Why dynamic QR codes stop working after cancellation
How a dynamic QR code works technically
If a QR code stops working after cancellation, it is due to the structure of dynamic codes. The printed pattern does not contain your website, but a short link from your provider, for example qrco.de/… or qr1.be/…. When scanning, the mobile device calls this short link, and the provider's server redirects to wherever you have set it.
This is exactly what makes dynamic codes so practical: You can change the destination at any time without reprinting. But it also means that the provider is involved with every scan.
Why the provider holds the switch
Because the short link is on their domain, the provider decides what a scan triggers. If the subscription or trial period ends, they can turn off the redirect, redirect to their own page, or downgrade to a free plan. This is not a technical defect, but a rule in the contract. With static codes, there is no such switch: The destination is stored directly in the image, but it can never be changed again.
What major providers do after the subscription ends
The rules differ significantly. This overview is based on the help, FAQ, and pricing pages of the providers, as of October 2026:
| Provider | After subscription or trial ends according to provider |
|---|---|
| QR Code Generator PRO | After the free trial period, dynamic codes are deactivated, the scan lands on a service page; data remains, reactivation via upgrade. Not described for the end of a paid subscription. |
| QR TIGER | Codes no longer work after the plan expires; data is retained for at most one year. |
| Uniqode | Codes become inactive; reactivation is possible with the same short links in the same account. |
| QR.io | After 7 days without a subscription, dynamic codes become inactive, while static ones continue to work. |
| QRCodeChimp | When falling back to the free plan, the last 10 dynamic codes remain active, while the rest are paused. |
| Hovercode | After cancellation, the first 3 dynamic codes remain active; the rest become inactive but can be reactivated. |
| Flowcode | After cancellation, scanning codes redirects to the last destination. |
Important: In almost all cases mentioned, the codes are not deleted. If you pay again, you typically get them back. This is reasonably regulated, but it also means: no subscription, no redirection.
What you can do now
- Quickly become reachable again: Reactivate with the old provider, even if only for a few months.
- Then move: Create codes with Same-QR and set the destination of each code at the old provider to the new Same-QR link (bridge method).
- Replace printed materials by importance, then cancel the old subscription.
- For static codes: Set up redirection on the destination page if you own the domain.
If you don't know which code is hanging where, the "Read a QR image" feature in the Same-QR dashboard helps: upload a photo, and you will see the short link embedded in the code.
What you should pay attention to in the future
Before the first print, check what your provider does with the codes after the subscription ends and whether you can export your code list. If it is nowhere stated, ask.
At Same-QR, the end of a subscription is handled as follows: Codes within the quota of your new plan continue to run unchanged – in the free plan, the two oldest. Codes beyond that are deactivated by us only after a 14-day grace period, and you will receive three emails beforehand (7, 3, and 1 day before). Deactivated does not mean deleted: The code shows a notice instead of the destination when scanned and works again as soon as your plan covers it.
Two codes that remain permanently free in the free plan are added, along with an export of all codes as CSV in every plan. Anyone who wants to switch later takes their list with them.
Frequently asked questions
Mostly no. With many providers, the data is stored and can be reactivated after an upgrade. Each provider determines the duration themselves.
No. The short link is on the domain of the old provider. However, you can change its destination to a new code as long as you can still edit it.
Yes, as long as the destination address is reachable. Static codes do not run through a provider, so you cannot change their destination.
Codes within the quota continue to work; in the free plan, the two oldest ones. Codes above the quota are deactivated after a 14-day grace period and three warning emails, but not deleted, and work again as soon as your plan covers them.
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