Do QR Codes Expire? Static vs Dynamic, Canva, Adobe and Bitly
A QR code image never expires, but the link behind a dynamic code can stop. When codes stop working, what Canva, Adobe Express and Bitly say, and how to avoid it.
A QR code doesn't expire. The pattern of squares is printed data, and a phone can read it as long as the print is readable. What can stop is what the code points to. A static QR code holds its content directly, so it works for as long as that content does, for example as long as the website it opens is online. A dynamic QR code holds a short link on the provider's servers, and it stops when the provider stops redirecting: a subscription or trial ends, a scan limit is reached, someone sets an expiration date, or the link is deleted.
What the vendors below say comes from their own pages, read on October 29, 2026 unless noted.
Static and dynamic QR codes: which ones can stop
A static code encodes the destination itself, such as a URL, a Wi-Fi network or a contact card. No server sits in between, so there is nothing to switch off. The catch is that you can't change it: a new destination means a new code.
A dynamic code encodes a short link. When someone scans it, the provider's server sends them on to the destination you chose, which is why you can change the destination after printing and count scans. It also means the code works only while the provider keeps that short link active. Our guide to static vs dynamic QR codes explains when each one fits.
Why dynamic QR codes stop working
These are the usual reasons, with what the providers say:
- The subscription or trial ends. Some providers deactivate dynamic codes when you stop paying. Uniqode's FAQ, read on October 28, 2026, says QR codes become inactive when you cancel and that dynamic codes stop redirecting when a free trial ends without an upgrade. Our Uniqode pricing breakdown has the details.
- A scan limit is reached. QR Code Generator PRO's help center (updated April 28, 2026) says: "With our Starter Plan, each QR Code can be scanned a maximum amount of 10.000 times. After that, if you wish to keep your QR Code active you will have to subscribe to a superior plan." QR TIGER's help center (updated September 1, 2025) says dynamic codes on its Freemium plan have a scan limit, and "Once this limit is reached, the QR code becomes inactive."
- Someone set an expiration date. Canva, Bitly and CodeQR all let you set one on dynamic codes.
- The link was deleted. Bitly says that when you delete a link, anyone "scanning a QR Code associated with it will get a 404 error message."
- The destination is gone. The code still redirects, but to a page that no longer exists. With a dynamic code you can point it somewhere else; with a static code you have to reprint.
Do Canva QR codes expire?
Not unless you set a date. Canva's help article answers the question directly: "Do my QR codes expire? Not unless you set one." Expiry dates are available on dynamic QR codes on Canva Business, Canva Enterprise and Canva for Nonprofit, and "Without an expiry date, your QR code never expires." When a dynamic code expires without a redirect URL, Canva says "the code redirects to Canva's generic QR code error page" once it expires. Canva's static codes "can't be edited after creation as their link is fixed for good."
Do Adobe Express QR codes expire?
No. Adobe's QR code generator page says "QR codes created with Adobe Express never expire" and that "Adobe Express generates static QR codes". Because they are static, they keep working as long as the link inside them does, and you can't change the destination after printing.
Do Bitly QR codes expire?
Not by default. Bitly's help center (updated February 11, 2026) says: "Bitly Links never expire. You can, however, set your links and QR Codes to expire." A Bitly QR code follows its link, so it stops if the link is deleted or reaches an expiration date someone set.
How to choose a QR code generator with no expiration
- For content that never changes, such as Wi-Fi details or a page that will always stay at the same address, a static code is enough and needs no account.
- For a dynamic code, read what happens when you stop paying: do codes keep redirecting, or do they go inactive?
- Check for scan limits per code or per plan, and what happens when you reach them.
- Check who can set an expiration date, so a code doesn't expire because of a setting nobody remembers.
- Keep the destination alive: even a code that never expires needs a page at the other end.
How CodeQR handles QR code expiration
CodeQR makes both kinds of code. Static codes, such as Wi-Fi and contact cards, hold their content and don't depend on CodeQR to work. Dynamic codes have no expiration date unless you add one. From the Starter plan up, you can set an expiration date and an expired URL where people land afterwards.
Going over a plan's limits doesn't switch a code off. When a paid plan ends, the workspace returns to the Free plan and your dynamic QR codes keep redirecting; what changes is the limits and the paid features, as this help article explains. And because the codes are dynamic, you can change the destination after printing.
What to do if a printed QR code stopped working
- Scan it and look at where you land: an error page from the provider, a "code expired" page, or the right page with an error.
- Log in to the account that made it and check the plan, any scan limit and any expiration date.
- If the code is dynamic and the account is active, point it to a working destination.
- If the provider has switched it off for good, or you can't get into the account, the only fix is a new code and a reprint. Make the new one dynamic, with a provider whose codes keep redirecting when plans change.
QR code expiration questions
The QR code image never expires. A static code works as long as its content does. A dynamic code works as long as its provider keeps redirecting it, which can stop when a plan or trial ends, a scan limit is reached, an expiration date passes or the link is deleted.