Free QR code without a trial period: change the destination without reprinting, plan two changes wisely

Many providers of dynamic QR codes offer a free trial period. The problem shows up later: the codes are printed during the trial, and when it ends they no longer lead to the destination. Anyone who does not pay then has to reprint. A plan without a trial period avoids this trap. Free does not mean unlimited there either, though. Here you can read what to look out for and how to make good use of the limits.

How to recognise a genuinely permanent plan

• Is there an end date or a number of days anywhere?
• Is a credit card required to sign up?
• What happens to printed codes if you do not pay?
• Do people see ads when they scan?
• Where are the limits: codes, scans or changes?

The answers are usually on the pricing page or in the terms of use, rarely on the home page.

The limit you need to plan with

The free plan of Same-QR has no trial period and needs no credit card. In return, the destination of each QR code can be changed twice. After that the code stays valid and keeps leading to the last destination. For many purposes that is enough if you use the changes deliberately.

Four ways to make two changes last

• A fixed page as destination: point the code to a subpage of your website, such as “/news”, and change the content there. The code does not need to be touched.
• A shared folder: for documents that change, a shared folder works well. New files go into it, the link stays the same.
• Your own page on the plan: one hosted page is included for free and its content can be changed three times a month without using up a destination change.
• One change in reserve: keep one change for emergencies, such as a typo, a move or a service that shuts down.

An example

A bicycle shop prints a code on its invoices that leads to service booking. It points the code to its website subpage “Appointment”, not directly to the booking tool. When it switches booking tools two years later, it only swaps the content of the subpage. Both destination changes are still free.

What happens after the second change

The code is not switched off. It permanently leads to the last destination entered. If you want to change something after that, you have two options: create a new code, which means reprinting, or book a paid plan in which destination changes are unlimited.

What else applies

The free plan includes 20 dynamic QR codes and 1,000 scans a month for the whole account. There are no ads when scanning. Above the scan limit a short note appears before the destination at first, and after seven days above it the codes show only a notice until the end of the month. Your own colours and a logo in the code come with the paid plans.

Conclusion

A plan without a trial period takes away the worry that printed codes will suddenly stop working. Plan the two destination changes deliberately, put frequently changing content on a fixed destination and keep one change in reserve. You can try it at Same-QR.

Frequently asked questions