EMV QR Payload Format
EMVCo QR payloads use a standardized TLV-based structure to store merchant information, transaction details, payment network data, and validation information inside interoperable QR payment codes.
Payload Structure Breakdown
Payload Format Indicator
Defines EMV QR payload specification version.
Point of Initiation Method
Indicates static or dynamic QR payment flow.
Merchant Account Information
Contains payment network and merchant identifiers.
Merchant Category Code
Represents merchant business category.
Transaction Currency
Defines ISO currency code.
Country Code
Represents merchant country.
Merchant Name
Contains merchant display name.
Merchant City
Represents merchant city information.
Additional Data Field Template
Contains bill number, customer references, terminal labels, and additional merchant transaction data.
CRC Validation
Ensures payload integrity validation.
Tag 62 - Additional Data Field Template
Tag 62 is one of the most important sections inside EMVCo QR payloads because it allows merchants and payment systems to include additional transaction-related information for reconciliation, customer references, billing, loyalty systems, and payment tracking.
The Additional Data Field Template itself contains nested TLV sub-tags that define specific business or transaction identifiers. Different payment ecosystems may use these sub-tags differently depending on their implementation models.
| Sub Tag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 01 | Bill Number |
| 02 | Mobile Number |
| 03 | Store Label |
| 04 | Loyalty Number |
| 05 | Reference Label |
| 06 | Customer Label |
| 07 | Terminal Label |
| 08 | Purpose of Transaction |
Why Tag 62 Matters
Payment ecosystems widely use Tag 62 for transaction reconciliation, invoice tracking, merchant references, customer identifiers, terminal mapping, and operational reporting across interoperable QR payment systems.
Sample EMV QR Payload
Below is a simplified example of an EMVCo QR payment payload:
00020101021126360014A000000677010111011300660000000005204581253033565802IN5910EMVQRHUB6007DELHI6304A13FEach section inside the payload represents a TLV block containing specific payment information.
Payload Structure Breakdown
Payload Format Indicator
Defines EMV QR payload specification version.
Point of Initiation Method
Indicates static or dynamic QR payment flow.
Merchant Account Information
Contains payment network and merchant identifiers.
Merchant Category Code
Represents merchant business category.
Transaction Currency
Defines ISO currency code.
Country Code
Represents merchant country.
Merchant Name
Contains merchant display name.
Merchant City
Represents merchant city information.
CRC Validation
Ensures payload integrity validation.
How TLV Encoding Works
EMVCo QR payloads use TLV (Tag-Length-Value) encoding. Every data element contains:
Defines the type of payment information.
Specifies the number of characters in the value.
Contains the actual payment-related content.
Example TLV Block
5406100.00Tag 54 represents transaction amount, length 06 indicates value size, and 100.00 contains the payment amount.
How EMV QR Payloads Are Generated
Merchant Data
Collect payment info
TLV Build
Construct payload
CRC
Generate checksum
Encode
Generate QR
Payment
Process transaction
Static vs Dynamic Payloads
Static QR Payload
Static payloads are reusable and generally contain merchant information without transaction-specific data.
Reusable merchant QR
Simpler infrastructure
Manual amount entry
Common for small merchants
Dynamic QR Payload
Dynamic payloads are generated per transaction and may contain payment amount, invoice IDs, or transaction references.
Transaction-specific payload
Advanced reconciliation
Enterprise integrations
Improved transaction tracking
Why Payload Structure Matters
Interoperability
Standardized payload structures improve compatibility across payment ecosystems.
Reliable Parsing
QR parsers can consistently interpret payment information.
Scalable Payment Systems
Fintech platforms can integrate interoperable QR workflows more easily.
Secure Transactions
CRC validation and structured payloads improve payment integrity.
Why Developers Should Understand Payload Structures
QR Generator Development
Payload structures are essential for generating interoperable QR codes.
QR Parsing Systems
Parsers decode TLV structures and validate payload data.
Payment Integration
Fintech systems rely on standardized payload structures for interoperability.
Validation Engines
CRC validation and payload parsing improve payment reliability.