Fighting counterfeit products with QR verification: lessons from building it

Counterfeits are a real worry in markets such as sports nutrition, where buyers cannot tell from the packaging whether a product is genuine. When we built the platform for Anatomy Sports, product verification was a core requirement from the start. These are the design decisions that mattered most.

One unique code per box

Each box carries its own code, printed on a hologram with a QR code that leads to the verification page. A customer either scans the QR or types the code, and the site confirms whether the product is genuine.

A unique code per box matters because it allows the system to notice when the same code is checked more than once, which is a strong sign that it has been copied.

Make codes hard to guess and easy to type

Two goals pull in different directions. Codes must be impossible to guess, so counterfeiters cannot invent valid ones. They must also be easy for a customer to read off a box and type on a phone.

• Use a long random code from a large alphabet, so the number of possible codes is enormous.
• Remove characters that look alike, such as 0 and O or 1, I and L.
• Add a check character, so a single typing mistake is caught instantly without a database lookup.
• Display the code in short groups, which are easier to read and type.

Warn when a code has been checked before

The first check of a genuine code shows a clear success message. If the same code has already been checked, the customer is told so and asked whether that was them. A code checked many times is a signal worth investigating.

Plan for print runs and leaks

Codes are generated in batches that match print runs. That made two things possible. Holograms can be printed before the final product is decided, and linked to a product later from the admin dashboard. And if a code list ever leaks, the whole batch can be revoked at once, so every code in it fails verification.

Use short links behind every QR code

Printed QR codes are permanent, but the pages they point to are not. Every QR on the packaging points to a branded short link, which redirects to the right page. The destination can be changed at any time without reprinting a single box.

The same short links record each scan by campaign and device type, so the team can see which packaging, posters or promotions people actually respond to. The tracking stores no IP addresses or other personal data.

What we would tell any brand considering this

• Decide on verification before the first print run; adding it later means reprinting.
• Keep the customer step to one scan or one short code.
• Treat repeated checks and revoked batches as early warnings, not just error messages.
• Put a short link between every printed code and its destination.

Product verification is not only a security feature. Done well, it becomes a reason for customers to trust a new brand, and a direct line between the physical product and the brand's website.