QR code scan limits: what to check before printing
Scan limits are the most common way a printed QR code quietly dies. Before you print at scale, check exactly what your plan allows.
Updated October 6, 2026 · 3 min read
What a scan limit actually means
On some free dynamic plans, a code stops redirecting after a set number of scans per month. The printed code still looks fine — it just stops working once the cap is hit.
- Monthly scan caps on free tiers
- Trial periods that end after a fixed time
- Codes archived when a subscription lapses
Where the cap hides in the plan page
Providers rarely put the words 'scan limit' in a headline. It turns up in the pricing table's small print instead, so read all of it before choosing a plan you intend to print on.
- 'Fair use' or 'reasonable use' instead of a number
- A number of scans 'per month', 'per code' or 'per user'
- 'Unlimited' with a qualifier in the asterisk
- A trial that ends on a date rather than after a period
The other ways a printed code dies
A cap is the most common failure, but it is not the only one, and the others are quiet: nothing changes on your side when they happen. In practice a printed code stops resolving for one of four reasons.
- The provider shuts down, and every code on its domain stops at once
- The short domain changes hands, so the redirect is no longer yours
- The subscription lapses and the plan pauses or archives the code
- Somebody deletes the code while tidying up the account
Test a plan before you trust it with a print run
You can find out how a plan behaves before you spend a print budget on it, and it takes an afternoon rather than a month.
Create a code on the free tier and scan it more often than you would ever expect a poster to be scanned, then compare the dashboard counter with the number of scans you actually made. If the counter stops rising while the code still resolves, you have found a soft cap rather than a hard one. Finally, ask support in writing what happens at the cap, on cancellation and on downgrade — an answer you can point at later is worth more than a feature table.
- Scan past the cap and watch what the redirect does
- Compare the dashboard total with the scans you actually made
- Ask in writing what happens on cancellation and on downgrade
- Check whether the redirect runs on their domain or one you own
What to check before printing
Read the plan page for scan caps, trial language and what happens on downgrade. A flat plan with no per-scan metering avoids the whole class of problem.
The question to settle before the print run is not 'how many scans do I get' but 'what happens when the answer is no'. A plan that keeps a code resolving without an active subscription, on a domain you control, is worth more than a bigger monthly allowance.
Frequently asked questions
Do static QR codes have scan limits?
What happens when a free scan cap is reached?
Can a provider tighten the scan cap later?
Do paid plans have scan limits too?
How do I avoid scan limits entirely?
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