It's the question everyone asks before printing a QR code on something permanent — a menu, a sign, a thousand business cards. The short answer depends entirely on which kind of code you made.
The two kinds of QR code
Every QR code is one of two types, and the difference is the whole answer to this question.
Static QR codes — permanent
A static code holds its information directly inside the pattern. When you scan it, your phone reads the link or text straight from the squares themselves. Nothing else is involved — no server, no account, no company in the middle. Because the data lives in the code, a static code works forever. Print it, laminate it, carve it in stone — it'll still scan in ten years, even if the tool that made it vanishes.
Dynamic QR codes — can expire
A dynamic code doesn't hold your real link. Instead it holds a short redirect address that points to a company's server, which then forwards the scan to your actual destination. That indirection is useful — it lets you change where the code points after printing, and track scans — but it comes with a catch: the code only works as long as that company keeps the redirect alive. If the service shuts down, or you stop paying your subscription, or the free trial ends, every printed code goes dead at once.
So which should you use?
For anything you print and want to last, use a static code. Menus, business cards, signage, packaging, WiFi codes, contact cards — all of these should be static so they never break.
A dynamic code only makes sense when you genuinely need to change the destination later or track scan counts — for example, a marketing campaign where the landing page might move. Even then, understand you're signing up for an ongoing dependency: the code lives only as long as the service does.
How to make a code that never expires
QRcritter makes static codes by design. Whatever you create — a link, WiFi login, contact card, email, or phone code — the information is encoded directly into the pattern. Once you download it, it's yours, it works forever, and it doesn't depend on QRcritter or anyone else staying online.
- No expiry. Ever.
- No account or subscription. Nothing to lapse.
- No tracking of your code's contents. It's generated right in your browser.
One printing tip that pairs with permanence: download the SVG for anything printed large or professionally, since it scales to any size without blurring. Use the PNG for screens and small prints.
Quick answers
Do QR codes have a time limit?
Static codes have no time limit at all. Only dynamic codes tied to a paid service can be given expiry dates.
Will a printed QR code stop working on its own?
A static code won't. The only things that stop a printed static code from scanning are physical damage or poor print quality — not age.
Are free QR codes safe to use long-term?
Free static codes are completely safe long-term. Be cautious with free dynamic codes, which can expire when a free plan ends.
Make a code that lasts forever
Free static QR codes — no signup, no expiry, no catch.
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