QR code generator without a subscription trap

Why a QR code suddenly stops working

You create a QR code online, print it on flyers, menus or packaging – and weeks later it leads nowhere, or to a payment page. The reason is almost always the same: the code was dynamic. It doesn't point straight to your destination but to a redirect run by the provider. When the trial or subscription ends, the provider can switch that redirect off. The printed code stays – but it's no longer yours.

A well-known example

In 2015, the QR code on Heinz ketchup bottles in Germany suddenly led to an adult website. The promotion behind it had ended, the domain hadn't been renewed – and someone else had registered it. If you don't control the address behind a code, you don't control the code. With dynamic codes, that address belongs to the generator's provider – which is why its terms matter.

How it often goes

1

Create it for free

The generator says “free”. That you're creating a dynamic code and a trial is running is in the small print.

2

Print and hand out

The code ends up on posters, business cards or products – often in large print runs.

3

The trial ends

The redirect is deactivated or points to a page of the provider. To rescue the code, you take out a subscription.

Static or dynamic – the difference that matters

Static QR code

The content – link, Wi-Fi access, contact details – sits directly in the pattern. The code needs no server and works forever. In return it can't be changed, and scans aren't counted.

Dynamic QR code

The code points to a short address that redirects. You can change the destination any time and analyse scans. But it depends on the provider running the redirect – which is why the terms matter here.

What applies at QRown

A free plan that never expires

No trial that ends after 7 or 14 days. The free plan stays free and includes dynamic QR codes too.

No minimum term

You cancel paid plans yourself in your account. Everything stays unlocked until the end of the paid period.

Codes keep working after you cancel

Dynamic codes within the free plan stay active. Anything above it is paused – not deleted – and works again as soon as you subscribe again.

Scannable forever after 12 months

Once you've paid for at least 12 months in total, all your codes stay scannable for good, even without a subscription. To edit them, you subscribe again.

Static codes without sign-up

For a link, Wi-Fi, contact or email you don't need an account. Static codes work independently of QRown – even if we were gone one day.

No scan limits, hosted in Switzerland

We count scans, we don't cap them. Redirects go straight to the destination, with no ad page in between. QRown is hosted by Infomaniak in Geneva.

Five questions before your first print run

Whatever generator you use – you should be able to answer these questions before a code goes to print:

Is my code static or dynamic?
Is there a trial – and what happens to my codes when it ends?
What happens to dynamic codes when I cancel?
Does the subscription renew automatically, and how and by when can I cancel?
Is all of this in the terms – or only on the sales page?

How other providers answer these questions: see the comparison

Your code has already stopped working?

Ask your current provider whether the code can be reactivated with a short subscription. If a lot has been printed, that is sometimes the cheapest option.
Cancel a subscription you don't want in writing and within the notice period. Keep the confirmation.
For new print material, create a code with a provider whose terms you know – for example a static code without an account.
If you ended up in an unwanted subscription, your local consumer protection organisation can help.

Frequently asked questions

Is QRown really free?

Yes. The free plan is free for good, with no credit card and no trial period. It includes static and dynamic QR codes. More dynamic codes and extra features come with the paid plans.

What happens to my codes if I cancel my subscription?

You keep all paid features until the end of the current period. After that, dynamic codes within the free plan stay active. Codes above it are paused, not deleted – unless you've paid for at least 12 months in total: then all of them stay scannable. Exception: a custom subdomain is part of the subscription and ends with it. Static codes work independently of your account anyway.

Does a paid subscription renew automatically?

Yes, monthly or yearly, as you choose. You can switch off automatic renewal any time in your account under Billing. There is no minimum term.

Does a static QR code really work forever?

Yes. The content is in the code itself; there is no redirect through our servers. As long as the destination exists – your website, for example – the code works.

What happens if I delete my account?

Deletion is immediate and final. Dynamic codes stop working afterwards; static ones don't. Download anything you want to keep first.

Where is my data stored?

QRown is hosted by Infomaniak in Geneva. The privacy policy lists which services – for payments, for example – process data outside Switzerland.

A QR code that belongs to you

Create your first code in a minute – with no trial that runs out.

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