QR codes that never expire
If a QR code on your flyers or menus suddenly opens an "upgrade your plan" page, it was almost certainly a dynamic code from a subscription service. Here is how the two kinds differ and how to avoid that.
Static QR codes
A static code stores the actual content inside the pattern: your URL, the WiFi network details, or the contact card. A phone reads the pattern and goes straight to the content. Nothing sits in between, so there is nothing to expire or shut down. The QR format itself has no expiry date.
Dynamic QR codes
A dynamic code stores a short link that belongs to the QR service (something like a short redirect address). When someone scans it, the service looks up where to send them. That allows two things: scan statistics, and changing the destination after printing. But it also means the code depends on the service. If the trial ends, the subscription lapses, or the company closes, the short link stops redirecting, and every printed copy breaks at once.
Which should you use?
- Static for business cards, restaurant menus, product packaging, event posters, WiFi signs and anything printed in bulk or meant to last.
- Dynamic only if you genuinely need to change the destination after printing or need scan analytics, and you are prepared to keep paying for as long as the codes are in circulation.
How to tell what kind of code you have
Scan it and look at the address the phone shows before opening it. If it is your own website, it is static. If it is a short domain belonging to a QR company, it is dynamic. You can also check the service's terms: many "free" generators state that codes stop working when a trial ends.
A static code still needs a live destination
A static code keeps working only as long as what it points to works. To make it last:
- Point to a page on a domain you control and plan to renew, rather than a temporary campaign page.
- Prefer a simple, permanent path such as
/menuthat you can update in place, instead of a dated URL you will delete later. - If you move your site, set up a redirect from the old address so printed codes still land somewhere useful.
This gets you most of the benefit of a dynamic code (you can change what visitors see by editing that page) without depending on a QR company.
Getting analytics without a dynamic code
If you want to know how many people scanned a code, add a short UTM parameter to the URL, for example ?utm_source=menu. Your own website analytics will count those visits, and the code stays static.
Making a static code in QRSnap
- Choose the content type and enter your URL or details.
- Pick error correction (M is a good default; Q or H for stickers and outdoor use).
- Download PNG or SVG. There is no account, and the code is generated in your browser.