Location Reporting Accuracy Explained
How Delivr estimates location, why accuracy can vary, and how privacy-first fallbacks work.
Get a clear view of where your audience is engaging with your content. This article explains how Delivr estimates location, from highly accurate GPS-based detection (when users opt in) to IP-based geolocation for broader insights. You’ll learn why reported locations can sometimes vary — due to VPNs, corporate networks, or device settings — and how Delivr’s smart fallback system ensures reporting stays reliable. Plus, we highlight our privacy-first approach and compliance practices so you can trust the data you see.
How accurate is IP-based location reporting?
Delivr uses trusted, industry-leading IP geolocation databases to estimate where scans and visits originate. These databases are highly reliable at the country level, with accuracy of up to 99.8%.
Accuracy decreases as location granularity increases and varies by region:
- Country. Very high accuracy
- State / Province. Moderate accuracy, varies by country and network
- City. Lower accuracy, often unreliable
Additionally, in some countries and regions, digital infrastructure is less developed or frequently shared across neighboring areas. This can further reduce the accuracy of IP-based geolocation compared to more digitally advanced regions.
These limitations are inherent to IP-based location tracking and represent an industry-wide challenge — not something specific to Delivr.
What IP-based location is (and isn’t).
IP-based location identifies the network routing location of a request — not the precise physical location of a person or device.
Delivr:
- Reports location based only on available signals
- Does not infer or guess precise locations
- Does not attempt to fingerprint users
- Does not track individuals across sessions or platforms
Location data is used for aggregate reporting and analytics, not for identifying or following individual users.
Why IP-based location can be inaccurate
An IP address represents a connection point on the internet, not a physical address. Several common scenarios can cause IP-based location to differ from real-world location.
VPNs, proxies, and anonymization services.
When a user accesses a link through a VPN (Virtual Private Network), proxy, TOR exit node, or anonymizing service, their traffic is routed through a remote server.
As a result:
- The detected location reflects the VPN or proxy server
- The user’s true location is intentionally masked
- The server may be in a different city, state, or country
Corporate, institutional, and shared networks.
Company Wi-Fi, universities, hospitals, and other large organizations often route all traffic through centralized gateways.
This can cause scans to appear as if they originate from:
- A single headquarters location
- A regional data center
- A different country than the user’s actual location
Mobile networks vs desktop connections.
Most QR scans happen on mobile devices.
Mobile carriers frequently:
- Route traffic through regional hubs
- Rotate IP addresses
- Share IP ranges across wide geographic areas
This makes city-level IP location less reliable on mobile than on fixed broadband connections.
Automated security scanners and link preview services.
Email providers, messaging platforms, and enterprise security systems often automatically follow links to check for malicious content.
In these cases:
- Visits originate from the service’s infrastructure, not a human
- IPs may appear repeatedly
- Some services re-scan links on a scheduled basis
These automated checks can appear as scans or visits even though no user actively engaged.
How time affects IP accuracy.
IP geolocation databases are continuously updated, but they are not real-time.
Over time:
- IP ownership and routing change
- Mobile carriers reassign IP ranges
- Cloud providers move infrastructure
This means an IP that mapped accurately yesterday may resolve differently today. Delivr reflects the best available data at the time of access, without retroactive adjustment.
What happens when device location services are turned off?
If a user has location services disabled on their device:
- Country-level location may still be available, depending on the device and network
- State and city data will not be available
- Delivr automatically falls back to IP-based geolocation
This behavior is controlled by the operating system and device manufacturer — not by Delivr.
How Delivr handles location accuracy and fallbacks.
Delivr follows a clear, conservative hierarchy and never guesses when data quality is low:
- GPS-based location (only if explicitly enabled and approved)
- IP-based country-level location
- Unknown / not reported when signals are insufficient
When higher-accuracy data is unavailable, Delivr reports less granular results rather than inferring precision.
Decision Flow
Optional GPS-based location (higher accuracy).
Delivr supports GPS-based location detection as an optional feature.
How it works
When enabled and approved by the person scanning:
- iPhone and Android devices use built-in GPS receivers
- Location is calculated using trilateration, based on time-coded radio signals from at least four satellites
- Devices determine precise latitude and longitude (and altitude when available)
Both platforms use Assisted GPS (AGPS), which combines:
- Satellite data
- Cellular networks
- Wi-Fi positioning
- Bluetooth signals (when available)
This significantly improves speed and accuracy compared to satellite-only GPS.
Consent, privacy, and user control.
GPS-based location always requires explicit opt-in.
- Users are clearly prompted for permission
- If permission is granted, GPS data is used for that interaction
- If permission is denied, Delivr immediately falls back to IP-based location
- No location data is collected silently or without consent
What IP-based vs GPS-based location is best suited for.
IP-based location is suitable for:
- Country-level audience insights
- Regional trend analysis
- High-level reporting and analytics
IP-based location is not suitable for:
- Store-and facility-evel attribution
- Determining exact physical presence
- Compliance decisions that require precise location
GPS-based location is suitable for:
- Use cases requiring higher precision
- Experiences where the user explicitly opts in
- Scenarios where accuracy matters more than coverage
Accuracy Ladder
Most Accurate
GPS-based Location (Opt-in)
- Device-level precision
- Latitude / Longitude
- Requires explicit user consent
IP-based Country
- ~99.8% accuracy
- Reliable for market-level insights
IP-based State / Province
- Variable accuracy
- Affected by networks and carriers
IP-based City
- Often unreliable
- Frequently misleading on mobile
Unknown / Private / Not Reported
- Used when signals are insufficient
- No guessing or inference
Least Accurate
Data handling and compliance (legal safe)
- Delivr processes location data in a privacy-first, compliance-oriented manner:
- Location data is anonymized and aggregated
- Delivr does not store continuous GPS trails
- No attempt is made to identify or re-identify individuals
- Location data is used solely for analytics and experience delivery
- Processing aligns with applicable data protection regulations, including GDPR and CCPA, depending on customer configuration
Customers remain responsible for determining whether optional GPS-based features are appropriate for their specific use case and regulatory environment.
Summary
- IP-based geolocation is highly accurate at the country level
- Accuracy decreases at state and city levels due to network routing, VPNs, mobile carriers, and automated scanners
- Device settings and time-based IP changes affect results
- Delivr never infers or guesses precise location
- GPS-based location offers higher accuracy, but only with explicit user consent
- When signals are limited, Delivr safely falls back or reports no location at all
