My QR code expired after a free trial. What now?
A QR code is a pattern of squares. The pattern itself cannot expire. When a code "expires", what actually ends is a service standing between the code and your destination. Knowing that makes both the fix and the prevention simple.
What "expired" really means for a QR code
The code you downloaded contains a short link on the generator's domain. During the trial, that link forwards to your page. When the trial ends, the generator stops forwarding it, or forwards it to a page asking you to pay. The squares on your flyer did not change; the forwarding did.
Codes that can expire, and codes that cannot
Dynamic codes can expire, because they depend on a running service and usually on an active account. Static codes cannot expire. They contain the destination itself — your web address, phone number, Wi-Fi details or contact card — so there is no service to stop. The only way a static code stops working is if the destination itself goes away, such as a website you close.
Fixing codes you have already printed
Downloading the same code again will not help: it contains the same short link. Your options are to pay the provider, to put a sticker with a new static code over the old one, or to reprint. If you use stickers, make them large enough to cover the old code and its white border completely, and test the result with two different phones before sticking them on every copy.
Signs a generator will do this to you
Be careful if a site asks for an account or email before you can download, talks about a "trial", calls its codes "dynamic" or "trackable" without explaining the catch, or shows scan statistics for a free code. Scan counts are only possible when scans pass through their server. The one-minute test: scan the file you downloaded and read the address in the preview. If it is not your own destination, the code depends on them.
Frequently asked questions
Why did I get an email saying my QR code will expire?
Because the code you made is a dynamic code tied to a trial account. The email is warning you that the forwarding behind the code will stop when the trial ends.
Can I download my QR code again for free?
You can often download the image again, but it contains the same short link, so it will stop working in the same way. Make a new static code instead.
Is a free static QR code good enough for print?
Yes. For anything whose destination does not change, a static code is the most reliable option there is, because nothing sits between the print and the destination.
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