Do QR codes expire?
No QR code has an expiry date inside it: the pattern is just the text it holds. What can stop working is what that text points to. A static code with your own page works as long as the page exists. A dynamic code holds a vendor's short link and works as long as the vendor keeps forwarding it, which for many vendors depends on an active plan. Wi-Fi, contact, phone and text codes hold the content itself and have nothing to switch off.
By content type
Sample data: made-up contents, each run through the same code as the QR checker.
| Content | Example inside the code | Checker says | What can still break it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Web link | https://www.yourcafe.com/menu | Points straight to a website | The page is moved or taken down, or the domain lapses |
| Web link | https://qrco.de/bf4Y2u | Can be switched off by a QR vendor | The vendor stops forwarding it (for example when a plan ends) |
| Web link | https://example.com/qr/menu | Unknown: looks like a redirect we can't identify | Whoever runs the redirect changes or removes it |
| Wi-Fi network login | WIFI:T:WPA;S:Cafe Guest;P:pass1234;; | Can't expire: there is no link to switch off | The network name or password changes |
| Contact card | BEGIN:VCARD | Can't expire: there is no link to switch off | The phone number or e-mail in it changes |
| Phone number | tel:+15551234567 | Can't expire: there is no link to switch off | The number is disconnected |
| Plain text | Table 12 | Can't expire: there is no link to switch off | Nothing: the text is the content |
Static or dynamic, in one line each
Static: the address or content is printed into the pattern; nothing to renew, nothing to edit. Dynamic: the pattern holds a short link that a vendor forwards; editable and counted, and dependent on that vendor. To swap a dynamic code for a static one, use the replacement tool.
Frequently asked questions
- Do QR codes expire?
- The code itself never does. A dynamic code can stop working when the vendor stops forwarding it; a static code stops only if the page it opens goes away.
- Is there a QR code expiry date check?
- Not in the code: there is no date in the pattern. For a dynamic code the date that matters is in the vendor account (trial end, renewal). The checker tells you whether a vendor is involved and which one.
- Do free QR codes expire?
- Free static codes do not: nothing sits between the code and your page. Free dynamic codes are often tied to a trial or a free plan with limits, so read that vendor's terms.
- How long does a static QR code last?
- As long as the print is readable and the content is still right: the page exists, the Wi-Fi password is the same, the phone number still works.
More guides
- Is my QR code static or dynamic? How to tell
Read the link inside the code: a dynamic code holds a short link on a QR vendor's domain. The vendor domains we list, each with the vendor's own page.
- Why did my QR code stop working after the free trial?
Dynamic codes run through the vendor's server, and several vendors say trial codes are deactivated or paused when the trial ends. Their own words, and what to do.
- How to replace a dead QR code on printed menus, cards and signs
Find the page the code used to open, make a static code, size a sticker from the old code's width and cover it. Sticker sizes for common code widths.
Last updated 2026-09-30. Checks the link inside a QR code against a list of known redirect services. It cannot tell whether a code works today or when a plan ends. Vendor details come from each vendor's own help pages; check your account with them. Not affiliated with any QR code generator.