Do QR codes expire?

Short answer: a static QR code never expires — the data is physically part of the pattern, like ink on paper. But three things people call "my QR code expired" absolutely do happen. Know which you are holding.

1. The code is fine — the destination died

The most common "expiry": the code still decodes perfectly, but the page it points to moved. The menu PDF was replaced (new URL), the website was rebuilt, the Linktree was deleted. Nothing in the code changed; the world behind it did.

2. Subscription dynamic codes are deactivated

Most dynamic-QR platforms are subscriptions. Stop paying QR-Code-Generator.com or similar, and every code you printed is switched off at the redirect server — scans hit a dead or upsell page. Trials are worse: codes made in a 7–14 day trial die at trial end. If you have ever heard "my QR codes stopped working after two weeks", that is what happened. Our editable codes are the counter-model: £10 once, no subscription to lapse, promised for as long as we trade.

3. Platform codes with built-in lifespans

Some apps mint deliberately temporary codes: WeChat group codes expire after 7 days, WhatsApp web-login codes in about a minute, some ticket codes after the event. That is the platform's design, not QR expiry.

What this means for print

Anything engraved, signwritten or printed in volume should either encode a URL you permanently control, or be an editable code you can repoint. Never print a trial platform's code, a raw Drive file link, or anything with someone else's domain in it that you do not control.

The checklist before a big print run

• Does the code point at a domain you own or a redirect you control?
• If the destination moved tomorrow, could you fix it without reprinting?
• Have you test-scanned the final printed proof?

Codes made on this site are static and free forever — make one now — and the £10 editable version covers everything you print at scale.