Why did my QR code stop working?
Four checks, in order, tell you whose code it is, why it stopped and what you can still do without reprinting.
A printed QR code usually stops working for one of four reasons: it was an editable code whose trial or subscription ended, the page it points to was moved or deleted, the print is damaged or too small, or the domain behind the short link stopped answering. The pattern itself does not expire; the service or page behind it does. Scan the code with the checker on this page to read the link inside it. That link tells you whose code it is, and whether it can be fixed without reprinting.
Four checks, in this order
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Whose code is it?
Scan the code below and read the link. If it starts with your own website, it is a fixed code that holds the address itself. If it starts with a short-link domain you do not recognise, it is an editable code run by the company that made it.
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What state is the account in?
For an editable code, sign in to the account that made it. A trial that ended, a cancelled plan or a failed payment stops the code, and many services then show a deactivated page instead of your site.
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Is the destination still there?
Open the decoded link on a computer. If your own page shows an error or a not-found message, the code is fine and the page behind it moved.
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Does the domain still answer?
If the code runs on your own domain, check that the domain is renewed and that its DNS record still points to the service. An expired domain or a deleted record stops every code on it at once.
Scan the code here
Use the camera or upload a photo of the printed code. It is decoded on your device, nothing is uploaded, and the link is shown as text, never opened.
The usual causes
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The trial or plan ended
The most common case. Editable codes forward only while their plan is active, so a code made on a free trial stops when the trial does, often weeks after the print run.
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The page behind it moved
Website rebuilds, new shop systems and expired campaign pages leave codes pointing at nothing. The code is fine; the address inside it is gone.
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The print is the problem
Codes printed too small, in low contrast, on glossy or curved material, or partly covered by a sticker fail on some phones. Scan the printed copy, not the file.
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The domain lapsed
Codes on a domain that was not renewed, or whose DNS record was changed during a website move, stop answering all at once.
Fix it with the company that made it
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Reactivate the account
If the trial or plan ended, the quickest fix is usually to reactivate with that company. Check the price and the billing period before you pay.
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Ask for an export or a redirect
Ask their support for a list of your codes and destinations, and whether they will point the short link at your site for good. Some will; get the answer in writing.
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Read their lapse rules first
Our lapse-rules tracker quotes what common vendors say happens to codes when you stop paying, with the source for each row.
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Fix the page, not the code
If the destination moved, add a redirect on your own website from the old address to the new one. A fixed code works again at once.
If it is an oqrely code, or you want a way out
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An oqrely code that stopped
Sign in and open your codes: a code that stopped shows why. Reactivate within 12 months of a paid plan ending, with no fee, or within 90 days after a trial.
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A printed code that matters
Send the short link and a photo of the print from Help in the app, on every plan, including trials and former customers.
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Another company's code
We cannot redirect another company's short link: only the owner of that domain can. We can help you plan the reprint, with a sticker over the old code as a stopgap, and put the new code on a domain you own.
Fix it in the app
Keep it from happening again
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Use fixed codes for links that never change
A fixed code holds the address itself and depends on no account, so nobody can switch it off. It is free to make on this site.
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Put editable codes on your own domain
On go.yourbrand.com the short link is yours. If you ever leave, you point the domain elsewhere and the printed codes follow.
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Know the lapse rule before you print
Our editable codes come with a 14-day grace period after a failed payment, and passes that never renew.
Questions and answers
Do QR codes expire?
The printed pattern does not. What stops is the service or the page behind it: an editable code stops when its plan ends, and any code stops being useful when its destination disappears.
Can you fix a code another company made?
Not the short link itself, because it belongs to the company that owns the domain. You can reactivate with them, ask them for a permanent redirect, or reprint with a code you control.
My code shows a deactivated page. Is everything gone?
Usually not straight away. Most services keep stopped codes for a while, so sign in, check the account state and ask their support how long they keep them. Ours are kept 12 months after a paid plan ends.
Why does the code scan on one phone and not another?
That points to the print: low contrast, a small size, glare or damage. Reprint larger with dark modules on a light background, and test with an older phone before the run.
Can I check a code without opening the link?
Yes. The checker on this page shows the link as text and never opens it, and our free safety check looks the link up against known threat lists before you visit it.
How do I get help with a printed code?
Send the short link and a photo of the printed code from Help in the app. It works on every plan, including trials and former customers.