ABSTRACT
Introduction In the world economy, QR codes became very popular, and their prominence is expanding rapidly. The QR-codes look a bit like barcodes, but are made up of square patterns. As businesses are increasingly embracing these technologies, QR codes are becoming more popular, QR code readers are being integrated into smartphones. Apple released iOS 11 to search QR codes using the smartphone camera back in 2017 which is now a game-changing marketing strategy for businesses and retailers. Objective: The objective of the paper is to conduct an extensive theoretical review on the growth of QR codes in the digital era and QR codes' reach as contactless payment solutions. Methodology: A bibliometric review by refereeing quality articles published in highly ranked journal. Conclusion: When the QR code reader was integrated into the new Android smartphone camera, it proved to be a key differentiator. Following the global COVID-19 contagion, there has been a nudge for contactless activities and remote resource allocation, such as online work, payments and online classes among others. QR-codes have seen a spectacular increase in usage across all aspects of life. © 2022 The authors.