QR Code Expiry Dates: How to Set Automatic End Dates on Your Campaign Codes
A qr code expiry date campaign guide — setting a real end date on a campaign code, customizing where it redirects once expired instead of a generic error page, and how date-based expiry differs from SMLLR's two other scan-count-based limits.
Why a Campaign Code Needs a Real End Date
An offer that says "valid till 31st" but keeps honouring the discount in March because nobody remembered to switch the destination costs real margin, and plenty of promotional terms explicitly require a hard end date for exactly this reason. Relying on someone remembering to manually update a code on the right day is the same fragile process covered elsewhere on this site for other reasons — it works until the one time someone forgets, usually at the worst moment.
How Date-Based Expiry Works
SMLLR's date-based expiry (Basic plan, ₹1,999/month, and up) lets you set a specific date after which the code automatically stops sending scans to the campaign destination. Once that date passes, every scan is redirected elsewhere instead — automatically, with no manual step required on the day itself.
Customizing Where an Expired Code Redirects
By default, an expired code redirects to a generic SMLLR "this code has expired" page. You can override this with a custom expiry redirect URL, and it's worth always doing so rather than relying on the default — the same discipline covered in our seasonal merchandise guide: point an expired campaign code at a thank-you page, your next active campaign, or a general offers page, rather than a generic expired-link message that tells a customer nothing useful about where to go next.
Two Other Ways a Code Can "Expire" — and How They Differ
It's worth being precise here, since SMLLR has three related but distinct mechanisms and it's easy to reach for the wrong one:
- **Date-based expiry** (this guide, Basic plan, ₹1,999/month) — expires on a calendar date, regardless of scan volume.
- **A hard scan-count cap** (Pro plan, ₹4,999/month) — expires once total scans reach a number you set, regardless of the date, sending every scan afterward to the same expiry redirect as date-based expiry.
- **Scan-limit redirect rules** (Basic plan, ₹1,999/month, and up) — a genuinely different mechanism covered in our [scan-limit guide](/guides/qr-code-scan-limit-first-100-customers): the code never actually expires, it just switches between two live destinations (an offer page for the first N scans, a different page after) and stays fully active indefinitely.
Setting Up a Real Campaign
A concrete example: a festival sale should end the morning after the festival regardless of how many people engaged with it. Set a date-based expiry for that specific date, and set the custom expiry redirect to next season's signup page or a general thank-you page — so the same printed material that drove the sale keeps earning scans afterward instead of going dead the moment the offer window closes.
A Pre-Launch Checklist
Before the campaign goes live: set the expiry date deliberately, matching the actual offer terms rather than a rough guess. Always set a custom expiry redirect rather than relying on the generic default page. And note the expiry date somewhere your team will actually see it, so nobody is surprised when the code's behaviour changes on that day.
Create your QR code on SMLLR, set a real end date once, and let the campaign close itself exactly on time.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What plan do I need to set a QR code expiry date?
Date-based expiry is available from the Basic plan (₹1,999/month, and up).
What happens to a QR code after its expiry date passes?
Every scan after the expiry date is redirected to either a custom expiry URL you set, or a generic SMLLR "this code has expired" page if you haven't set one.
Can I customize where an expired code sends people?
Yes — set a custom expiry redirect URL rather than relying on the generic default page. Point it at a thank-you page, your next campaign, or a general offers page instead.
What's the difference between date-based expiry and a scan-count cap?
Date-based expiry (Basic plan) triggers on a calendar date regardless of scan volume. A separate hard scan-count cap (Pro plan) triggers once total scans reach a set number, regardless of date. Both redirect to the same expiry destination once triggered.
Is a scan-count expiry cap the same as a scan-limit redirect rule?
No — they're genuinely different mechanisms. A scan-count expiry cap (Pro plan) fully expires the code. A scan-limit redirect rule (Basic plan, covered in our dedicated guide) never expires the code at all — it just switches between two live destinations and stays active indefinitely.
Should I always set a custom expiry redirect?
Yes — a generic expired-link page tells a customer nothing useful about where to go next. A custom redirect to your next campaign or a thank-you page keeps the same printed material earning value after the original offer ends.