Do QR codes expire?
Short answer: a QR code itself never expires. Whether yours keeps working depends on what kind it is, and for one kind, on the company that made it.
The two kinds of QR code
| Static code | Dynamic (editable) code | |
|---|---|---|
| What's inside | Your link, Wi-Fi details, phone number or text | A short link to a redirect service |
| Expires? | Never | Works while the service keeps redirecting |
| Change it after printing? | No | Yes |
| Count scans? | No | Yes |
| Depends on a company? | No | Yes |
A static code keeps working as long as what it opens exists: the web page, the Wi-Fi password, the phone number. Nobody can switch it off.
A dynamic code sends each scan through a service, which forwards people to your page. That's what lets you change the destination later and count scans. It also means the code depends on the service and your account with it.
When dynamic codes stop working
- A free trial ends and codes are deactivated or redirected to the service's own page.
- A free plan has a time limit (for example 30 days) or a scan limit.
- You downgrade, or a payment fails.
- The account is closed, or the company shuts down.
What to check before you print
- Does the free plan expire? After how long, and what do scanners see then?
- Is there a scan limit? A busy menu can reach hundreds of scans a week.
- What happens if you downgrade or go over a limit? Are codes deleted, or paused until you upgrade?
- What if the company closes? Is there a notice period, and can you take your codes' destinations with you?
- Do you need dynamic at all? For a Wi-Fi password or a phone number that won't change, a static code is simpler and permanent.
QR Code Spot's answers
- Static codes from the free generator: never expire. Link and text codes don't even need an account.
- Editable codes on the Free plan: no time limit and no scan limit. See Pricing for how many you can have.
- Over a limit or after downgrading: extra codes pause, they're never deleted, and upgrading switches the same printed codes back on.
- Your 3 chosen editable codes never pause, even on the Free plan.
- If QR Code Spot ever closes, we'll give at least 6 months' notice by email, your codes keep redirecting during that time, and you can download every code's destination to move it elsewhere.
Questions
Do Wi-Fi QR codes expire?
No. The network name and password are stored in the code. It stops working only if you change the password or network name.
Do free QR codes expire?
Free static codes never do. Free dynamic codes depend on the service: some expire with a trial or after a set time, others don't.
How long do QR codes last?
A static code lasts as long as the print does. A dynamic one lasts as long as the service and your account.
Codes that don't expire
Free static codes, no sign-up for links and text. Free editable codes with no time or scan limit.