Do QR codes expire?

The short answer

Why static QR codes never expire

A static code turns your content — a link, a WiFi password, a contact card — directly into the black-and-white pattern. A phone camera reads it without contacting any server. There is no account, no subscription and no switch that anyone could turn off.

There is one catch: the code can't expire, but its destination can. If a static code points to a website and that website closes, its domain lapses, or a shared file is deleted from a cloud drive, the code still scans but leads nowhere. The pattern is permanent; the page behind it is not.

That's why static codes are best for content that doesn't depend on anything else: WiFi access, plain text, or contact details that won't change.

Why dynamic QR codes can stop working

A dynamic code only contains a short link, such as qr.linkom.app/AB3DE9K. Every scan passes through the provider's server, which looks up your current destination and redirects the visitor. That's what lets you edit the destination and see scan statistics — but it also means the code depends on that server.

• A free trial ends and the provider stops redirecting until you subscribe.
• A subscription lapses and the codes are switched off or deleted.
• A plan has a scan cap, and the code stops after a set number of scans.
• The account is deleted, or the provider closes.

The trial trap: codes that stop after printing

Some generators lock dynamic codes behind short trials. You create a code for free, print it on 2,000 flyers or a shop window, and two weeks later scans land on a page asking you to pay. By then the code is already on paper, so your choice is to pay or reprint.

This isn't a technical limit; it's a business decision by the provider. That's why the most important step happens before you print: read what happens to your codes when you stop paying, not only what you get while you pay.

A checklist before you choose a QR code provider

1. Is there a free plan with no time limit, or only a trial that ends?
2. What happens to dynamic codes if a subscription ends: deleted, paused, or redirected to an ad?
3. Is there a grace period before anything changes?
4. Are there scan limits per code or per month?
5. Can you still edit the destination on the free plan?
6. Can you use your own domain for short links, so the printed link stays yours?
7. Is the policy written clearly on the pricing page, not hidden in the terms?

Create a dynamic QR code

QRaft's exact policy

• Static codes never expire, on any plan.
• Dynamic codes work as long as your account exists. There is no trial that switches them off.
• The Free plan keeps 3 dynamic codes permanently, plus unlimited static codes.
• If a paid plan ends, every code keeps working for 3 more months.
• After those 3 months, dynamic codes beyond the 3 that Free keeps are paused, never deleted.
• Paused codes work again as soon as you subscribe again, with the same printed pattern.

On the Business plan you can also use your own short domain, so the link inside your printed codes is on a domain you control.

When you want a QR code to expire

Sometimes an expiry date is useful. A limited offer, an event registration or a one-time voucher shouldn't keep working forever. On Pro and Business, smart rules let you set an expiry date or a maximum number of scans on a dynamic code, and you can pause or resume any dynamic code yourself.

Coupon codes have their own expiry date. After it passes, the coupon page tells customers that the offer has ended, instead of showing a broken page.

Physical wear: the other way codes "expire"

A code can also stop scanning because the print fades. Outdoor signs in strong sun, stickers on delivery bags and table tents wiped every day all wear down. Use matte, UV-resistant materials outdoors, keep strong contrast, choose a higher error-correction level, and scan your printed codes every few months.

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