How it works
Why these codes never expire, why they are free, and how to get one that scans first time.
Why QR codes "expire" elsewhere
A QR code is just a pattern that holds a short piece of text, usually a link. On its own it cannot expire, in the same way a printed web address cannot.
Many generators do not put your link in the code. They put their own link in it, and their server forwards people on to yours. That lets them switch your code off when a free trial ends, often after you have printed it on menus or packaging.
What we do instead
The codes made here are static: your link is written directly into the pattern. A phone that scans it goes straight to your page. We are not in the middle, so there is nothing we could switch off, and nothing for us to track.
The one trade-off is that a printed static code cannot be changed later. If you might need to change where it leads, point it at a page you control and update that page.
Why it is free
Your browser does the work of making the code, so each one costs us almost nothing. There is no reason to charge for it.
Later we plan to offer editable codes with scan statistics as a paid option, because those do cost money to run. They will be clearly labelled, and the free codes will stay free and unlimited.
Getting a code that scans first time
- Keep it dark on light. A dark code on a pale background is the most reliable.
- Do not print it too small. About 2 cm across is the minimum for something held in the hand. Go bigger for posters and signs read from a distance.
- Leave the white border. Phones use the empty space around the code to find it.
- Use shorter links. Less text makes a simpler pattern that is easier to read.
- Scan it yourself before printing. Try it with at least one phone.