Do Canva QR codes expire?
No — a QR code made with Canva’s free QR generator never expires. It is a static QR code: the destination is encoded directly in the pattern itself, so there is no service to switch it off. Canva’s help center puts it plainly: without an expiry date you set yourself, “your QR code never expires.”
Two things do trip people up: Canva Pro’s dynamic codes, which depend on a subscription and can carry an expiry date you set — and codes that fail for a completely different reason, damage, which gets mistaken for expiry.
Static vs dynamic: only one kind can expire
A static QR code encodes the destination directly in its pattern — the data physically is the image. Print it, screenshot it, put it on a business card: as long as the pattern survives and the page it points to still exists, it works. There is nothing behind it to expire.
A dynamic QR code encodes a short redirect URL. The destination lives on the provider’s server, which is what makes it editable and trackable — and also what makes it mortal. If the subscription lapses or the trial ends, the redirect stops, and every printed instance of that code dies with it.
Rule of thumb: static cannot expire; dynamic can. The question for any generator is which kind it gave you.
Does it expire? Generator by generator
| Generator | Code type | Can it expire? |
|---|---|---|
| Canva (free plan) | Static | No — the data is in the pattern |
| Canva Pro (dynamic) | Dynamic | Yes — tied to your subscription |
| Google Chrome (Share → QR Code) | Static | No — the URL is encoded directly |
| QR Code Monkey | Static | No — remains active indefinitely |
| Trial-based dynamic services | Dynamic | Yes — stops when the trial ends |
One nuance worth knowing: even a static code is only as alive as its destination. The QR pattern cannot expire, but if the page it points to is deleted or the domain lapses, the code “works” and lands on a 404. That is a dead link, not a dead code.
“Expired” is usually “damaged”
Here is the mistake almost everyone makes: a printed or screenshotted code stops scanning, and the assumption is that it expired. For a static code — Canva free, Chrome, QR Code Monkey — that is almost never the cause. Static codes fail physically, not administratively:
- the print is too small, too low-contrast, or blurry
- the paper creased across a finder pattern
- a corner of the code is covered by a label, a thumb, or another design element
- the quiet zone got cropped off in a screenshot or a layout
There is one more suspect worth ruling out: if the code was drawn by an AI image generator rather than made with a real generator, it was probably never scannable in the first place — see why ChatGPT QR codes don’t scan.
If your Canva code no longer scans, the destination is probably still there — the pattern on your end just needs to be read. Repair it here: the tool recovers the exact content from a blurry, creased, or partially covered code — entirely in your browser, and nothing is uploaded — verifies it against the QR code’s own error correction, and rebuilds a clean code you can print again.
How to check if a QR code still works
Before you reprint anything, check two things separately:
- Does the destination still exist? If you know the URL the code carries, open it directly in a browser. If it loads, the code’s target is alive.
- Does the pattern still scan? Point another phone at it, or run it through a quick check — the tool reads the image and checks the things scanners care about, like contrast and quiet zone, before you send it back to print.
If the destination is alive and the pattern is not scannable, you have a damaged code, not an expired one — and a damaged code is one you can repair.
Frequently asked questions
Will my Canva QR code stop working if I cancel Canva Pro?
Only if it is a dynamic code you created with Pro features. Static codes from Canva’s free generator encode the destination in the pattern itself — they keep working regardless of any subscription. How long a Canva QR code lasts depends entirely on which kind you made: static lasts as long as the print, dynamic lasts as long as the subscription.
Do free QR codes expire?
Static ones never do. What expires are dynamic codes from services on a free trial: when the trial ends, the redirect server stops answering. The pattern on your printed material is unchanged — it is the link behind it that died.
How long does a QR code last?
A static QR code lasts as long as the material it is printed on and the page it points to. There is no built-in clock. If a code stops scanning years later, look for physical damage or a dead destination — in that order.