- Short answer
- No — codes from Shopify's free QR generator carry no expiry date and stay active until you delete the Quick Link behind them.
- What actually breaks
- The destination, not the code: delete the linked page and the code still scans, into a Page not found
- Ended promotions
- A free-generator code outlives the discount behind it; a code made inside Discounts stops when that discount ends
- Third-party generators
- Codes routed through an outside QR service depend on that vendor's plan, trial and scan allowance, not on Shopify
- Before a long print run
- Print an address you'll keep: free-generator codes have no published repoint step; separate Shopcodes-app codes do
Does the code itself ever expire?
Two symptoms bring merchants here: a code on a flyer that now opens a Page not found error, and one that scans fine but delivers a dead offer. Neither is an expired code — Shopify's free QR generator says so in one line.
No, QR codes don't expire. Every QR code is assigned a Quick Link that stays active unless you delete it.
The same page says static codes are permanent with no scan limit, and that dynamic ones can also carry unlimited scans; the tool is free for anyone, not just Shopify merchants — so no plan renewal keeps your printed code up.
Why did your printed QR code stop working?
- The destination is gone. Delete the linked product or page and the code still scans, straight into a Page not found error.
- The offer ended, not the code. A packaging insert made with the free generator keeps opening your sale page long after the discount behind it stopped.
- A third-party dynamic code was switched off. Codes routed through an outside QR service depend on that vendor's plan, trial and scan allowance, not on Shopify.
- A code made inside Discounts. One documented exception: shareable discount links and QR codes generated inside Discounts work only for active discounts — the insert above carries a free-generator code, not one from there.
As of October 2026, Shopify publishes no statement about a free-generator code whose page is deleted or whose discount has ended; both readings follow from what a code carries — an address, not the page.
Can you fix a code that points to a dead page?
Often yes, but the repair happens in your store, not on the printout: Shopify's URL redirects send a broken address somewhere useful — though only from a URL already broken, and not from paths Shopify reserves, such as /cart or /apps.
Before a long print run — a window decal, a register sign at a pop-up shop — point it at an address you intend to keep. A separate free App Store app from Shopify, Shopcodes — not a built-in admin feature — does let you change the link behind codes you already printed — but only for codes created in that app, each tied to one product. As of October 2026, Shopify publishes no such step for the free generator.
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