Add a QR code to your "For Sale" sign
Someone walks past your car, your house or your garage sale and is interested, but they’re on their way somewhere. If they have to write down your number, most won’t. A QR code on your “For Sale” sign lets them call or text you in one scan, with a message already written. Here is how to make one for free.
By Aidan Lowson · Updated
Why add a QR code to a For Sale sign
- Catch interest on the spot. A scan takes seconds, even at a bus stop or from a car window.
- No wrong numbers. Handwritten numbers on signs are easy to misread.
- Know where buyers came from. A pre-filled message like "I saw the sign on your car" tells you at a glance.
Call, text or link?
- Text: an SMS QR code with a message like "Hi, is the car still for sale?". Easy for shy buyers, and you can answer when it suits you.
- Call: a phone number QR code for buyers who want to talk now.
- Link: a URL QR code to your full online listing, with photos, price and history.
Ideas for cars, homes and garage sales
- Cars: a sign in the rear side window with the price, mileage and a text code. Link a second code to the online advert with photos and service history.
- Private house sales and lettings: a garden board with a call code for viewings, and a link to the listing.
- Garage and yard sales: a location QR code on posters around the area that opens directions to the sale in Google Maps.
- Boats, caravans and bikes parked at marinas, sites and clubs where you aren't around to answer questions.
Make your sign in 4 steps
- Make the code with your number and country code, plus a pre-filled message that names the item.
- Keep it black on white. No logo needed.
- Download a PNG and add it to your sign with the price and a short label like "Scan to text me". Write your number underneath too.
- Print it on matt paper and scan it through the glass or from the pavement before you put it up.
Staying safe as a private seller
- Use a number you don't mind sharing. Everyone who scans sees it. A second SIM or a free virtual number keeps your main number private.
- Don't put your address in the code for a car or bike sale. Arrange where to meet by text once you've talked.
- Don't hand over the item until the money is in your account. Check your banking app yourself rather than trusting a payment screenshot or an offer to overpay.
- Take the sign down once it's sold. The code keeps working forever.
Selling as a business? Read QR codes for vans and shop signs.
Frequently asked questions
Should a For Sale sign QR code call or text me?
Texting suits private sellers best: buyers can ask a question without committing to a call, and you can reply when it suits you. A call code is better if you want to arrange viewings quickly.
Can I use the same QR code on the advert and the sign?
Yes, but a different pre-filled message for each, like “I saw your sign” and “I saw your advert”, shows you where buyers came from.
What size should the QR code be on a car window sign?
About 8 to 10 cm square for an A4 sign in a car window, which people scan from a metre or two away. Bigger for a garden board read from the pavement.
What happens to the code when the item is sold?
Nothing. It keeps working, so take the sign down once you have sold, or you will keep getting texts.
Create your For Sale QR code now, free →
QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.