Do dynamic QR codes stop working when I cancel?

It depends on the vendor. Some stop after a grace period, some keep scanning but lock editing, and some drop to a smaller free plan.

Do static QR codes stop when I cancel?

No. Static codes hold the destination inside the pattern, and the vendors we checked say they are not affected.

Is my data deleted when I cancel?

Retention differs. We found up to 30 days of view-only access at one vendor, 60 days at another, and up to a year at a third.

Where did this information come from?

From each vendor’s own help pages, checked in October 2026. Policies change, so read the vendor’s current terms.

What happens to your QR codes when you cancel a subscription

Updated 2026-10-17

Short answer: it depends on the vendor. With some, your dynamic QR codes stop working when you cancel. With others, they keep scanning but you lose the ability to edit them. A few drop you to a smaller free plan. The table below shows what we could confirm.

Vendor details were checked on each company’s own help pages in October 2026. Policies change, so check the vendor’s current terms before you decide.

What happens to your codes, vendor by vendor

Vendor	When you cancel or the plan lapses	Source
QR Code Generator (by Bitly)	Codes keep working until the end of the paid period plus 30 days, view-only with no editing. After that the account is locked and scans go to a service page. Static codes are not affected.	Help article
QR TIGER	The FAQ says dynamic codes stop working when the plan expires. Data is retained for up to one year. Static codes never expire.	FAQ
Uniqode	Dynamic codes expire if the account is canceled. Dashboard access lasts to the end of the billing cycle, and data is kept for 60 days.	Help article
QRFY	Dynamic codes stay active until the end of the current subscription period. After that you can’t create, download, edit or view statistics for codes. The help page doesn’t say what scans do after that point.	Help article
Flowcode	Existing codes keep scanning, but you lose editing. Dropping to the Basic plan keeps access to only the 2 most recent codes.	Help article
QRCodeChimp	The account moves to the free plan: 10 dynamic codes stay active, with a 1,000 scans per month cap.	Help article
ME-QR	Codes keep working, but ads are shown again.	FAQ

Cancelling is not the same as a trial ending

Two situations get mixed up. When a free trial ends, you never paid, and some vendors switch the codes off straight away. When a paying customer cancels, the rules are usually gentler: a period of access to the end of what you paid for, sometimes a grace window, and then the lock. Either way, the code in your printed material is the same short link, and the vendor decides what that link does. That is why it is worth reading the cancellation terms before you print thousands of copies, not after.

It also helps to separate three things that vendors tend to bundle together: whether scans still reach your destination, whether you can still edit it, and whether your data is still kept. A vendor can keep one and drop the others.

How to read the table

Stops working: the code you printed is now useless until you pay again or replace it. This is the risky case for anything printed in bulk.
Keeps scanning, loses editing: your printed material is safe, but the destination is frozen as you last set it.
Drops to free limits: codes beyond the free allowance, or beyond the scan cap, may stop. Count how many you actually use.
Keeps working with ads: visitors see ads you didn’t choose, which may not suit a business.

Static codes behave differently from all of the above. The destination is inside the pattern, so there is no account to cancel. The vendors above say as much about their own static codes.

Japanese option

For Japanese-language users, QRのススメ offers a free editable code that, according to its own pages, stays free as long as the service exists. The trade-off the site describes is an intermediate page with ads, and a possible service end with advance notice. Check its FAQ for the current wording.

Questions to ask before you pay anyone

If I stop paying, do my printed codes still scan?
If they stop, do they come back when I pay again, with the same links?
How long is my data kept, and can I export it?
Is there a scan cap, and what happens when I hit it?

Where QRMaple fits

QRMaple makes editable (dynamic) QR codes for a one-time payment: $39 Basic, $79 Pro or $119 Premium, with unlimited codes and scans, a 60-day refund, and CSV export of your full list of codes. There is no subscription that can lapse and switch your codes off. To be straight with you, QRMaple is a new service, and its editable codes depend on QRMaple’s servers staying up, just as any dynamic code depends on the company running it. That is why the CSV export exists. QRMaple’s free tool makes plain static black-and-white codes that never expire and can’t be changed; there is no free editable code and no free trial.

For more on trial endings specifically, see why a QR code stops working after a free trial.

FAQ

Do dynamic QR codes stop working when I cancel?: It depends on the vendor. Some stop after a grace period, some keep scanning but lock editing, and some drop to a smaller free plan.
Do static QR codes stop when I cancel?: No. Static codes hold the destination inside the pattern, and the vendors we checked say they are not affected.
Is my data deleted when I cancel?: Retention differs. We found up to 30 days of view-only access at one vendor, 60 days at another, and up to a year at a third.
Where did this information come from?: From each vendor’s own help pages, checked in October 2026. Policies change, so read the vendor’s current terms.