- 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 product or page and the code still scans, but lands on a Page not found error
- Ended promotions
- A free-generator code keeps opening your sale page after the discount behind it ends; a shareable code generated inside Discounts works only while that discount is active
- 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
- Shopify publishes no step for changing where a free-generator code points, so treat the address you print as the one you keep
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.
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. 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. Shopify publishes no such step for the free generator.
This article was written entirely by AI under human editorial direction. The editor sets the topic and structure, runs multi-stage validation on facts, links, and interactive elements, and verifies the output is useful from a business perspective. All claims are checked against official Shopify sources. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
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