QR code, static NFC or dynamic NFC. What really changes.
Compared with a QR code loyalty card, or a “Rate us on Google” NFC plate, Lecy uses a dynamic NFC tag: the customer holds up their phone, and at every tap the chip generates a unique, encrypted, short-lived link. A QR code or a static NFC tag always return the same address, which a photo or a tap is enough to copy.
Talk about your business01Comparison
The comparison, point by point
The QR code is the cheapest. Static NFC is just as fast. Only dynamic NFC proves the customer was there.
| Criterion | Lecy (dynamic NFC) | Static NFC tag | Printed QR code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer gesture | Holds up their phone | Holds up their phone | Opens the camera, frames, waits for focus |
| Duration | ≈ 2 seconds | ≈ 2 seconds | 5 to 15 seconds depending on conditions |
| In dim light | Works | Works | Difficult: the code must be lit and sharp |
| What the medium returns | A unique, encrypted, single-use link | Always the same address | Always the same address |
| Can it be copied and shared | No, the link changes at every tap | Yes, the address is read and copied in one tap | Yes, a photo of the code is enough |
| Usable away from the shop | No | Yes, with the copied address | Yes, with the photo |
| Proof the customer was there | Yes, at every visit | No | No |
| The point without staff validation | Yes, the proof is in the tap | No, a human check would be needed | No, a human check would be needed |
| Cost of the medium | A few euros per tag | A few euros per tag | A few cents, printable yourself |
| Replacement if damaged | New tag to order | New tag to order | Immediate reprint |
| Phone compatibility | Over 95% | Over 95% | Universal |
The gesture: framing versus holding up
Scanning a QR code means opening the camera, aiming, holding the phone steady enough for focus, then tapping the notification. On a sunny terrace, in a bar in the evening, or with a bag in the other hand, it takes noticeably longer than the two seconds promised.
Holding a phone to a tag needs no aiming, no light and no steadiness. It is the same gesture as contactless payment, which the customer has just made. On this point, static and dynamic NFC are equal.
The QR code’s flaw: it is an image
A printed QR code is a fixed image. It always encodes the same URL. Anyone who photographs it can reuse it from home, send it to friends, or post it. For a loyalty programme, that means points can be earned without ever entering the shop.
Workarounds exist (rotating codes on a screen, a different code each day) but they require a screen to power or regular reprinting, and they bring back the constraint you were trying to avoid.
Static NFC or dynamic NFC: the difference that matters
The “Rate us on Google” plates many shops already have at the till are static NFC tags: the chip holds a fixed address, the same for everyone, at every tap. It is a QR code you touch instead of framing. Handy for opening a page, useless for proving a visit, since the address is copied and shared as easily as the image of a QR code.
The Lecy tag is dynamic: at every tap, the chip generates a unique, encrypted, short-lived link, which our servers verify before crediting the point. A copied address is worth nothing a second later. There is nothing to photograph, nothing to share, nothing to replay.
That signature is what makes loyalty that runs itself possible: nobody on the team needs to validate the point, because the tap is the proof. To our knowledge, that is what sets Lecy apart from loyalty solutions built on classic NFC.
What it changes in the numbers
A programme whose points can be earned remotely no longer measures footfall. The counters go up, the rewards go out, but the link with real visits is broken, and you are giving coffees to people who did not come.
That is why Lecy is built on proof of visit rather than on identifying the customer.
When a QR code or static NFC is enough
If you want to test the idea of a loyalty programme for a few euros before committing, a QR code printed at home does the job. There is nothing to order and nothing to wait for.
If your need is not proof of visit (opening your Google profile, a menu, a card, a form), a QR code or a static NFC plate are perfectly suited, the QR code staying compatible with the rare phones without NFC. The QR code also remains the right choice when the medium must be replaced often, for instance on a shopfront exposed to the weather.
06FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is a dynamic NFC tag?
A tag whose chip does not return a fixed address but generates, at every tap, a unique, encrypted, single-use link that the server verifies. A static NFC tag, like the “Rate us on Google” plates, always returns the same address: it proves nothing.
Do all phones read NFC?
Over 95% of smartphones in France support NFC (GSMA, 2024). On iPhone, reading is native since the iPhone XS. For the remaining cases, the shop adds the point manually.
Why can’t a QR code or a classic NFC tag be secured the same way?
Both carry a fixed address. For it to change at every visit, you need either a screen displaying a different code, or a chip that computes a signed link itself at every read, with no power. That is what the Lecy tag does.
Does the NFC tag need a battery?
No. The tag is passive: it is powered by the phone’s field at the moment of reading. No battery, no cable, no maintenance.
What happens if the tag is damaged or stolen?
You report it and receive a replacement. The old tag is deactivated and your customers’ counters are kept.
Further reading
Place the tag, the rest follows
NFC tag delivered within 3 days. No commitment, cancel at any time.