The short answer
A QR code cannot expire. It is a printed pattern of squares, and the pattern means the same thing forever. What can stop working is what the code points to — and with one very common kind of code, what it points to is a server you do not control.
There are two kinds of QR code, and the difference decides whether yours will still work in five years.
Static codes: the content is in the pattern
A static QR code encodes your content directly. A static URL code contains https://yourbakery.example/menu. A static WiFi code contains your network name and password. A static contact code contains the whole contact card.
Scanning a static code needs nothing but the phone. There is no lookup, no redirect, no third party. So a static code keeps working as long as:
- the destination still exists (your web page is not deleted, your WiFi password has not changed), and
- the print is still physically legible.
That is it. The company that generated it could go out of business the next day and nothing would change. Every code generated on Qrfast.io is static for exactly this reason.
Dynamic codes: the content is on someone's server
A dynamic QR code encodes a short link on the generator's own domain — something like https://short.vendor.example/a8Kx2. When someone scans it, their phone visits that short link, the vendor's server looks up where you told it to go, and redirects the visitor there.
This indirection is what makes dynamic codes useful: you can change the destination after printing, and the vendor can count every scan. It is also what makes them fragile. The code works only while:
- the vendor's redirect service is running,
- your account is active and in good standing,
- your plan's scan limits have not been reached, and
- the vendor still exists.
Where the "expired QR code" complaints come from
Search for "QR code stopped working" and you find a consistent story. Someone used a well-known generator, printed codes on menus, flyers or packaging, and months later customers started reporting that scans led to an error page or a prompt to upgrade.
The common pattern behind those stories is a free trial of a dynamic code service. The site lets you create and download a code without paying, but the code is dynamic. When the trial ends, the redirect stops working — and the printed code, which is just a short link to the vendor, goes with it.
Nothing about this is hidden in the terms, but it is easy to miss when the page says "free QR code generator" in large type. The printed materials are already out in the world by the time anyone notices.
Some services also pause dynamic codes that exceed a monthly scan allowance, or delete codes on inactive free accounts. Read the plan limits before you print anything with a dynamic code on it.
How to tell which kind of code you have
Scan it, and look at the URL your phone shows before you tap through:
| What the phone shows | What you have |
|---|---|
Your own domain, e.g. yourbakery.example/menu |
Static URL code, or a dynamic code on your own domain |
| A short domain you do not recognise, belonging to a QR service | Dynamic code controlled by that service |
| "Join network", a contact card, or a calendar event | Static code — these formats cannot be dynamic |
You can also decode it with any scanner app that shows raw content. If the raw text is a short link on a QR vendor's domain, the code depends on that vendor.
If you discover your printed codes are dynamic and you are on a trial, act before it ends: generate static replacements now and plan the reprint, or decide whether the subscription is worth keeping.
Do I actually need a dynamic code?
Dynamic codes solve two real problems. Here is how often each actually applies.
"I need to change where it points after printing." Real for campaign material whose landing page changes, or for product packaging with a multi-year life where the URL might move. Not real for a WiFi code (just reprint when the password changes), a vCard (reprint when details change), or a menu PDF (keep the same URL and replace the file behind it).
"I need scan statistics." Usually solvable without a dynamic code. Add campaign parameters to a static URL — ?utm_source=flyer&utm_medium=qr — and your existing analytics will count the visits. That gives you visits, not raw scans, but visits are what you actually care about.
The better option: an editable code you own
If you genuinely need to change the destination later, do not rent the redirect — own it.
- Pick a short path on your own domain, such as
yourbakery.example/m. - Set it up as a redirect to the real destination. Most website builders, hosting control panels and CMSs can do this in a minute; on a typical server it is a single line of configuration.
- Encode
yourbakery.example/min a static QR code and print it.
You now have everything a dynamic code offers — change the redirect whenever you like, see visits in your own analytics — with no vendor between you and your customers, no scan limits, and no subscription that can switch your codes off. The only dependency is your own domain, which you were going to keep anyway.
Other reasons a QR code stops working
When a code fails, expiry is rarely the cause. Check these first:
- The destination moved. A website redesign that changed URLs breaks every printed code pointing at the old ones. Keep redirects from old URLs in place.
- The file was replaced at a new address. Upload the new PDF menu to the same URL rather than a new one.
- The WiFi password changed. The old password is baked into the code. Generate and print a new one.
- Physical damage. Fading, scratches, water damage and peeling stickers eventually beat even high error correction. Outdoor codes need replacing periodically.
- Someone covered it. A sticker placed over a legitimate code is a known scam technique — see our guide to QR code scams.
Frequently asked questions
Do QR codes expire?
No. The code is a fixed pattern and never expires. A static code works as long as its destination exists. A dynamic code works only as long as the vendor's redirect service keeps serving it, which can end when a trial or subscription does.
How long does a static QR code last?
Indefinitely. The content is encoded in the image itself, so the code depends on nothing but its destination and its physical condition.
Why did my free QR code stop working?
Almost always because it was a dynamic code from a service whose free trial or plan ended, so its redirect stopped. The other common causes are a deleted or moved destination page and a changed WiFi password.
Can I make a QR code that never expires?
Yes — any static QR code. Every code generated on Qrfast.io is static and contains your content directly, so it cannot be switched off by us or anyone else.
Can I edit a static QR code?
Not the code itself. But if you encode a short URL on your own domain and point that URL at the real destination, you can change the redirect at any time, which gives you an editable code you fully control.
Can I track scans on a static QR code?
You can track visits. Add UTM parameters to the URL you encode, such as utm_source=poster and utm_medium=qr, and your web analytics will attribute those visits to the code.
Further reading
- GS1 Digital Link: QR codes on products, explained — How GS1 Digital Link puts a product's GTIN, batch and expiry into a QR code that both checkouts and phones can read, what Sunrise 2027 means for brands, and how to build one correctly.
- How QR codes work, from pattern to payload — A clear technical walkthrough of a QR code: the finder and timing patterns, how text becomes bits in each encoding mode, Reed–Solomon error correction, masking, and how a phone reads it.
- How to scan a QR code on any device — Scan QR codes with the built-in camera on iPhone and Android, from a screenshot or photo, on a Windows or Mac computer — and what to do when a code will not scan.
- QR code design: how to customise without breaking it — Which colours, logos, dot styles and print finishes keep a branded QR code scannable — with the contrast numbers, logo limits and pre-print checklist designers need.