
Poster, sticker, packaging	QR code	Print has no tappable surface.
Instagram bio, link-in-bio	Link	Persistent, no amount, works for any payer.
Remote client, different city	Link	Survives copy-paste; the exact amount travels with it.

The thing people get wrong about QR codes in chat

Sending a QR image over WhatsApp feels equivalent to sending a link. It is not. The recipient has to save the image, open their UPI app, find the scan-from-gallery option, and select it — four steps, and the gallery-scan option is buried in most apps.

A link is one tap. If your payer is not standing in front of you, send a link. Generate one →

Why not just send the raw upi:// link?

You can, but it behaves badly. Most chat apps refuse to make upi:// tappable because it is not an http scheme, desktop browsers cannot open it at all, and it looks like something to be suspicious of.

An https:// wrapper fixes all three: chat apps linkify it, desktops show a scannable QR instead, and phones hand off to the UPI app exactly as the raw scheme would.

Amount: fixed or open?

This choice matters more than QR-versus-link. A fixed amount removes mistyping and speeds up counter payments, but the code is single-purpose. An open amount gives you one reusable code for every payer.

Fixed — invoices, tickets, deliveries, set-price items.
Open — tips, donations, bio links, printed shop stickers.

Just use both

UPIPE produces both from one input, so there is rarely a reason to choose. The link page even renders its own QR code, meaning a single link covers the desktop viewer too.