Do QR codes expire?
QR codes never expire. Subscriptions do. A QR code is just a printed pattern encoding a web address, and ink cannot expire. When a QR code "stops working," a company turned it off, almost always because a trial or subscription ended.
This page explains exactly when QR codes break, quotes each major vendor's own policy, and shows how to get a dynamic code that never dies. Every claim is sourced. Facts verified July 2026.
Static codes: never expire, never editable
A static QR code encodes your destination directly in the pattern. It works forever: no account, no company in the middle, nothing to lapse. The tradeoff is permanence in both directions: a static code can never be changed after printing. New menu, new listing, new link? Reprint everything. (You can make free static codes with our designer below, no account required.)
Dynamic codes: they expire when the subscription does
A dynamic QR code points at a redirect service, which forwards scans to your real destination. That's what makes it editable after printing. It also means your printed code lives or dies with the company's billing policy. The major vendors' own words:
- QR Tiger, from their FAQ: "If your plan expires, it will stop working." Free-tier codes also stop at 500 scans.
- QR Code Generator (Bitly), from their support docs: dynamic codes created in the 14-day trial "are deactivated at the end of the free trial," and scans of deactivated codes are redirected to their own service page. Their Trustpilot rating is 1.4/5 across 9,270+ reviews, dominated by this exact complaint.
- Scanova, from their help center: all dynamic codes deactivate at subscription end; data is held 26 months and restored only on renewal.
- Short QR (sqr.co): codes stay active after cancellation but become uneditable, frozen at their last destination; codes on custom domains stop working if the domain disconnects.
- PayPerQR: prepaid scan credits; their FAQ: codes "temporarily stop redirecting until you purchase more credits."
Sources: vendor FAQs, support documentation, and Trustpilot, as of July 2026. We only print what's provable. Related: what QR Code Monkey's editing toggle actually costs.
The exception: dynamic codes with no subscription to expire
A SolidQR dynamic code costs $4.99, once. There is no subscription attached to the redirect, so there is nothing to lapse, and the printed code never stops working. Editing the destination is included in the one-time price, forever. Serving a redirect costs a fraction of a cent, which is why once is enough; the full math is public at the honest math.
The rule: canceling anything never breaks a printed SolidQR code. Ever.
Your website, menu, listing, anything on the web.
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Questions people actually ask
Do QR codes expire?
QR codes themselves never expire. A QR code is just a pattern encoding text, usually a web address. What expires is the redirect service behind dynamic QR codes: most providers deactivate your code when your subscription lapses, which is a billing decision, not a technical one.
Why did my QR code stop working?
The most common reason: it was a dynamic code from a subscription service, and the trial or subscription ended. QR Tiger’s FAQ states "If your plan expires, it will stop working." QR Code Generator (Bitly) deactivates codes created during its trial and redirects scans to its own service page. The code on your printed material is fine; the company behind it turned off the redirect.
Do static QR codes expire?
No. A static QR code encodes your destination directly and works forever, with no company in the middle. The tradeoff: it can never be edited after printing. If the destination changes, the printed code is obsolete.
Can I get a dynamic QR code that never expires?
Yes. A SolidQR dynamic code costs $4.99 once, has no subscription, and never stops redirecting. Canceling any optional service never breaks a printed code. That is the founding promise of the company, and the infrastructure math behind it is published at solidqr.co/#honest-math.
What happens to QR codes when a company shuts down?
Codes pointing at that company’s redirect domain stop resolving. This is why the domain behind your code matters as much as the company: ask any vendor what happens to your printed codes if they close. SolidQR publishes its continuity plan for exactly this question.