QR codes for ghost kitchens

A ghost kitchen has one physical touchpoint: the packaging. That makes the insert card the entire QR strategy — a direct-ordering code that routes the next order around marketplace commission, and a per-brand review code so each virtual brand builds its own reputation. Print on the card, not the box; steam ruins box print.

The packaging is the shopfront

A ghost kitchen has no window, no signage, no counter. The delivery bag is the only physical object a customer ever touches, which makes it the only place a QR code can live. Everything below is really one play: use the order you already paid commission on to make the next order direct.

Code	Where	Why
Direct-order menu	Insert card in the bag	The next order skips the marketplace
First-order offer	Same card, front	A reason to switch channels now, not someday
Review	Card, per virtual brand	Each brand builds its own rating
Social	Card, back	The only brand surface that persists after the meal

The commission arithmetic, honestly

Delivery marketplaces typically take 15–30% of each order. An insert card does not beat them at discovery — the customer found you on the app, and many will keep ordering there for the tracking and support. What the card converts is the repeat order from the fraction of customers who would rather order direct for a small discount. That fraction does not need to be large: at those commission rates, a modest discount on a direct order still leaves you ahead. Do not print a code that points back at your marketplace listing — that is paying commission on your own printing.

Print on the card, not the box

Hot food in a sealed bag means condensation. Ink printed directly on boxes and bags smudges, and coated stock warps. A separate insert card on 300 gsm stock stays flat and dry long enough to be read at the kitchen table. Size the code at 3 cm — it is scanned from 30 cm or less — and never below the 2 × 2 cm print floor. The card is part of the unboxing moment, the one piece of marketing a ghost kitchen physically delivers.

One kitchen, several brands

Most ghost kitchens run multiple virtual brands from one line. Each brand needs its own menu, offer and review codes — a shared review code cross-contaminates ratings and, under Google's review rules, each listing must be a real distinct business. Generate the full per-brand set in one pass with the bulk generator from a spreadsheet of brand names and URLs.

What goes wrong

One review code shared across virtual brands, blending every brand's reputation.
Codes printed on the bag itself, unreadable after ten minutes of steam.
The insert linking to the marketplace listing instead of the direct channel.
An offer code with no expiry logic behind it — the card outlives the promotion.

FAQ

Where do you put a QR code when there is no storefront?

In the bag. An insert card is the only physical marketing surface a delivery-only kitchen has. Print the direct-order code and offer on card stock rather than on the packaging itself, which steams and smudges in transit.

Do QR insert cards actually convert delivery customers?

Some, not all. Many customers stay on the marketplace for tracking and familiarity. But with commissions typically at 15–30%, converting even a minority of repeat orders to direct pays for the cards many times over.

Does each virtual brand need its own QR codes?

Yes. Separate menu, offer and review codes per brand keep ratings, analytics and customer expectations clean. A spreadsheet plus a bulk generator produces every brand's set in one run, so there is no per-brand design cost.