AT&T Throws in the Towel, Now Uses QR Codes

First, we saw Google going back to QR codes with its Punch’d acquisition.  Now AT&T seems to have given up and embraced QR codes as well.

AT&T has been using its own proprietary datamatrix codes for its marketing for several years now.  In fact, there are code scanners available for it at any app store or app market around.  

Why reinvent the wheel?

BeQRious understands that having your own code may be cool both for you and your consumers.  There is a certain amount of allure in all that exclusivity going on.  

QR codes, however, are proving to be winners in this case.  For one, QR codes are free to develop and create.  You certainly do not have to pay any license fees to use a QR code.  With all the QR code generators around, you will surely find one that could serve your purpose.  And it’s gonna be free too.

For another, you do not have to worry about a scanner.  In fact, most QR codes work with just about any QR code scanner in the market.  Plus, QR code scanners are also free.

AT&T consumers might not want to go through the process of keeping another code scanner on their phones.  Perhaps some mistook it for a QR code and got failed scans.  So on top of the cost that AT&T put out to develop the code AND the scanner, they also lose out on all these people who are already familiar with a QR code.

Moreover, the AT&T code scanners are not free.

In the end, AT&T must have realized that using proprietary datamatrix codes hurt them because they just cannot engage their consumers, at least not at the level or depth that they could had they used QR codes in the first place.