QR code stopped working? Why it happens and how to fix it
Usually the problem isn't the code but the service that made it. A dynamic code contains the service's link, not yours. When the free trial or subscription ends, the service switches off the redirect, and every printed code stops working at once.
Find the cause in a minute
Point your phone camera at the code, look at the address it offers to open, then open it.
A page from the QR generator opens saying the code is deactivated, inactive or needs payment. The code is dynamic and the trial or subscription has ended. Tell-tale sign: the address is the service's domain, such as qrco.de, me-qr.com, l.ead.me or qr.link.
Your site opens, but with a 404 error (“page not found”). The page the code points to was deleted or its address changed, for example during a site redesign.
The site doesn't open at all, or someone else's site opens. Your domain registration may have lapsed. Someone else's site at your address means the domain has already been bought by someone else.
The code contains a short link such as bit.ly and it leads to the wrong place. The shortener deleted or changed the link, or the service shut down.
The phone doesn't detect the code at all. It's the print: the code is too small, the white border was cropped, the contrast is low (a light code on a light background, coloured or inverted), there's glare from lamination, or the code sits on a curved part of the package.
What to do if the code is already printed
The service asks for payment. You can't point someone else's short link to your site. Paying for the subscription brings the code back, but you'll keep paying for as long as the printed materials are out there. The safer path is to switch to a static code, at least on everything you reprint.
404 error. No need to reprint. Restore the page at its old address or set up a permanent (301) redirect from the old address to the new one in your site or hosting settings, and the code works again.
Expired domain. Renew it with your registrar as soon as possible. After registration ends there is usually a period when only the previous owner can get the domain back. If someone else has already taken it, the only option is to reprint.
Broken short link. If you have access to the shortener account, fix the link there. If not, the code has to be replaced.
The code won't scan. Reprint it larger (at least 2 × 2 cm or 0.8 in; for scanning from afar, roughly 1 cm of width for every 10 cm of distance), black on white, with a white border around it. Test a single print with two or three phones before the full run.
How to make a QR code that never stops working
Use a static code. It contains your own address with no middleman. Nobody can switch it off or redirect it: not the service, not anyone else.
Point it to a permanent page. Your home page or an address you will never change. For menus, offers and price lists, keep one permanent page and update its content.
Turn on domain auto-renewal with your registrar.
Don't use link shorteners in printed codes.
Test before the print run: print one copy at the final size and scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone.
make-qr.net only makes static codes: free, with no subscription and no sign-up. The link is stored in the code itself, so it keeps working even if our site shuts down. Every file is checked for scanning before download.
Most likely the code is dynamic and the free trial of the service that made it has ended. A dynamic code contains the service's link, not yours, and after the trial the service switches off the redirect until you subscribe.
Can I restore a dynamic QR code without paying?
No. The short link in the code belongs to the service, and only the service decides where it leads. You have two options: pay for the subscription, or replace the printed codes with static ones that contain your own address.
Do QR codes expire?
The QR code itself never expires: it is just an image that stores text. What can expire is the service that redirects people, the domain and the page the code points to. A static code that points to your site works as long as the site does.
How can I tell if my QR code is dynamic or static?
Point your phone camera at the code and look at the address it offers to open. If it is your own domain, the code is static. If it is the domain of a QR generator or a link shortener, such as qrco.de, me-qr.com, l.ead.me or bit.ly, the code is dynamic.