A number of companies have continued to utilize traditional QR codes or their own take on them. Spotify began offering its own codes last year as a way for users to share music with others while Pinterest's Pincodes allow brands to link users to more information and content. Similarly, Snapchat offers Snapcodes that let users share their profile as well as website links. Meanwhile, others, like Microsoft and Venmo, have stuck with more traditional QR codes to assist their customers in a variety of ways.

Amazon says SmileCodes will be used for things like getting a discount in Amazon Restaurant or retrieving your Amazon Locker code. To scan a code, tap the camera icon next to the search bar in the Amazon app. Then tap "see more" and the SmileCode scanner.