What happens to your QR codes when you stop paying?
Many people find out the hard way: the codes on their menus, flyers or packaging stop working when a free trial ends or a subscription lapses. We read the published help pages of five QR code providers so you can check before you print. Checked 26 September 2026.
Static codes can't be switched off
A static QR code stores the destination link in the pattern itself. No company sits in between, so it keeps working as long as the destination page exists, whichever generator you used. The trade-off: you can't edit it or count its scans.
A dynamic QR code stores a short link owned by the provider, which forwards people to your page. That's what makes editing and scan tracking possible, and it's also why the provider can switch it off. Everything below is about dynamic codes.
What five providers say in their own help pages
QR Code Generator PRO
Offers a 14-day free trial. Its help centre says dynamic QR codes are deactivated when the trial expires and reactivated if you upgrade. Source
QR TIGER
Its help centre says that when a paid plan expires, "All dynamic QR codes will become invalid". Dynamic codes on the free plan stop redirecting after 500 scans each. Source, free plan limits
Uniqode
Dynamic codes made during the free trial are deactivated when the trial ends, unless you upgrade that same account. On a paid plan, dynamic codes expire if the account is cancelled. Source, expiry policy
Hovercode
The free plan includes 3 dynamic codes that don't expire. If you subscribe, make more codes and later cancel, the codes beyond your first 3 become inactive, and codes on a custom domain stop working. Source, cancellation
QRtracer
New accounts get unlimited dynamic codes, Analytics and QR Studio for 30 days. Under the current plan policy, every code you made keeps redirecting and recording scans after the trial or a cancellation, and you can still change its destination. What stops without a paid plan is creating new dynamic codes, the Analytics dashboard and QR Studio. Pricing
Why providers do this
Running redirects costs money, and switching codes off is an effective way to make people pay: once a menu or a batch of packaging is printed, reprinting costs more than a subscription. That's a legitimate business model when it's explained up front. The problem is when it isn't, and the first sign is a customer telling you your code doesn't work.
Five questions to ask before you print
- Is this code static or dynamic? If you don't need edits or tracking, a static code avoids the question entirely.
- What happens when the trial ends? Look for the provider's help article, not the pricing page headline.
- What happens if I cancel a paid plan later? Some providers keep codes alive after a trial but not after cancelling, or the other way round.
- Is there a scan limit? A limit per code can switch it off at the worst moment, such as a busy event.
- Can I move the code? Codes on your own custom domain can be pointed elsewhere, but check whether the provider stops custom domains when you downgrade.
If your code has already stopped working
- Check the destination first: open the link on a computer. If the page itself is gone, the code isn't the problem.
- Check the provider account: reactivating the plan usually restores the same short link, so printed codes work again.
- Replace it on the next print run: if you don't want to depend on the provider, switch to a static code, or to a dynamic code from a provider whose policy you're comfortable with.
Our free QR code expiry checker shows where a code sends people and which service is behind it.
Common questions about expiring QR codes
Do static QR codes ever expire?▾
Why did my QR code stop working after the free trial?▾
Are these policies up to date?▾
What does QRtracer do after the trial?▾
Related guides
Will This QR Code Expire? Free QR Code Expiry Checker
Decode the QR payload, inspect accessible redirect hops, and use the result as a starting point for checking the provider and destination.
QR Code That Does Not Expire
Create a free static code for a fixed URL, or sign up to save a dynamic code whose destination can be changed later on every plan.
How to edit a QR code after printing
You can change where a printed QR code goes only if it's a dynamic code, which points to a short redirect link you control. A static code has the link stored in the pattern itself, so it can't be edited. Here's how to tell which one you have and what to do next.
Try QRtracer on your next print job
Make a free static code without an account, or test dynamic codes, Analytics and QR Studio free for 30 days.