It depends entirely on one thing: whether the code stores the destination itself, or points at a redirect service that someone has to keep paying for.
Short answer: a static QR code never expires. It contains the destination data inside the pattern and needs no server, so it works as long as the destination exists. A dynamic QR code expires when the subscription behind its redirect lapses — the printed code stays intact, but the link it points to stops resolving.
A static QR code is self-contained. The URL, text, Wi-Fi password or contact record is encoded directly into the black and white modules. Scanning it is a purely local operation: the phone reads the pattern and acts on the data. Nothing is looked up online, so there is no service that can be switched off, no account that can lapse and no bill that can go unpaid.
This is why a static code printed on a building sign in 2015 still works today. The only things that can break it are physical (the sign falling apart) or external to the code (the website it points at going offline).
A dynamic QR code contains a short redirect address such as qr.example.com/x7Kd2 rather than your real destination. When someone scans it, the provider's server looks up that ID and forwards the visitor to wherever you have configured. That indirection is what lets you change the destination after printing and count scans.
The consequence is dependency. If the subscription ends, the redirect service stops answering, and the printed code becomes a dead link. The pattern on the paper is unchanged — but it no longer leads anywhere. This is the single most important trade-off in the QR industry, and it is rarely stated plainly.
Scan the code with your phone and look at the address that appears:
| Cause | Affects static | Affects dynamic | Fixable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscription cancelled | No | Yes | Only by resubscribing |
| Destination page deleted | Yes | Yes | Yes — restore the page or add a redirect |
| Domain name lapses | Yes | Yes | Renew the domain |
| Physical damage or fading | Yes | Yes | Reprint |
| Printed too small or low contrast | Yes | Yes | Reprint correctly |
| Provider shuts down | No | Yes | No |
Some providers advertise codes that "never expire". Read the terms. If the code is dynamic, the promise normally means the company intends to keep running the redirect, not that it is technically incapable of stopping. A company can be acquired, restructured or shut down. Static codes do not depend on that promise at all, which is a stronger guarantee than any contract.
No. Static codes have no scan limit because no server counts them. Dynamic codes can be capped on lower plans.
No. The pattern is fixed once printed. You would need to generate a new code and replace the printed material.
Only dynamic codes. A static code is decoded entirely on the phone and does not contact the company at all.
Indoors on paper, years. Outdoors, expect fading within a couple of years unless it is printed with UV-resistant ink or protected behind glass or laminate.
No. The QR standard has no expiry field. Any expiry comes from the redirect service, not the code.
Static, permanent, free. No account, no redirect, nothing to renew.
Create a free QR code