Do Bitly QR codes expire?

This is one of the most repeated worries about Bitly, and Bitly answers it directly. From Bitly Support's "Do Bitly Codes ever expire?", read on 10 September 2026: "Like Bitly Links, the QR Codes you create in Bitly never expire." A code stops working if you delete it or its short link. If it uses your own custom domain, it keeps working as long as that domain's DNS still points to Bitly and the domain stays attached to a Bitly account.

So what can go wrong with a printed Bitly code?

Not expiry. Three things, all of which you control:

• Deleting it. Deleting the code, or the short link behind it, stops the printed code working.
• A custom domain lapsing. If your codes use your own domain and that domain's registration lapses or its DNS stops pointing to Bitly, the codes on it stop too.
• An expiry date someone set. Bitly lets its higher paid plans schedule a link or code to expire, which is a deliberate setting, not a default.

The limit that does matter: changing the destination

The reason most people want a dynamic code is to change it after printing. On Bitly, each change of a link's or code's destination (Bitly calls these redirects) counts against a monthly allowance set by your plan, and Bitly's pricing page doesn't include any on the free plan. Bitly's plans also cap how many QR codes you can create each month. Check the current numbers there before you print.

When a different tool is the better fit

If you run links across many marketing channels, Bitly's breadth earns its price. If what you need is QR codes you can repoint as often as you like, a narrower tool is cheaper. On TangoQR there's no cap on codes, Pro edits are unlimited on every code, free codes are editable through their first 50 scans, and every code keeps redirecting if you cancel. The full comparison is on our Bitly alternative page.