Do QR Codes Expire? Why "Free" Codes Stop Working (and How to Avoid It)

Short answer: no. A QR code is just a pattern of squares. It has no clock, no battery and no expiry date. A code printed in 2015 will scan in 2035 as long as the paper survives.

But you have probably seen a code that "expired" anyway. You scan it and get a page saying This QR code has been deactivated or Upgrade to reactivate. The pattern still worked. The thing it pointed to stopped.

This guide explains where that happens, how to check any code in ten seconds, and how to make one that won't let you down after you've printed 5,000 flyers.

What is actually inside a QR code

Every QR code holds a short piece of text. For most codes that text is a web address. What matters is whose address it is.

• A static code holds your destination directly: https://yourshop.com/menu. The phone reads it and goes there. Nobody sits in the middle.
• A dynamic code holds a short link owned by a QR service, something like qrsansar.com/r/k7Qx. The phone goes there first, the service records the scan and then forwards the visitor to wherever you have currently set it.

Dynamic codes are genuinely useful. You can change the destination after printing, and you can see how many people scanned. But they add a middleman, and the middleman is where most "expired" codes come from.

The four ways a code stops working

1. A free trial ended

This is the big one. Some generators make a dynamic code by default, even when you only asked for a simple link, and give it to you free for a trial period. When the trial ends the redirect switches off, and every printed copy now lands on a payment page.

The person who made the code often has no idea this happened. They find out when a customer mentions it, or when they notice the scans have dropped to zero.

Nothing about this is illegal, and some services say it plainly in their terms. The problem is that "free QR code generator" sounds like it means free forever, and for some tools it means free for now.

2. The page behind it moved or vanished

This affects static and dynamic codes alike. The website was redesigned and /menu became /our-menu. The Google Drive file's sharing was switched off. The event page was deleted after the event. The campaign landing page was taken down at the end of the quarter.

The code still points exactly where it always did. There's just nothing there any more.

3. A domain nobody renewed

A small business lets its domain lapse, or a campaign used its own short-lived microsite domain. Once a domain expires, the code points to whoever registers it next. That is worse than a dead link: it can become a scam page wearing your printed code.

4. A link shortener inside a static code

Some people paste a shortened link into a static code to make the pattern simpler. Now the code depends on that shortener's policies and on your account with them staying active. We explain the risks in Why You Should Never Put bit.ly Inside a Static QR Code.

Not expiry, but it feels like it: faded ink, a scratched sticker, a code printed too small or with its white border cropped. If a code won't scan at all (rather than scanning to an error page), it's a print problem. Start with our guides on print size and the quiet zone.

The 10-second test before you print

You can tell which kind of code you have without reading anyone's terms of service. Point your phone camera at it and read the link in the preview before you tap.

• You see your own domain. It's a static code (or a dynamic code on your own custom domain). It will work for as long as you keep the domain and the page.
• You see the generator's domain. It's dynamic. That's fine, as long as you know the answers to the questions below.

If you are not sure how to see the preview on your phone, our how-to-scan guide covers iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac. You can also drop a screenshot into our browser scanner, which decodes it on your device and shows the full link.

Five questions to ask any QR generator

Before you print anything in bulk with a dynamic code, find answers to these:

1. Is this code static or dynamic? If you only need a fixed link, ask for static.
2. Does the dynamic code have an end date or a scan limit on the free plan?
3. What happens to my codes if I stop paying? Do they keep forwarding, show a notice or switch off?
4. What happens if I don't log in for a long time? Is there a warning before an account is removed?
5. Can I export my codes and destinations if I want to move?

A service that answers these clearly is one you can print with. One that doesn't is the one that sends your customers to a payment page next spring.

How QRSansar handles this

Here are our own answers, so you don't have to dig for them:

• Static codes are free, need no account and never expire. The generator has 31 types (URL, WiFi, vCard, payments and more). The code holds your content directly and doesn't depend on us at all, so it keeps working even if QRSansar disappeared tomorrow.
• The free plan includes two dynamic codes with no trial period and no expiry date (a brand-new account can create them after its first 72 hours). They keep forwarding for as long as your account is active. You can pause one yourself from the dashboard, and a paused code lands on a "paused" page until you resume it.
• Inactive accounts get a warning first. Under our user rights policy, an account with no logins and no paid plan for two years may be deleted, and we email you at least a month beforehand so you can log in and keep it.
• Premium raises the limits (up to 1,000 dynamic codes, plus more documents and events) for businesses printing at scale.

If you print a code on something you can't easily replace, like engraved signage, product packaging or a book, our rule of thumb is simple: static unless you have a reason to need dynamic. Holiday menus and seasonal offers are good reasons; our holiday QR ideas show where each type fits.

Already printed a code that died?

It depends on whose link is inside:

• Your own domain: set up a redirect from the old address to the new page. Every printed copy starts working again.
• A generator's short link: you need access to that account. Log in and either reactivate it or point it somewhere new. If you can't, the printed code can't be rescued.
• A shortener you don't control: same as above.
• Nothing works: print a new code on a sticker and cover the old one. This time, make it one you control. (Do this openly and neatly. A sticker over a code is also what scammers do, so people are rightly wary of ones that look tampered with.)

FAQ

Do QR codes expire? No. The pattern itself never expires. A code stops working only when the link inside it stops working.

Do free QR codes expire? Free static codes never expire. Some free dynamic codes are trials that stop forwarding after a set period. Check the link domain and the generator's terms before you print.

How long does a static QR code last? As long as the printed copy is readable and the destination is still online. There is no time limit built into the code.

Can a QR code be deactivated? A static code can't be switched off, because there is no service in the middle. A dynamic code can be paused or deactivated by whoever controls the account.

Can I make a QR code that expires on purpose? A static code can't expire. With a dynamic code you can pause it or change its destination whenever you choose, for example once an event is over.

The launch offer runs until 31 December

QRSansar is in its launch period. If you need more dynamic codes than the free plan's two, the launch offer is the cheapest way to get them, and it ends with the year. The current discount and code are always on the offers page.

Or just make a static code. It's free, it's yours and it will still scan long after this post is out of date.