QR Codes That Do Not Expire
People ask whether QR codes expire because they have been burned: a code printed on a thousand flyers stopped working when a free trial ended. The answer depends on the kind of code. A static code holds your link or text directly and cannot expire, because nothing stands between the code and the destination. A dynamic or hosted code points to a service, and it works only as long as that service keeps it active.
The name goes into the PDF exactly as typed; the on-screen color is an approximation and print output may differ.
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Create your QR code in three steps
- 01
For a website link that will not change, make a static URL code below. It is free, needs no account and never expires.
- 02
For a photo, a PDF or an audio file, create a free account and upload it. The code works while it is scanned at least once every 12 months.
- 03
If the code must keep working without anyone watching it, make it permanent once for $4.99. There is no subscription to forget.
Where people use it
Printed in large runs
Flyers, packaging and menus are expensive to reprint. Use a static code for a fixed link, or a permanent code if the destination may change.
Engraved or long lived
Plaques, labels on equipment and memorials should use a static code or a permanent code, never a trial.
One off personal codes
A card or a gift does not justify a monthly plan. A free code is enough, and a permanent one is a single small payment.
Do QR codes expire?
The pattern itself does not age. What can stop working is the link inside it. A static code contains the final destination, so it works as long as that destination exists. A dynamic code contains a short link owned by a QR service. If the service deactivates the short link, because a trial ended or a subscription was cancelled, every printed copy stops working.
How it works here
Static codes for links, text, Wi-Fi, contact cards and the other plain types are free, need no account and cannot expire. Codes that host a file for you start free. Free codes hold one file up to 5 MB and show a small “Made with qrforprint” line under your content. A free code stays active as long as it is scanned at least once every 12 months. For $4.99, paid once per code, the code becomes permanent: the line disappears, the inactivity rule no longer applies, you can swap the file later without reprinting, you see the scan count, files can be up to 20 MB, and the print pack is included. There is no subscription.
What permanent means
Permanent means no recurring fee and no inactivity rule for as long as qrforprint operates. It is not a promise that any online service will exist forever. For a destination that will never change, a static code is the most durable choice, because it does not depend on us at all.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Do free QR codes expire?＋
Static codes do not. A free hosted code on qrforprint stays active while it is scanned at least once every 12 months. We send a warning email before a code would go inactive.
Is there a subscription?＋
Not for permanent codes. A permanent code is $4.99, paid once for that code.
How do I tell whether my code is static or dynamic?＋
Scan it and look at the address that opens first. If it is your own destination, the code is static. If it is a short link on a QR service, the code is dynamic and depends on that service.