Free QR codes that never expire, and how to check before you print

A QR code that stops working after you have printed it is worse than no QR code at all. Menus, flyers, packaging and signs can't be updated, so the code has to keep working for as long as the print is around.

Two kinds of QR code

Static codes store the destination inside the pattern itself. They never expire, because nothing sits between the scanner and your link. The catch: you can't change the link or count scans, and a long link makes a dense code that is harder to scan.

Dynamic codes store a short link that redirects to your destination. That lets you count scans and, on most services, change the destination after printing. The catch: the redirect runs on the provider's server, so the code works only as long as the provider keeps that redirect switched on.

Almost every complaint about QR codes "expiring" is about dynamic codes made during a free trial.

How trials switch codes off

Several popular generators let you make dynamic codes during a free trial and pause them when the trial ends. QR.io, for example, says in its help centre that "Dynamic QR codes will be paused" when its 7-day trial expires, and reactivated if you upgrade.

That is a legitimate business model, but it is easy to miss when you are in a hurry to print.

Five questions to ask before you print

1. Is there a free plan, or only a free trial? A trial has an end date. A free plan doesn't.
2. What happens to my codes when the trial or plan ends? Look for the answer in the help centre, not just the pricing page.
3. Is there a scan limit, and what happens when I hit it? Some plans stop redirecting, some only stop counting.
4. Does the code show the provider's branding or an ad before the destination?
5. Can I download a high-resolution file (PNG at 1024 px or more, or SVG)? Print needs it.

What Cheetags does

• Free plan, not a trial. You can keep one QR code free for as long as you like. No credit card.
• Codes keep redirecting. A code within your plan's limit always redirects, however many people scan it. On the free plan, scans above 500 a month still redirect; they just aren't counted until the next month.
• No ads or pop-ups between the scan and your destination.
• Scan check before you download. Cheetags tests every design and warns you, or blocks the download, if the code may not scan.
• Fair downgrades. If you move to a smaller plan, codes over the new limit keep working for 7 more days, and we email you first. Nothing is deleted.

On the free plan the destination is fixed. Changing where a code points after printing needs a paid plan, from €4 or $4 a month.

If a code already stopped working

See why your QR code stopped working, and how to fix it.