What “free” and “never expires” mean
There are two families of QR codes, and they should not be confused. A static QR code stores the content inside the drawing: the URL, the text or the Wi-Fi details. Any phone reads it without checking with anyone, so there is no subscription, renewal or expiry date. A dynamic QR code stores a short link that redirects to another destination; the drawing stays the same, but the destination can be changed and scans can be counted. That link does depend on a service that must stay online.
That is why “free and never expires” usually means static. If you need to change the destination within six months or measure how many people scan, you need a redirect service and its terms. In QRPro Cloud you can create both; the static one does not require an account, and the dynamic one is tied to your account.
The five steps that really matter
- Choose the type. URL for a website, text for a note, Wi-Fi for a network, vCard for your contact details, WhatsApp to open a chat. Choosing the wrong type is the most common mistake: a link to a PDF is not a “file” type if you later want to change it.
- Fill in the content. Use the final URL, not a shortener you might lose. If it is a website, check that it opens without logging in and without regional blocks.
- Generate and adjust. High contrast, light background and a four-module white border. If you add a logo, raise error correction to H and do not cover the three large corners.
- Test it for real. Scan it with an iPhone and an Android, at the real usage distance and under the lighting of the place. A QR code that works on your monitor can fail on a poster with glare.
- Download the right file. SVG for print and PNG of 1024 px or more for social media. Do not enlarge a 200 px PNG: the modules become blurry.
Mistakes that make a “free” QR code fail
The first is printing too small. A QR code with a short URL needs about 2 × 2 cm minimum to be read at 30 cm; if the content is long or the poster is far away, increase the size. The second is low contrast: gray on beige, or a transparent code over a photo, reduces readability. The third is using a free shortener that expires or limits clicks. The fourth is not leaving the white margin: without a quiet zone, the camera loses the code boundary.
Rule of thumb: the side of the QR code should be at least the scanning distance divided by 10. To read at 3 meters, aim for 30 cm per side; for a table, 5 cm is usually more than enough.
When to move to a dynamic QR code
If the destination can change — a menu with prices, a campaign with dates, a landing page that gets replaced — a static QR code forces you to reprint. A dynamic one keeps the drawing and changes the redirect, and it also tells you how many scans there were, from which device and at what time of day. That data is the difference between guessing and deciding. Of course, it requires an account, a privacy policy and a service that does not disappear.
For an office Wi-Fi, a vCard or a permanent link, static is enough and more robust: there is no middleman that can go down.
Frequently asked questions
Does a free QR code expire?
The static one does not. What can expire is the domain or the destination file.
Can I change the URL after printing?
Only with a dynamic QR code, because the drawing points to its own link that redirects.
Do I need to sign up to generate one?
For the static one, no. To save codes, measure scans or change the destination, yes.
Does a QR code generated in the browser work?
Yes: the drawing is computed on your device and is not uploaded to any server.