QR code guides

Short, practical answers about dynamic QR codes, written while building PermaQR. Each guide starts with a two-sentence answer.

Dynamic QR code basics

What makes a QR code editable, what makes it expire, and what it should cost.

• Dynamic QR codes with no expiration

  A dynamic QR code only expires when the company behind its short link stops redirecting it, usually because a trial or subscription ended. Use a static code for links that never change, or a dynamic code you pay for once.

• Can you change a QR code after printing?

  You can change where a QR code points after printing only if it is a dynamic code. Static codes have the link built into the pattern, so changing it means reprinting.

• QR code generator with a one-time payment

  PermaQR sells dynamic QR codes for a one-time payment: $9 for 1, $19 for 5, $49 for 50. There is no monthly fee, no scan limit and nothing to renew.

• Free QR code generator

  Make a static QR code here for free, with no sign-up, watermark or scan limit; it never expires. Static codes can’t be edited after printing, so if the link may change, use a dynamic code.

Subscriptions and dead codes

Why printed QR codes stop working and how to get out of a QR subscription safely.

• Why your QR code stopped working

  Most QR codes stop working because they were dynamic codes whose trial or subscription ended, or because the page they point to is gone. Scan the code and read the address it opens first to tell which.

• Cancel a QR code subscription safely

  Replace printed dynamic codes before you cancel a QR code subscription, because many providers stop redirecting them when the plan ends. List the codes, create replacements, reprint the busiest ones first, then cancel.

• QR Code Generator PRO alternative

  QR Code Generator PRO sells dynamic QR codes on auto-renewing subscriptions after a 14-day trial. PermaQR sells them for a one-time payment with unlimited scans, without design editors or team features.

• QRCode Monkey vs PermaQR

  QRCode Monkey makes free static QR codes, which never expire but can’t be edited after printing. PermaQR makes dynamic codes you can point somewhere else at any time, for a one-time payment.

Use cases

QR codes on things that are expensive to reprint.

• QR code for restaurant menus

  Put a dynamic QR code on your table cards so you can switch to a new menu without reprinting. Point it at a PDF or web page and change the link whenever the menu changes.