Why did my QR code stop working?
A printed QR code usually stops working for one of five reasons: a scan cap, an expired trial or subscription, a dead link shortener, a poor print, or a destination that moved. Check the service behind the code first, then test the print itself. To avoid the same failure later, use an editable link that keeps redirecting when a plan or analytics limit is reached.
1. Your QR service deactivated it at a scan cap
Most "free dynamic QR" services stop redirecting after a few hundred scans and ask you to upgrade. The cruel part: the more successful your code is, the sooner it dies, and it dies in front of your customers. Check your provider's dashboard for a scan limit or an "inactive" badge.
2. A trial or subscription quietly ended
Dynamic codes route through your provider's servers. If the trial expired or a card payment failed, many providers turn the redirect off, and every poster, sticker and van decal you printed goes dead the same minute.
3. The link shortener behind it disappeared
If your code wraps a shortened link, your code only lives as long as that shortener does. Short-link services shut down regularly, and every QR built on them dies with them.
4. The print is too small, too gray, or has no margin
Physical causes are rarer but real: codes printed under 2 cm, low contrast (gray on beige), or missing the white margin (the quiet zone) scan poorly in bad light or from a distance. You can test your code's scannability free here: upload a photo and get a phone-grade verdict in seconds.
5. The destination itself moved
Sometimes the code is fine but the page behind it is gone: a menu PDF that was renamed, a review link that changed when the business profile moved. With a static (printed-in) link there is no fix except reprinting everything.
How to never get burned again
Use a smart link that is editable after printing and that never stops redirecting, on any plan. That is the entire reason Piqlo exists: your card keeps working past every limit, free plan included. You can also point any cheap NFC tag at the same link (Apple Wallet and Google Wallet passes are live), and with the hosted mini card you see review clicks rather than just scans.