Free digital menu for a UK pub or café: no ads, no watermark (2026)
A UK pub or café can run a free digital menu with no adverts and no watermark on it, and the way to know is to open the menu the way a customer would. If a provider shows its own logo, a banner or a "powered by" bar to your customers on the free plan, the free plan is costing you your customers' goodwill.
What should a pub check before choosing a free QR menu?
Run these checks on the provider's own pricing and sign-up pages, then on a phone that is not signed in:
| Check | What you want to see | QRDERS free plan |
|---|---|---|
| Adverts or a watermark on the customer's menu | None, on the free plan | None |
| An app for customers | None, it opens in the browser | None |
| Translation | Included in the free plan | 82 languages, automatic |
| Scan limit | None | Nothing is metered |
| Menu changes and the printed code | Code keeps working | Code points to a link you control |
| Price changes | Live everywhere at once | Live at once |
| What the paid plan adds | Extras, not the menu itself | Sharper photos and video, your logo on shared links, a higher place on the map |
How does it work behind a bar?
Take the Friday-night rush. A customer scans the code on the table, reads the menu on their own phone and walks to the bar knowing what they want. You do not hand out menus, and the specials board can change at six o'clock without anyone reprinting a thing.
Setting it up takes an afternoon:
- Photograph the printed menu or upload the PDF. The AI Editor reads dishes, drinks and prices.
- Check the prices first, then the names of dishes that are particular to your kitchen.
- Add allergens dish by dish.
- Print the code for tables, the bar and the door.
- Test it on two phones, one set to a different language.
What about tourists and mixed crowds?
A seaside pub in August, a café near a station or a hotel bar sees many languages in one day. The menu translates itself into 82 languages and each customer reads it in the language on their own phone. You keep one list.
What does it cost?
There is no monthly fee. The menu, translations, codes, your own web page and unlimited scans are free. Plus is a yearly price with no contract, and the current figure sits on the pricing page. Everything above works without it.
Which pages should I read next?
If you run something other than a pub, the hotel, food van and beach club guides show what each puts on its list. For what a language count on a product's page does and does not mean, read this note on language numbers.
Frequently asked questions
Can a pub have a free digital menu with no adverts?
Yes. The QRDERS free plan has no monthly fee and no scan limit, and the menu your customers open has no adverts and no watermark. Check this on any product by opening its menu on a phone that is not signed in.
Do customers need to download anything?
No. They scan the code with the phone camera and the menu opens in the browser. There is no app, no account and no form.
Do I still need a printed menu in the pub?
Keep at least one printed copy for customers who prefer it, and check with your local council's environmental health team what has to be displayed. A QR code on its own does not replace every notice.
What about allergens?
List them dish by dish. The 14 allergens that the law names for food businesses are a good checklist, and customers see the information in their own language. Confirm the exact requirement with your environmental health officer.
Is it only for pubs?
No. A café, a restaurant, a hotel breakfast list, a food van board or a spa treatment list all run on the same product.
Pages about the topics in this article
$0.00 a month, with no hardware and no contract. You only pay when you take a payment.
Get started for free