The metaverse has become a trendy topic for both academics and practitioners in recent years. While the metaverse is still in a developmental stage, it is anticipated that it will bring significant changes to the existing paradigm in marketing, information system, psychology and many other disciplines (Dwivedi et al., 2022)

Quick Response (QR) code has often been employed in promotional coupon campaigns worldwide. This research addresses whether and how curiosity, visual complexity and perceived fit jointly affect consumers’ intention to scan such a code. Based on relevant theories from marketing and psychology, we posit that, while consumers with the high level of curiosity are likely to be more bound to visual complexity, consumers with the low level of curiosity tend to rely more on a good perceived fit, thus overcome the negative effects of visual complexity, forming greater scan intention. To this end, we conduct an experimental study with general consumer sample. The findings support our main prediction. In closing, we discuss theoretical and managerial implications while recognizing important limitations and suggesting future research directions.