A practical guide to using Quick Response (QR) Codes
Riona Mulherin
29 May 2026Paradigm has put this guide together for firms who may be consider using QR codes within their advisory practice.
The FCA has recently highlighted (as good practice) firms that used QR codes to support the Consumer Duty outcome: Consumer Understanding. They also mentioned that QR codes could be used as a tool to generate feedback from their clients, which in turn, could then be reported upon within a firms’ Consumer Duty Report.
How could my firm use a QR code?
QR codes could be used in several ways, for example, within a:
- Suitability Report to explain key features or risk(s) of products.• Suitability Report or other correspondence to generate client feedback.
- Disclosure document to explain help explain key terms, charges or other important information.
- Leaflets / flyers to generate an enquiry form.
- Website to generate enquiry forms, seek feedback or explain key information.
A QR code can be created to quickly link a client with any digital content.
Firms can decide what that content could be, but for example a link could be created to:
- Technical explanations of key information.
- A website, blog or podcast.
- An online questionnaire, survey or customer feedback form.
- Social media pages.
- A Financial Promotion.
Firms are also advised that they may want to seek approval from their Professional Indemnity Insurer, if they were seeking client feedback on the advice or services provided.
Is it difficult to generate a QR code?
If you’ve never created a QR code before, this may seem like a daunting task, so we will walk you through one quick way to generate these.
Step-by-step guide: Creating a QR code in Canva
Canva is a graphic-design/image creation tool which we use at Paradigm. It offers a free, user-friendly way to generate QR codes. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Log in to Canva (www.canva.com)
- Sign in or create a free account
- Click “Create a design” (I would select Instagram post, as this is a good size of image to use). See the circled image in the screenshot below.
Step 3: Access the QR Code Tool
- Once the Instagram blank post opens, in the left-hand menu, select ‘Apps’, search for ‘QR Code’ and click on the top one. All three of these steps are circled in the screenshot below for you.
Step 4: Enter Your Link
• Paste the URL of your feedback survey (e.g. SurveyMonkey, Microsoft Forms, Google Forms) into the box as shown below. Then click ‘Generate code’.
Step 5: Add the QR Code to Your Design
- The QR code will then be generated and will look like the below. You can then save and download this to add to any client forms or documents that you wish. If you want to create another one to link to a different website, simply follow the steps again using your different link but make sure you save them with clear labels.
Our top tips:
- Test the QR code before sending it to clients
- You may need to provide simple instructions on how to use a QR code especially for less tech-savvy clients
- Explain the purpose, e.g. improving service or understanding
- Ensure surveys are short and accessible which will increase completion rates
QR codes are a simple yet powerful tool for advisers looking to improve client engagement and feedback collection. By embedding them into reports and communications, firms can align with FCA expectations around customer outcomes - particularly in understanding client needs and measuring satisfaction.
Using Canva makes the process quick, free, and accessible, allowing you to implement this good practice with minimal effort while delivering measurable benefits.
