There was a big ramp up of QR codes during the lockdown and it was never clear what that was about. I came across this and there are some interesting ideas here.
https://qr.io/blog/barcode-vs-qr-code-101-ultimate-comparison/
Barcode vs QR Code 101: The Ultimate Head to Head | QR.io Blog
Barcode vs QR code. Both offer great functionalities and are part of our everyday life. But what are the main differences and applications?
https://qr.io/blog/barcode-vs-qr-code-101-ultimate-comparison/