Everything people ask
Questions and answers
Everything people ask before they create a QR, and everything they ask after someone scans one.
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Getting started
Is it really free?
Yes. Creating an account, verifying your email and WhatsApp, adding up to five things, generating and downloading your QR, and receiving alerts are free. There is no paid tier for the basics and we do not plan one.
Do I need to buy a sticker?
No. Print the free kit on any printer and it works exactly the same. A ready-made weatherproof one is an optional extra you can buy instead. Nothing you need in order to receive an alert will ever sit behind a payment.
How long does it take?
About two to three minutes: sign in, register your thing, download the QR. Verifying WhatsApp is one message.
Do I need an app?
No. Everything works in your phone's browser, and people who scan your code use their normal camera app.
What can I put a QR on?
Vehicles — car, bike, scooter, auto, commercial or "other" — helmets, and anything you carry and would want back: a suitcase, a backpack, a laptop, a camera, keys. Up to five things per account, in any mix.
What happens when I sell the vehicle?
Set the vehicle to "Sold" and its QR stops working straight away — anyone who scans the sticker sees only that the code is paused, never that it was sold or who owned it. If you would rather remove it entirely, "Delete this vehicle" retires the code for good. Either way the new owner cannot reach you, and peeling the sticker off is optional.
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Verification
Why do I have to verify my WhatsApp number?
Two reasons. It keeps spammers out, because every alert is tied to a real, verified person. And it lets us act on abuse reports. Your number is never shown to anyone.
Why do scanners have to verify? Won't that stop people from alerting me?
Anonymous alerts would make your QR an open channel for anyone walking past. A first-time scanner spends about two minutes on it; after that it takes seconds. A verified alert is worth more than an anonymous one.
Does WhatsApp verification cost anything?
No. You send us one WhatsApp message. That is free for you and free for us.
I do not have WhatsApp. Can I still use it?
You can create an account and download your QR, but your QR only turns on once WhatsApp is verified, and you cannot send an alert without it. We have written that down as a known limitation, and a second verification channel is on the roadmap. Scanblip explains what to do meanwhile on the safety page.
How often do I have to verify?
WhatsApp once a year, or when you change your number. Email is confirmed each time you sign in with a code.
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Alerts
How do alerts reach me?
By email from Scanblip. The email carries the reason and the message. Every alert is also in your inbox on this site.
How fast do they arrive?
Usually within a minute of the sender tapping Send, but email can be delayed. For a real emergency the person scanning is always told to call 112 first.
Can I reply to the person who alerted me?
Not in this release. You can show a short public note on your QR page and set a status such as Away, and both are visible before anyone writes to you.
Can I stop alerts for a while?
Yes. Pause the QR, mute a reason, or mute a vehicle. Emergency alerts stay on while a QR is active.
What if someone keeps sending alerts?
Block them with one tap from the alert. They are not told, and they cannot reach any of your vehicles. You can also report the alert and we will review it.
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Privacy and safety
What does the person who scans see about me?
Only the vehicle type and, if you choose to show them, a nickname, a colour and a short note. Never your name, number, email address, home address or number plate.
What do I see about the person who scanned?
A visitor label such as Visitor #7K2Q, the reason, the message and the time. Never their name, number or email address.
Will you give my details to someone who alerts me, or to the police?
We do not share either party's details with the other. Information may be disclosed when legally required or otherwise permitted by applicable law; our privacy policy explains the process.
Is my number plate stored?
Only if you add it, and then it is encrypted and shown back to you masked. It is never shown to visitors and never included in an email, and there is no way to search for a vehicle by plate.
How do I know a QR is genuine?
A real Scanblip QR always opens a page at https://scanblip.com/c/ and never asks for money, an app download or a login just to show you the vehicle page.
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Account and data
How do you make money?
Not from your data, and not by charging for safety. The plan is an optional printed sticker, and later packages for societies and fleets. Receiving an alert, blocking a sender and reporting abuse will never cost money.
How do I delete my account?
In Privacy and data, choose Delete my account. There is a 7-day grace period in which you can cancel. After that the account is deactivated and its QR codes stop working permanently; some records are kept for up to 365 days where the law requires, then deleted.
Still not answered?
The help centre goes into more detail, and you can write to us — a person reads it.