Do QR codes expire?
Static QR codes never expire. Dynamic ones depend on the service behind them. Here is exactly what expires, what does not, and how to avoid printing something that stops working.
This is the most common worry people have before printing a QR code, and the honest answer has two halves. A static code will outlive you. A dynamic code lives exactly as long as the service running it.
Static codes do not expire
A static QR code has your data physically encoded in the pattern. The black and white squares are the destination. Nothing is looked up, no server is involved, and nobody can switch it off.
Scan a static Wi-Fi code in ten years and it still hands over the password, because the password is in the ink. The only ways it stops working are the physical ones: the paper fades, the sticker peels, or somebody prints it too small.
Dynamic codes depend on a service
A dynamic code encodes a short link owned by a QR platform. Scanning it hits that platform, which looks up where you told it to point and forwards the visitor there.
That indirection is what lets you change the destination after printing. It is also the dependency: if the platform shuts down, stops paying its bills, or cancels your account, every code you printed goes dead at once.
Three things that actually kill a dynamic code
- 1.Your subscription lapses. Most providers deactivate dynamic codes when you stop paying, which turns printed material into litter.
- 2.You hit a scan limit. Several platforms cap monthly scans on lower tiers and stop redirecting past the cap.
- 3.The provider disappears. Smaller QR services close regularly, and their short links go with them.
Which should you print?
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Wi-Fi password on a guest room card | Static — the password rarely changes and you want zero dependency |
| A restaurant menu | Dynamic — prices and dishes change constantly |
| Contact details on a business card | Static — reprinting cards is cheap and you avoid the dependency |
| A campaign poster or billboard | Dynamic — you cannot reprint a billboard |
| Product packaging with a long shelf life | Dynamic, from a provider you trust to still exist |
How to protect yourself
- For anything printed at volume, prefer a provider whose free tier includes dynamic codes — a code that dies when a card expires is a bad foundation.
- Point dynamic codes at a page you control rather than a third-party URL, so you keep the option to change hosting.
- Keep a record of every code, where it points, and where it was printed. Rediscovering that after the fact is painful.
- Test a printed sample before a full run. Ink bleed and paper stock ruin more codes than expiry ever will.
QRFable does not expire dynamic codes on the free plan and does not cap scans. Static codes are unlimited and free forever, because there is nothing to run — they are just an image.
Common questions
- Do QR codes have a time limit?
- Not inherently. Static codes have no expiry mechanism at all. Dynamic codes can be given an expiry by the provider, and some platforms deactivate them when a subscription ends.
- Will my QR code stop working if I stop paying?
- With most providers, dynamic codes stop redirecting when you downgrade or cancel. Static codes are unaffected because no service is involved.
- How long does a printed QR code last?
- As long as it stays legible. Laminated indoor codes last years; outdoor codes fade with UV exposure. Print with strong contrast and avoid glossy finishes in direct sun.