No. A static QR code does not expire. Its information is stored in the pattern itself, so nothing has to stay online for the code to work. A dynamic QR code can stop working. Its pattern holds a short link to the provider's server, and if that service switches off its redirect, for example when a free trial or subscription ends, the printed code no longer reaches your destination.
This guide explains why, how to tell which kind you have, what to do when a printed code fails, and how to avoid the problem on your next print run.
Why static QR codes cannot expire
A static QR code holds its data directly in its pattern of dark and light squares. When a phone scans it, the phone reads the data from the code itself. No server sits in the middle, so no service can be switched off.
The same design means a static code cannot be edited after it is printed. The pattern is the data, so a new destination needs a new code. Nobody can track scans of a static code either.
A static code made with 77-3.com keeps working even if this site disappears, because nothing sits between the scan and the destination. Read our never-expires promise for what we commit to.
What a static code cannot do is rescue a dead page. If the page it points to is taken down, a scan will fail, so keep the destination online.
Why dynamic QR codes can stop working
A dynamic QR code works differently. Its pattern holds a short link to the provider's server, and that server redirects each scan to the real destination. Because every scan goes through the provider, the destination can be edited later and scans can be counted.
That same design is the weak point. The provider can stop the redirect, and some QR services document that dynamic codes stop working when a free trial or subscription ends. The code is still on the poster, but scans no longer reach your page.
How to tell which kind you have
You cannot reliably tell by looking at the pattern, so check the link instead. Scan the code with your phone and read the address before you open it. If your camera app shows the address first, look at it closely.
If the address is a short link on a QR company's domain, not on your own website, the code is probably dynamic. A short link is a clue, not proof, because a static code can also point to a short link. If you made the code yourself, check your records for the tool you used and whether it came with a trial or subscription.
What to do if a printed code stopped working
First rule out a print problem. Scan the printed code again and check it for scuffs, fading or folds. Error correction helps a code survive some damage: level L recovers about 7% of damaged data, M about 15%, Q about 25% and H about 30%. No error correction level can fix a redirect that has been switched off.
If the code is dynamic and the redirect is off, work through these steps in order.
- Contact the provider. Ask whether the account is active and whether the redirect can be turned back on.
- If the account is closed, nothing can be repaired on the printed code. The only fix is a new code and a reprint.
- For the future, use a static code that points to a page you control.
If a static code fails, look at the print and the destination page. A static code has no provider that can switch it off.
When a dynamic code is still the right choice
Dynamic codes have real uses. If you need to change the destination after printing, or you need to count scans, a dynamic code can do what a static code cannot. 77-3.com makes static codes only, so it cannot change where a printed code points or count scans. For a side-by-side comparison, see static vs dynamic QR codes.
If you choose a dynamic code, read the provider's terms before you print. Find out what happens to your codes when a trial ends or a subscription lapses, and how to reach the provider if something goes wrong.
How to reduce the risk
Point the dynamic code at a page on your own website, not at a page on the provider's site. When the offer changes, update that page and leave the printed code alone. The destination stays under your control.
This does not remove the dependency. The redirect still runs through the provider, so a lapsed subscription can still break the code. For a code that matters, decide in advance what you would do if it stopped working, such as printing a static code that points to the same page.
Checklist before you print
- Decide whether you need a static code, which never expires but cannot be edited, or a dynamic code, which can be edited and counted but depends on a provider.
- Write down where the code points. For a dynamic code, also write down when the trial or subscription ends.
- Confirm the destination is a page you control and will stay online.
- Use dark squares on a light background. Light-on-dark codes do not scan on some older scanner apps.
- Keep a blank margin around the code. The standard calls for 4 modules, the small squares that make up the code. Many codes still scan with less, but do not go below 2.
- Print at least 2 cm (about 0.8 inch) wide, and larger for longer content. Our QR code size guide covers print size and placement.
- Download an SVG for print, since it is vector and stays sharp at any size.
- Test-scan with a phone before you print a large run.
Make a static code now
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