SQRC

SQRC is a security-enhanced QR code variant developed by Denso Wave. It looks identical to a standard QR code but contains two data areas: public and private. Standard scanners read only the public data, while private data is accessible only with dedicated readers.

It is used for anti-counterfeiting tickets, employee IDs, membership cards, and product authentication. The private data cannot be read without a dedicated reader that holds the key, so what each audience sees can be separated. The symbol image itself can still be photographed or photocopied like any QR code, so SQRC does not prevent duplication. Denso Wave positions it as a reading-restriction function and states explicitly that it does not guarantee the security of the coded data. For authentication it must be combined with another mechanism, such as checking the private data against a server-side ledger.

In practice the deciding factor is whether the operator controls the scanning devices. Reading the private area requires a compatible reader loaded with the key, so an ordinary user cannot inspect the private area with a phone. SQRC therefore suits closed operations where the readers can be deployed and managed, such as internal asset tracking, production line control, or entrance gates, and it is a poor fit when consumers are expected to verify authenticity on their own devices. A reader that holds the key will read the private area for whoever carries it away, so tracking how many readers exist and where they are is central to running the scheme. A common split is to put only information that anyone may read, such as a product page URL or a part number, in the public area, and to keep an identifier for internal cross-checking in the private area. When every outward-facing path is complete within the public area, the same code can be handed to people who have no dedicated reader.