Do I need an app and internet on my smartphone to enable a Lamassu ATM to detect and scan my QR code?

Question

I want to send bitcoins to a friend through a Lamassu ATM. She has emailed me her request QR code and when I went to the Lamassu ATM point, after pressing on the start button and showing the QR code on my smartphone, nothing happens. I learned that the atm is supposed to scan the QR code and send bitcoins to the request QR code after putting in cash. I am wondering, if I may need an app or internet on my smartphone to enable the Lamassu ATM to detect and scan the QR code on the phone screen.

Answer 1

You don't need internet or an app. Actually, the machine can either scan a paper QR code or a mobile phone.

The problem would either be that the QR code encodes different information than what you thought it does, or that the scanner of the ATM does not recognize the QR code on the screen. What you need to show is a Bitcoin address.

Try to set your screen to full brightness, be sure not to block any part of the screen when presenting it, and check whether the QR code actually contains a Bitcoin address, and not something else such as a private key or payment request.

Answer 2

I had a similar problem today using ATM type Lamassu, it wouldn't allow my laptop screen near the 'scanner' since it was deeply embedded within the 'nest' for the metal keypad. Translating the 256 characters of a receiver ID into QR is hilarious to me read INCREDIBLY frustrating, I could have just typed them in..

• tried taking a picture of the laptop screen and showing the picture on my phone screen to the scanner - FAIL obviously(?) with angles or possibly simply brightness/contrast.
• Tried simply saving the image to the laptop HDD then xferring that directly to the phone and then displaying it full brightness. FAIL!
• SOLUTION i downloaded an incredibly simple android app called Bitcoin Wallet or such from aptoide. And that scanned fine. now I think I can just give the wallet file directly to my friend or send it through the network for pennies in fees.

In my case i think it's due to the terrible design of at least that scanner aspect of this ATM type Lamassu with the scanner tucked deep inside and up top of the metal keypad enclave. Narrow minded approach to product design, I mean I remember seeing some hackerspace with a pop machine able to discern a QR from like nearly anything front of it and this was WAY BACK like I mean within just a few years of Satoshi returning to their dimension. ;]

ps better late then never this was just so frustrating today i had to vent somewhere and maybe help someone in my position