Many aesthetic QR code algorithms are proposed. In this paper, a new aesthetic QR code algorithm, based on salient region detection and Selectable Positive Basis Vector Matrix (SPBVM), is proposed. Firstly, the complexity of texture features are added to calculate the saliency values of the image, based on the existing salient region detection algorithms. According to the saliency map, the important area of the image is preserved for the subsequent beautification operation. Then, the appropriate basis vectors are selected by using the proposed SPBVM according to the acquired salient region, and the salient region is displayed completely by XOR operation which is performed by the original QR code and the selected basis vectors. Finally, the aesthetic QR code is obtained by combining the background image and original QR code. The results show that the proposed algorithm can produce more accurate salient area and have more pleasant visual effects.