Do QR Codes Expire? Static vs Dynamic, Explained

No. A QR code is just a pattern that encodes some text. There is no field in the format for a date, and a phone does not check one. When people say a QR code has expired, they mean one of two things: the content it points to has gone, or the service that forwards the scan has stopped forwarding it.

Which of those can happen depends on whether the code is static or dynamic. If you are not sure of the difference, read dynamic vs static QR codes first; the short version is that a static code contains the destination and a dynamic code contains a short link to a redirect service.

No. A static code decodes to the same content forever. A WiFi code, a contact card or a plain web address printed today will still decode the same way in 20 years. What can break is the thing it points to:

• The page is moved or deleted. A website redesign that changes URLs is the most common cause of dead static codes. Keep old URLs working with redirects.
• The domain lapses. If you let a domain expire, anyone can register it and receive every scan from your printed codes. Renew domains that appear on print, or point codes at your main domain.
• The file host changes. Links to shared files on cloud drives often change when the file is replaced or the sharing setting changes.
• The print wears out. Fading, scratches and sun damage eventually beat even level H error correction.

Every scan of a dynamic code goes through the provider’s server, which looks up where to send it. If the provider stops answering for your code, the printed code is dead, even though the pattern is fine. The usual reasons:

Be careful with generators that advertise free dynamic codes without saying how long they last. A code that works for a trial period and then demands a subscription to keep working was never free; it just moved the cost to after you printed it. The guide to choosing a QR code generator lists the questions to ask.

Ask the provider, or find in its terms, the answers to these questions:

1. Is this code static or dynamic?
2. If dynamic, how long does it keep working on my current plan, including any free plan?
3. Is there a monthly or lifetime scan limit?
4. What happens to my codes if I cancel or downgrade, and is there a grace period?
5. Is anything deleted, or are codes paused so they can be switched back on?
6. Can I change the destination myself, so a broken page can be fixed without reprinting?

Then write down where each code is printed. When you change plans, websites or providers, that list tells you what to check.

Here are the rules, stated plainly:

• Static codes (WiFi, contact cards, SMS, email, calendar events, and links you create as static) never expire. Scans never touch our servers.
• Dynamic codes and hosted pages on the free plan work for 14 days after you publish them. After that they pause, and anyone scanning sees “This QR code isn’t active right now. Its owner needs to switch it back on.” Nothing is deleted.
• To keep a free-plan code working, either upgrade to any paid plan, which switches all paused codes back on with no expiry while you are subscribed, or pay a one-time $5 to keep that one code permanently. A code kept that way stays live even if you later move back to the free plan.
• If you cancel a paid plan, codes keep working until the end of the billing period. Dynamic codes then get 14 more days before they pause until you resubscribe or keep them individually. Codes you paid to keep permanently carry on working.

1. Scan it and read the page or error you get. A provider’s “paused” or “inactive” page means the account needs attention; a browser error usually means the destination or domain is gone.
2. If it is your dynamic code, sign in to the provider, find the code, and restore the plan, pay for it, or reactivate it. The printed code starts working again on the next scan.
3. If the destination broke, fix or redirect the page. For a dynamic code you can also point it somewhere new.
4. If the provider has gone, the short link cannot be revived. Replace the code, and cover the old one completely so people don’t scan a dead link.

Yes, if it is dynamic. Planned expiry is useful for time-limited offers, event tickets and one-off rewards. Common options:

• An end date. After the last day, scans show a message instead of the old offer. In CirculateQR, scanners see “This QR code has ended. The campaign or offer behind this code is over.”
• One-time codes. The first real scan claims the code and later scans are refused, which suits single-use vouchers. Link-preview bots in messaging apps don’t use the code up.
• Time windows. Rather than switching a code off, route scans by time so the same code shows a promotion during happy hour and the regular page the rest of the day.
• Pausing. Pause a code manually while a promotion is on hold, then switch it back on.