Here's the user story nobody tells you when they're selling you a "free" QR code:
You generate a free QR pointing to your shop's menu. You print 500 flyers. Two weeks in, scanners get a "This QR has expired — please upgrade" page. Your 500 flyers are now garbage.
Let's break down how this happens and how to avoid it.
Why free QRs expire
Most "free" QR codes from major generators are actually dynamic under the hood. The QR doesn't encode your URL — it encodes the generator's short link (generator.com/xyz), which redirects to your URL.
Why? Because dynamic QRs are what they sell — and the free tier is a way to get you hooked. Once you've used the dynamic version and need its features, you upgrade. Or your QRs expire.
The free tier typically has:
- A scan count limit (e.g., "1,000 scans then it stops working")
- A time limit ("free for 14 days, then upgrade")
- Or simply: at the platform's discretion, links get expired
Static QRs don't expire
A truly static QR encodes the URL directly. There's no service in the loop to expire anything. If your destination URL stays alive, the QR works forever.
But static QRs can't be edited. If the destination URL changes, you reprint.
What happens when expiration hits
You usually don't notice until someone tells you. A customer scans your flyer, gets a "this QR is no longer active" page (often with the generator's upsell), and either tells you or just walks away.
By the time you find out, you've potentially lost hundreds of scans, customers, leads.
How to prevent it
- Read the fine print of any "free" generator before printing. Search for words like "expire," "trial," "scan limit."
- Use truly static QRs when you don't need destination editing — every free generator can produce one if you find the right option.
- Pay a small amount once for a guaranteed lifetime. OneDollarQRcodes charges $1 for a 3-year guarantee in writing — no scan limits, no surprise expiration.
- Set a calendar reminder for any QR you don't own outright. Check it twice a year. If it stops scanning, you can repoint or replace before customers notice.
The recovery move
If you've already printed materials with a QR that's now expired, you have three options:
- Re-encode the same URL with a new QR (different image) and stick patches over the old ones. Annoying.
- Forward the expired short link by registering with the same generator and recreating the code. Sometimes possible.
- Reprint. Expensive.
The cost of the third option is what makes paying a small amount upfront for a guarantee worthwhile.