Do QR codes expire? Only when something outside the code does
A QR code is a printed pattern and cannot expire on its own. What stops working is the service in the middle, the page at the end, or the data inside.
No. A QR code cannot expire. It is a pattern of squares, and a pattern has no clock in it. A code printed in 2015 that contains a working link will scan today exactly as it did then.
So why do so many people end up with a dead code on a stack of flyers? Because when people ask whether QR codes expire, the code is almost never what failed. Something the code depends on did. There are four candidates, and three of them are avoidable before you print.
The four real reasons a QR code stops working
| What failed | What the person scanning sees | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| The redirect service | An error page, or an upsell from the vendor | Use a static code, or pay for as long as the paper is out there |
| The page it points at | A 404, or a page about something else | Point codes at addresses you will keep |
| The data inside the code | A wrong number, an old WiFi password, a stale contact | Only encode details you will not change |
| The print itself | Nothing, the camera cannot read it | Size, contrast and a clear margin |
1. The redirect service stopped
This is the one people mean when they say a QR code expired. Dynamic QR codes do not contain your link. They contain a short link on the generator's domain, and the generator forwards each scan to you. When the free trial ends or the subscription lapses, the forwarding stops.
The vendors are open about this in their own documentation. QR Code Generator's help pages, for instance, state that dynamic codes are deactivated when the trial ends while static codes keep working. Most will reactivate them if you start paying again. If the vendor goes out of business, nobody can.
2. The page moved
The code is fine and the forwarding is fine, but the page is gone. The menu was rebuilt at a new address. The event page was deleted after the event. The Google Form was cleaned up.
This is the most common cause on codes that were static all along, and it is entirely in your hands. If you have to move a page, set up a redirect from the old address to the new one and every printed code keeps working. We made that point about menu codes in the café post and it applies everywhere.
3. The data inside went stale
Some codes do not point at a page at all. A phone code contains the number. A WiFi code contains the network name and password. A contact card code contains your name, title and email.
None of those can expire, but all of them can go out of date. Change the WiFi password and every sign on every table is now wrong. Change jobs and the contact card on 500 business cards is someone else's problem.
4. The print gave up
Sun fades ink. Lamination glares under the ceiling lights. A code that was marginal on day one gets worse every month it spends in a window. That is not expiry, but it looks exactly like it to the person holding the phone. Our guide to why codes fail on paper covers what to check.
How to check if your code will expire, before you print it
Scan it with your phone camera and look at the address in the preview, before you tap it.
If the preview shows your own domain, or the page you meant, the code is static. It depends on nothing but that page.
If it shows a domain you do not recognize, usually a short one belonging to the generator, the code is dynamic. It will work for as long as that company keeps forwarding it and you keep whatever plan it requires. That is not automatically wrong. It is just a decision you should make on purpose, not find out about from a customer. If you are not sure which you need, our static vs dynamic guide has a thirty-second answer.
What to do about a code that is already dead
It depends on which of the four failed.
Dynamic code, vendor still exists: log in and reactivate it. Usually that means paying. It is often still cheaper than a reprint.
Page moved: add a redirect from the old address to the new one. Fixed in five minutes, no reprint.
Data inside is stale: there is no fix. The information is the printed pattern. Reprint, and cover the old codes so nobody scans them.
Vendor gone: there is no fix either. The short link belonged to them. Reprint.
That last case is the argument for static codes on anything that will be in the world for years. Nobody can switch off a code that does not depend on anyone.
Make a code with nothing to expire.
scanbam makes static QR codes. No trial, no account, no redirect server between your paper and your page.
Open the generatorQuestions people ask
Do static QR codes expire?
No. A static code contains your link or your data directly, so there is nothing that can be switched off. It keeps working as long as the page it points at exists.
Why did my free QR code stop working?
Most likely it was a dynamic code made during a free trial. Dynamic codes route through the generator's server, and many generators stop forwarding them when the trial ends. Scan it and check whether the preview shows the generator's domain.
How long does a printed QR code last?
As long as the print stays readable and the destination stays online. Indoors on decent paper that is many years. In a sunny window, expect the ink to fade within a season or two, so use vinyl or reprint.
Can I reactivate an expired QR code?
If it is a dynamic code and the vendor still exists, usually yes, by starting a paid plan. If the page behind a static code moved, add a redirect from the old address. If the data inside the code is wrong, you need a new code.