In many places, guests traditionally bring an envelope with a cash gift to the reception. Friends who live abroad or cannot travel used to ask someone else to carry their envelope. A bank QR code on an online invitation solves that: the guest opens the card, scans the code with their banking app, types an amount and confirms. This guide covers whether to add one, where it belongs on the card, and how to make sure every transfer lands in the right account.

What a QR gift box actually is

It is a small section of your invitation that shows the account holder's name, the bank, the account number and a scannable QR code. You can upload the payment QR from your own banking or payment app, or let VowForever generate one that carries your bank details. Guests scan it, send the gift from their own app and choose the amount themselves.

The money never passes through VowForever. The QR code points to your own bank account, so a transfer is an ordinary bank-to-bank payment. VowForever simply displays the details you enter and charges nothing on gifts.

Why online beats a printed QR

A QR printed on a paper card cannot be corrected. One wrong digit means reprinting the whole batch. On an online card you edit the account, publish again, and every guest who reopens the link sees the fix. The code can also sit inside a gift box that guests open only if they want to, instead of being printed on the front of the invitation.

Should you include one at all?

Gift QR codes still divide opinion. Some guests find them convenient; others feel they look like a request for money. In practice, what bothers people is rarely the code itself but the way it is shown: huge, at the very top of the card, and sent to people the couple barely knows.

  • Many guests abroad or out of town: yes. Put it in a gift box near the end with a thank-you line.
  • A small wedding of family and close friends: yes. Add a separate account for each side if the families receive gifts separately.
  • Invitations for bosses, business partners or particular elders: keep the box but do not mention it in your invitation message.
  • Families who prefer envelopes in person: leave it off. The card is still complete without it.

Where to place it

The rule is simple: invitation first, gift details last. Guests open the card to learn who is marrying, when and where. The gift box is an optional extra for those who need it.

  1. Cover photo and invitation wording.
  2. Date, time, venue and a tap-to-open map.
  3. RSVP, so you can confirm table numbers.
  4. Photo album and wishes.
  5. The gift box, at the end, with the QR revealed only when a guest taps to open it.

Gentle lines to introduce it

  • "Your presence is the greatest gift. If you are far away, you can send your love here."
  • "Thank you for always being there for us. This little box is for friends who can't make it home."
  • Title the box "Love from afar" rather than "Bank transfer".

Avoid placing "Scan to send a gift" directly under your names, or enlarging the QR to half the screen.

Setting it up in VowForever

In the designer, insert the gift box widget where you want it, usually near the end of the card. The box holds an account for the groom and one for the bride. For each, you can either upload the QR image exported from your banking app, or enter the bank and account number and let VowForever generate the QR for you. Guests who prefer typing can tap Copy Account instead of scanning. The full steps are in /guide/design/gift-box-qr.

If you build with the form card at /create/form, switch on the gift section and fill in the bank name, account holder and account number, with an optional QR image. The gift box and bank QR are included on every plan, including Free.

After sending, guests can confirm that they sent a gift. When they open the card through a personal link from your guest list, their name is filled in for them. Those notes appear at /dashboard/received-gifts, which makes matching transfers to names much easier when you write thank-you messages.

Safety checks before you send the card

  • Scan the QR with your own banking app and with a relative's. The account holder name shown must be yours.
  • Send yourself a tiny test transfer to be certain it arrives.
  • Open the published card on a phone, tap the gift box and make sure the code is sharp and not cropped.
  • If you change accounts, edit the gift box, publish again and reopen the link to confirm the new details show.
  • Remind guests that a real online invitation is just a web link. It never asks them to download a file, install an app or enter a one-time code.
  • Share the link privately rather than posting it publicly if you do not want strangers to see your account number.

Common problems and fixes

  • Guests' apps cannot read the code: the uploaded image is blurry or cropped. Let VowForever generate the code from your details, or export a fresh QR from your banking app.
  • The wrong name appears when scanning: the account number or bank was mistyped. Correct it and scan again.
  • Guests cannot find the gift box: it was never added, or the accounts are empty. Check in preview before publishing.

Quick answers

Does the QR pre-fill an amount? No. Guests always choose the amount themselves, which is also the more tactful option. Can you change the account after sending the card? Yes: update it, publish, and the same link shows the new details. Can you see who sent a gift? Your bank statement shows the transfers, and guests' gift confirmations in your dashboard help you match them to names.