Do QR codes expire? Static vs dynamic codes
A QR code itself never expires. A static code stores your link inside the image, so a phone goes straight to it and there is nothing in between to switch off. What can stop working is a dynamic code: the image holds a short link belonging to the provider, and every scan passes through their server before reaching your page. When a subscription or free trial ends, the provider can stop forwarding those scans, and every printed copy stops with it.
What is the difference between static and dynamic codes?
It comes down to what is stored inside the image. Everything else follows from that.
| Static code | Dynamic code | |
|---|---|---|
| What the image holds | Your link or text, as is | The provider's short link |
| When scanned | The phone goes straight to your link | The phone goes to the provider, then to your link |
| Change the link after printing | No | Yes, in the provider's dashboard |
| Scan counts | Not counted by the generator (use UTM tags in your own analytics) | Counted by the provider |
| Can it stop working? | The image itself cannot | Yes, if the subscription or trial ends |
Swipe the table sideways
A static code does not keep a page alive. If you delete the page your code points to, the code still scans but the page will not load. Only the image is permanent.
Why do codes stop when a trial ends?
Because every scan depends on the provider's server, switching off the redirect switches off every printed copy at once. Providers describe this in their own help pages:
- QRFY's homepage (checked October 14, 2026, Korean version) lists static codes as free with no expiry, and dynamic codes as a 7-day free trial without a card, followed by a subscription.
- QRFY's help center (checked September 28, 2026) says that when the trial ends, dynamic codes are deactivated and redirect to a QRFY notice page. It says an email goes out 48 hours before.
- QR Code Generator's help center (checked September 28, 2026) also says dynamic codes are deactivated and sent to a notice page when the trial ends.
Not every free tool works this way. In an answer on the Adobe Community forum (checked September 28, 2026), Adobe staff explain that Adobe Express QR codes are static, so they have no expiry, fees or scan limits, and also no statistics or link editing.
How can I tell if my code is dynamic?
Scan it and look at the address that appears. If you see a short link on a provider's domain instead of the link you entered, it is a dynamic code.
- Read the printed code or a photo of it with the QR code scanner. It never opens the link by itself and shows "Where it really goes" in large type.
- Compare that with the link you meant to use. If you entered
https://example.com/menubut the code holds something likehttps://(provider-domain)/aB3xY9, scans pass through that provider. Well-known link shorteners get their own warning in the scanner. - For WiFi and contact codes, content that starts with
WIFI:orBEGIN:VCARDmeans the details are stored in the image. If a web address appears instead, the code goes through a hosted page.
Already printed? What to do now
- If it is dynamic, check your account first. Find out whether you are on a trial, when the plan renews, and what the provider's help page says happens at the end. As long as that print run is in use, the code depends on that provider.
- Next time, put an address you control in a static code. A field guide on DEV Community recommends pointing a code at an intermediate address you own rather than at the final destination. Use a page on your own site, such as
/menu; when things change, edit the page and leave the printed code alone. - Need scan counts? Add UTM tags. Staycode does not count scans, because scans never pass through it. Turn on UTM tags in the QR code generator and the link gets tags like the one below, so visits from the code show up separately in your own Google Analytics or similar tool.
https://example.com/menu?utm_source=qr&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=fall-flyer-2026The tags take the content from 24 to 84 bytes, which grows the pattern from 25×25 to 37×37 modules at error correction level M (generated with this site's encoder). More modules make small prints harder to scan, so see QR code print size before you shrink it.
Is a static code always the right choice?
For anything you print and leave in place for years, such as a menu, packaging, a sign or a business card, a static code pointing to a page you own avoids depending on anyone else. The trade-off is that the link inside cannot change, so choose it carefully. If you really need to change destinations without touching your own site, that is what dynamic services sell, and it is worth reading their trial and cancellation terms before you print.
Sources
- QRFY homepage (Korean version) (Last checked October 14, 2026)
- QRFY help: What happens to my account and QR codes when the trial expires (Last checked September 28, 2026)
- QR Code Generator help: What happens when the trial expires (Last checked September 28, 2026)
- Adobe Community: Do QR codes expire? (answer from Adobe staff) (Last checked September 28, 2026)
- DEV Community: Trustworthy QR codes, a field guide (Last checked September 28, 2026)