Auction giant eBay has launched a new QR code campaign for the holiday season. Dubbed Give-A-Toy, the company is offering to place large displays in shop windows. The display houses several QR codes, each taking the form of a price tag attached to items like teddy bears and presents. The price tags are valued between $2 and $25, which is how much money a person will be donating to the Toys for Tots charity.
Though usually used in terms of marketing, QR codes have been gaining traction in the charity world. Companies like Coca-Cola and the Salvation Army have recently used the codes to help collect donations for charities. The codes have already shown how useful they can be in allowing consumers to connect with businesses. Now, companies are hoping that shoppers will be able to connect with charities as well.
eBay has already placed their displays in two stores in New York City and San Francisco. When scanned, the codes resolve to a mobile donation website, where mobile users can donate the amount of money associated with the code they scanned or another amount. The donation site is available to those unable to make it to these stores.
eBay has been expanding its use of mobile technology recently, adopting NFC technology as a way to help facilitate mobile payments. The company is likely to continue using QR codes well into the future.
