Geofencing

Geofencing is a technology that uses GPS or Wi-Fi location information to set virtual boundaries (fences) on a map and detect when devices such as smartphones cross those boundaries in either direction. It is used for location-based marketing such as "send a coupon by push notification when someone comes within a 500m radius of the store" or "show our own ads to users who are near a competitor's store."

The combination of QR codes and geofencing is put to use in two directions. The first is serving different content depending on where the QR code is scanned. Even with the same QR code, it is possible to design it so that a scan in Tokyo redirects to a Japanese-language campaign page and a scan in Osaka redirects to a coupon page limited to the Kansai region. On the server side of the dynamic QR code, the location is estimated from the IP address of the scan, and the redirect destination is switched based on the geofence.

The second is designing QR codes that are valid only inside a geofence. You create a QR code that can be scanned validly only inside an event venue, and access from outside the venue is redirected to a message saying "Please scan inside the venue." This creates a sense of exclusivity while preventing misuse.