Static and dynamic QR codes
| Static | Dynamic | |
|---|---|---|
| What the squares hold | The data itself: a contact, a phone number, a web address | A short link on the generator’s own domain |
| Can it expire | No | Yes, when the link stops redirecting |
| Edit after printing | No; make a new code | Yes, in the vendor’s dashboard |
| Scan counts | None | Counted by the vendor’s server |
| Works with no internet | Yes, for a contact or text | No; the link needs a connection |
| Depends on | The print | The vendor’s server and your plan |
Nothing in the QR standard carries a date. “Expiry” is always about what the code points to.
Why a dynamic code stops working
A dynamic code takes a detour. The phone reads the squares and finds a short web address on the generator’s domain. It opens that address, the vendor’s server looks up where you told it to send people, and the phone is redirected to your page or a contact file. Each step after the first runs on the vendor’s side.
That detour is what lets you change the destination after printing and see how many people scanned. It is also the weak point. When a free trial ends or a subscription lapses, the vendor can switch the redirect off or send scans to its own page. The same happens if the vendor closes or changes its terms. The ink on your card hasn’t changed, but the address it holds now leads somewhere else.
Some generators that call themselves free make a dynamic code by default, and some free plans cap the number of scans or the months a code stays live. Read the plan before you print, and check which kind of code the download is.
How to tell which kind you have
- Open the camera on your phone and point it at the code. Don’t tap anything yet.
- Read what the phone offers. A contact preview or “Add to Contacts” means a static vCard code, and so does plain text with your details.
- If it shows a web address, look at the domain. Your own domain, or a page you control, is a static link. A short link on a domain you don’t recognize is almost always a dynamic code.
- If you made the code with an online generator, check your account there. A dashboard with scan counts and an “edit destination” button means the code is dynamic and depends on that plan.
What to put on a printed business card
Print a static vCard code. It holds your name, company, title, phones, email and website in the squares themselves, so a phone saves the contact without opening any page, and no plan has to stay paid. The trade-off is that a new phone number means a new code and a reprint. A static code of a web address you own is the other safe choice; it keeps working as long as that page does. The business card QR code generator makes the vCard kind, free, with no account.
For print, keep the code at least about 2 cm (0.8 in) across, dark on a light background, with an empty margin around it. Keep the vCard short: every extra character adds squares, and dense codes are harder to read when small. Test it with two or three phones before you print a batch. The same rules hold for a code on a badge, a booth sign or a flyer. A vCard is the contact-card format phones read; what a VCF file is shows the text inside one.
Krane for iPhone
With Krane: the cards you're handed
The code goes on your card. Most cards you collect at a show have no code at all. Krane on iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad reads the whole printed card into a contact: name, title, company, phones, emails, website and address. On a badge with a QR code, it combines the contact data in the code with the printed details. Each scan is filed under the event you’re at, and with Krane Pro it goes to HubSpot, Salesforce or Pipedrive. The business card scanner is free for 10 scans a week.