SQRC Specification

SQRC, or Secure QR Code, is a specification developed by DENSO WAVE — the original inventor of the QR Code — for embedding encrypted private data within a code that outwardly appears to be a standard QR symbol. An SQRC carries two layers of information: a public portion that any ordinary scanner can read, and a hidden, encrypted payload that only authorized readers holding the correct key can decrypt. This dual-layer design lets the same code present open information to the general public while restricting sensitive data to permitted devices, supporting uses such as access control, identity verification, and confidential record-keeping. Because the secure data is invisible to standard scanners, SQRC adds a privacy and authentication layer on top of conventional QR functionality, extending the symbology into security-sensitive applications.