Static vs Dynamic QR Codes: Which Ones Expire?
Static QR codes never expire: the content (a menu link, WiFi details) is encoded in the image itself. A dynamic QR code only holds the provider's short link, which redirects to your destination, so it stops working if the provider switches it off or a subscription is not paid. QR Gratis only makes static QR codes.
What is a static QR code?
A static code encodes the real content: https://yourshop.example/menu is literally stored in the pattern. A phone reads the pattern and opens your link directly, with nothing in between, so nobody can switch it off.
What is a dynamic QR code?
A dynamic code encodes the provider's short link, for example https://qr-provider.example/r/8Fj2k. When scanned, the provider's server redirects to your destination. The upside: you can change the destination after printing and the provider can count scans. The catch: the code depends on that provider forever.
The "free dynamic QR" trap
Many services offer a free QR code that turns out to be dynamic. After a trial (often 7–14 days) or a scan limit, the redirect is disabled and you are asked to subscribe, by which time the code may already be printed on flyers, packaging or table stickers. Warning signs: you must create an account to download, and the link your camera shows is not your own domain.
How to check which one you have
- Scan the code with your phone camera, but don't open the link.
- Look at the link preview.
- If it is your own domain (or the address you typed), it is static. If it is the QR service's domain, it is dynamic.
Which should you choose?
Choose static for almost everything: menus, WiFi, WhatsApp, business cards, packaging. If the content needs to change, point the static code at a page you own (say yourshop.example/menu) and edit that page whenever you like. You get the same flexibility as a dynamic code without depending on a third party.
Frequently asked questions
Do QR codes expire?
Static QR codes cannot expire, because the content is in the image itself. Dynamic QR codes can, because they depend on the provider's redirect server.
Can a QR code from QR Gratis stop working?
Not because of us. QR Gratis makes static codes that contain your link directly. A code only stops working if the destination you entered (your website, for example) goes away.
How do I change where a static QR code points after printing?
Point it at a page you own and change that page. The printed pattern never needs to change.