Polkadot (DOT) QR Code Generator
Make a QR code for your Polkadot address to receive DOT. The address checksum is verified in your browser, and the page explains why it must be in the Polkadot format starting with 1.
What a Polkadot QR code is
A Polkadot QR code is a static QR code that stores a Polkadot receiving address — an SS58 address in the Polkadot format, starting with 1 — so a wallet can scan it to send DOT instead of the sender typing the address.
Paste your Polkadot address and you get a code that Polkadot wallets and exchange apps can scan. Polkadot addresses use the SS58 format, which includes a network prefix and a checksum; the generator verifies both before drawing the code, so a mistyped or truncated address is rejected rather than printed. The check runs in your browser and the address is never uploaded.
The same Polkadot account can be written in several ways, one per network. For DOT the generator only accepts the Polkadot format, which starts with 1. If your wallet shows an address starting with 5, it is the generic Substrate form of the same account — the steps below show how to switch your wallet to the Polkadot form. The code holds the address only, with no amount.
How to create a Polkadot QR code
- 01
Show the address in Polkadot format
In Nova, SubWallet, or Talisman, open Receive and choose the Polkadot network; the address shown starts with 1. In the Polkadot.js extension, set Settings → “Display address format for” to Polkadot. On an exchange, open Deposit and choose DOT on the Polkadot network.
- 02
Paste it into the generator
Paste the address above. It should start with 1 and be about 47 or 48 characters long. If the checksum fails, copy it again with the wallet’s copy button.
- 03
Label it
Print “DOT · Polkadot” next to the code, and the address itself in small text, so senders can compare the first and last characters.
- 04
Download and test
Download the PNG or SVG and scan it with a Polkadot wallet. Check that the address it shows matches yours before printing.
Things specific to Polkadot
One account, several address formats
A Polkadot account is a public key, and SS58 adds a network prefix before encoding it. The same key appears as 1… on Polkadot, as a capital letter such as C, D, or H on Kusama, and as 5… in the generic Substrate format. The funds behind them are the same; only the spelling changes.
Why 5… addresses are refused
A 5… address is valid and controls the same account, but many exchanges reject it in their withdrawal forms, and a sender comparing characters has no way to see that it matches your 1… address. Using the Polkadot format avoids both problems, so it is the only one the generator takes for DOT.
A real checksum
SS58 addresses end in a checksum computed with BLAKE2b. The generator decodes the address, checks the Polkadot prefix, and verifies the checksum, so a single wrong character is almost always caught.
The existential deposit
A Polkadot account has to hold a minimum balance, called the existential deposit, to exist on-chain. A first transfer smaller than that to a new address fails, and an account that drops below it can be removed. Most wallets warn about it.
No amount and usually no memo
Polkadot has no payment link format that wallets read consistently, so the code holds the address only. Most exchanges give each customer their own DOT address; if your deposit page does ask for a memo, print it next to the code.
Where a Polkadot QR code helps
- Moving DOT from an exchange to your own wallet
- Payments between contributors and community members
- Developer meetups and hackathons
- Donation pages for projects in the Polkadot ecosystem
- Conference badges and speaker slides
- Stream overlays and video descriptions
Use the Polkadot format starting with 1. If your wallet shows a 5… address, switch its display to Polkadot rather than editing the address by hand — the characters change all the way through.
Never put a seed phrase, a JSON account backup, or a private key in a QR code. Only the receiving address is needed.
DOT transfers cannot be reversed. Scan your code before printing, compare the first and last characters with your wallet, and keep printed codes where nobody can stick another one on top.
This site is not a wallet. It does not hold DOT, look up balances, or confirm payments; it only draws the code.
Questions about this
Show your address in Polkadot format (starting with 1) in your wallet, copy it, paste it above, and download the code.
It is the generic Substrate form of your account. It is not wrong, but many exchanges refuse it and senders cannot tell it matches your Polkadot address. Switch your wallet to show the Polkadot format, which starts with 1, and use that.
Yes, if they come from the same wallet account. They encode the same public key with different network prefixes, so funds sent to either reach the same account on Polkadot.
No. Kusama addresses use a different prefix and start with a capital letter, and KSM is a different coin. This page is for DOT on Polkadot only.
No. The code carries the address only, and the sender enters the amount in their wallet.
No. It is checked and encoded in your browser. The site uses Google Analytics to count visits and may show ads, but never receives your address.