If you send me the URL directly it will be hit. A QR code wouldn't even add anything. And it's worked that way for many years, iMessage showing link previews.
Messages on my iPhone shows me link previews for links sent to me via SMS, not just via iMessage. I just checked to make sure. Those are necessarily generated on the recipient's end.
This could be due to it being sent from someone in your contact list: https://support.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013199334-Ho...