It depends on the type. QRFY static QR codes do not expire — QRFY says static codes are yours forever. Its dynamic codes are different. QRFY runs on a 7-day free trial, and when it ends, the dynamic codes you made are deactivated and sent to a QRFY service page until you pay.
The rest covers what QRFY says happens after the trial, where a deactivated code sends a scanner, and how to make a code no clock can deactivate. For the version across every tool, see do QR codes expire.
Do QRFY QR codes expire?
Static ones do not. Dynamic ones effectively do. A static QR code stores the destination inside the pattern. Your phone decodes it locally, with no server in the loop. Nothing can switch it off. QRFY says as much: static codes are yours forever, with no renewals.
A dynamic QR code is the opposite. It routes each scan through QRFY's servers to a destination you can edit later. That indirection is the feature, and also the leash. When nothing is paying to keep the redirect alive, the code stops resolving. On QRFY, that moment is the end of the 7-day trial.
What happens to QRFY codes when the free trial ends?
QRFY spells this out in its support pages. After the 7-day trial, the dynamic QR codes you made during the trial are deactivated. QRFY's own wording is that they are deactivated and linked to a service page. Static codes keep working the whole time.
So a dynamic QRFY code you printed during the trial goes dark on day eight. It is not deleted — QRFY says you can reactivate it by upgrading, with your data preserved. But between the deactivation and the payment, every scan reaches a code that no longer points where you set it. On a flyer already in the wild, that is a wasted print run.
This is the pattern we keep documenting across free QR tools. The code that seems free is the dynamic one. The dynamic one is the one held against a subscription. We named it the free trial trap.
Where does a deactivated QRFY code send people?
To a QRFY page, not yours. QRFY says a deactivated dynamic code is linked to a service page. The pattern still scans. The phone still opens a link. But the link now points at QRFY, not the destination you chose.
That detail matters more than a plain outage. A code that simply fails looks broken. A code that opens someone else's page looks like it works, then shows your customer a notice they did not expect. Your menu, your listing, your promo becomes a prompt to upgrade a QRFY account.
We think a scanner should never be the collateral. Qranite's dynamic codes keep pointing where you set them, even if you stop paying. Scanners never see an interstitial, an ad, or a service page.
Is QRFY actually free?
It has a free plan and a free trial, and they are not the same thing. QRFY's free plan lets you make static codes at no cost. Its dynamic codes run on the 7-day trial, then need a paid plan to stay alive.
A free trial and a free plan read alike in a search result. They behave nothing alike for a printed code. Static codes from the free plan keep working. Dynamic codes from the trial deactivate on day eight unless you pay.
So the honest answer has two halves. Static QRFY codes are genuinely free and permanent. Dynamic QRFY codes are free for seven days, then billed.
Why did my QRFY code stop working?
The reason splits by code type. Neither is a mystery once you know which kind you made.
- It is a dynamic code and the trial or subscription lapsed. QRFY deactivates dynamic codes after the 7-day trial and links them to a service page. Reactivating means upgrading — see how to redirect a QR code for how the dynamic layer works.
- It is a static code and the destination moved. The pattern still decodes; the page behind it is gone. Fix the link at its source, or reprint. That is why the code stopped working, not the code expiring.
- It is a static code and the print is small, low-contrast, or damaged. That is a scanning problem, not a lifespan one. Scan-test before any print run.
Do QRFY static codes expire?
No. QRFY says static codes are yours forever, with no renewals to worry about. This is not a QRFY feature — it is true of every static code from every generator, including ours. A static code is a fixed image, and an image has no off switch.
The trade-off is that a static code cannot be edited or tracked. The URL is fixed the moment you download it. To re-point a printed code or count scans, you need a dynamic code. Then the question becomes who holds the leash, and for how long. See static vs dynamic for the full comparison.
How do I make a QR code that never gets deactivated?
Separate the two needs first. If you only need a code that lasts, make a static one. Qranite's free generator computes the pattern in your browser, so your data never reaches our servers. We could not deactivate your code if we tried, because we never had it. No signup, no watermark, SVG for print and PNG up to 4096px.
If you also need to re-point a printed code or read scans, that takes a dynamic code, and the difference is the policy behind it. Qranite's dynamic codes carry a written no-hostage rule: stop paying and your printed codes keep redirecting. You lose editing and analytics beyond the free tier, never the redirect itself. A free account includes 2 dynamic codes; Pro is $9/mo or $72/yr for 50.
The contrast is the whole point. QRFY deactivates dynamic codes when the trial runs out, and sends scanners to its own page. Qranite keeps them pointing where you set them, because a printed code in someone's hand should not depend on your next invoice.