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Your QR code stopped working? Here’s why — and how to fix it.

If the QR code on your tables, menus or window suddenly opens an “expired” page, an ad, or nothing at all, you’re not alone. It’s usually not your fault, and it’s fixable today.

Short answer: most menu QR codes die because the site that made them was a free trial. When the trial ended, they switched your code off. Make a new code that doesn’t expire, test it, and put it over the old one.

Why QR codes stop working

1. The generator’s free trial ended (the most common reason)

Many QR websites let you make and download a code for free. What they don’t make obvious is that the code doesn’t point at your menu — it points at their short link, which then forwards people to your menu. That’s called a dynamic QR code.

A week or two later the “free trial” ends. The site deactivates the short link, and every code you printed now lands on a page saying the code has expired, or asking the visitor to upgrade. Your printed menus didn’t change. The company just stopped forwarding.

2. The page it points to moved or disappeared

New website, new menu PDF, a changed Google Drive or Dropbox link, an expired domain — if the address inside the code no longer exists, scans hit a “page not found” error.

3. The code is hard to scan

Too small, low contrast (light code on a light background), glare from glossy laminate, a big logo covering too much of it, or wear and tear. In this case the phone camera simply doesn’t pop up a link.

Find out which problem you have

Scan the code with your phone’s camera and look at what opens:

  • A page from a QR company saying “expired”, “deactivated” or “upgrade to continue” → the trial or subscription ended (reason 1).
  • An error on your own website or a “file not found” → the menu moved (reason 2).
  • Nothing happens, or it only works up close → it’s a printing or size problem (reason 3).

How to fix it today

You have two real options.

Option A: pay the old generator to switch it back on

It’s the fastest fix, and your printed codes start working again. The catch: you’re now on their subscription, often billed yearly, and the same thing happens again the day you stop paying. Check their cancellation terms before you sign up.

Option B: make a new code that doesn’t expire, and replace the old one

  1. Make a new code that points to your menu. On Cortalim it’s free and takes about a minute — paste your menu link or upload your PDF menu.
  2. Test it on two phones (an iPhone and an Android if you can), from the distance a customer would sit.
  3. Print it big enough: at least 2 × 2 cm (0.8 in) on a table tent, dark on a light background, with a blank border around it.
  4. Cover or replace the old codes. A sticker over the old code works today; new table tents can follow. If you have a lot of tables, start with the busiest section.
  5. Check where else the old code lives: window signs, takeout bags, flyers, your Google Business photos, delivery inserts.

Tip: make the new code a dynamic one you control. Next time your menu changes, you update the link — not the print.

How to never deal with this again

Before you print a code from any service, ask four questions:

  • Is the free plan a time-limited trial? Look for “14-day”, “trial” or “upgrade” in the small print.
  • What happens to my codes if I stop paying? If the answer is “they stop working”, every print you make is rented, not owned.
  • Can I change where the code points after printing? You want yes — menus change.
  • Is it in writing? A promise on a landing page isn’t the same as one in the terms of service.

How Cortalim is different

We built Cortalim because of exactly this problem. Our free plan isn’t a trial: your 2 codes keep working with no end date, and you can change your menu link anytime. We never delete, switch off or resell a code — it’s in section 5 of our terms. Need more codes? $60 once covers 5 codes for 5 years.

Make a code that never dies — free See pricing
Questions

QR code problems, answered.

Why did my QR code stop working all of a sudden?

Most often the website that made it turned it off. Many “free” QR generators make a dynamic code that runs through their own short link, then start a 7- to 14-day trial. When the trial ends — or a subscription lapses — they deactivate the code until you pay. Less often, the page it points to was moved or deleted.

Can I fix the code I already printed without reprinting?

Only the company that made it can switch it back on, usually by restarting a paid plan. If the code points straight to your own website and that page moved, you can fix it by putting the page back at the old address. Otherwise you’ll need a new code — a sticker over the old one is the cheapest fix while new prints arrive.

Do QR codes expire?

A plain (static) QR code holds the web address itself, so it never expires — but it can’t be changed, and it breaks if that page goes away. A dynamic QR code goes through a short link you can edit later. Whether it expires depends entirely on the company running that short link.

Will a Cortalim code ever stop working?

Not on our side. The free plan isn’t a trial: your 2 codes keep working with no end date. Paid codes are never deleted or resold; if a paid plan lapses, the code is paused — never lost — and you can switch it back on anytime. It’s written into our terms.

How big should a menu QR code be?

At least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 in) for a table tent read at arm’s length. A good rule of thumb is about 1 cm of code for every 10 cm of scanning distance. Use dark code on a light background and leave a blank margin around it.

Get your menu working again in five minutes.

A free code that never expires. Change your menu whenever you like.

Make your menu QR — free