QR Code Scan Limit: How Many Scans and How to Set One

A QR code scan limit is a cap on how many times a code will open its destination. The printed pattern has no counter, so a static code can be scanned any number of times. A dynamic code can have a limit, because every scan passes through a redirect that counts it. On QRelix there are two kinds. Each code on the free plan works for its first 50 scans and then pauses, and QRelix Pro at $5.99 per month makes scans unlimited. On Pro you can also set your own daily or total cap when you create a QR code, for example an offer that ends after the first 100 scans. Free scans also show a brief QRelix screen before forwarding.

Does a QR code have a scan limit?

It depends on the type of code.

• Static code. The content, such as a WiFi login or a contact card, is stored in the pattern itself. Nothing sits between the phone and the content, so nothing can count scans or stop them. A static code has no scan limit and works for as long as the print is readable.
• Dynamic code. The pattern stores a short link. Each scan goes to that link first and is then forwarded to your page or file. Because every scan passes through that step, it can be counted, and a rule can stop the forwarding once a number is reached.

Every code you make in the QRelix dashboard is dynamic, which is what makes scan tracking, editing, and limits possible. The free QR tools make static codes in your browser with no signup. The static vs. dynamic comparison explains both types, and how to make a free QR code that doesn't expire covers the static route.

The QR code scan limit on each QRelix plan

• Free plan. $0 with no credit card. You can make unlimited dynamic QR codes, and each code works for its first 50 scans. Every scan shows a brief QRelix screen before forwarding. When a code reaches 50 scans it pauses until you upgrade. The code and its analytics are not deleted.
• QRelix Pro. $5.99 per month. Scans are unlimited, so codes never pause, the QRelix screen is removed, and paused codes are reactivated. Pro also includes the security suite: password protection, expiration dates, and geofencing.

The free limit applies to each code separately, so the question to ask before you print is how many scans one code will get.

A quick way to estimate your scans

Multiply the number of people who will see the code by the share you expect to scan it.

• A flyer handed to 300 people, with 5 in every 100 scanning, collects about 15 scans. That fits the free plan.
• A menu code on 20 tables, scanned 4 times per table each day, collects 80 scans a day. It would pause on its first day on the free plan, so it needs Pro.
• A code on a business card you hand out 10 times a month may never reach 50.

Upgrading does not change the QR image, so a code that paused in print works again without a reprint. The dynamic QR code cost guide has the full price breakdown.

How to set a scan limit on a QR code

A limit you set yourself is different from the plan limit. It is a rule you add on purpose, and it is one of the access controls on QRelix Pro.

Step 1: Create the code

Sign in to QRelix and start a new QR code. Choose the type that matches what you are sharing, such as URL for an offer page or File for a PDF voucher.

Step 2: Turn on Scan Limits

In the Settings step, switch Scan Limits on. Enter a daily limit, a total limit, or both, and save. This setting needs a Pro account.

Step 3: Design, download, and test

Add your colors and logo, then download an SVG for print or a PNG for screens. Your own test scans go through the same redirect as everyone else's. Either allow for a few extra scans in the number, or test the code first and add the limit afterward from the dashboard.

Step 4: Change it when you need to

Open the code in your dashboard, click Edit, and raise, lower, or remove the limit. The change takes effect immediately and the printed code stays the same.

Once the limit is reached, people who scan see a limit-reached message in place of your page.

Daily limit or total limit?

• Total limit. A lifetime cap. Once the code has been scanned that many times, it stops forwarding until you raise the limit. This suits "the first 100 scans get 20% off."
• Daily limit. A cap that resets at midnight UTC each day. This suits a daily deal or a sample that is restocked every morning. Midnight UTC is 7 pm or 8 pm Eastern, depending on the time of year, so check when the reset falls for your customers.
• Both. A daily limit of 40 with a total limit of 400 spreads an offer across at least ten days.

A worked example: 120 free pastries

A coffee shop prints a code on 500 loyalty flyers. The code opens a voucher for a free pastry, and the shop can afford to give away 120. The owner sets a total limit of 120 and a daily limit of 30, so the offer lasts at least four days and one busy morning cannot use it all up. On day three scans are slow, so the owner opens the dashboard and raises the daily limit to 50. No flyer is reprinted.

One-time use QR codes

A total limit of 1 makes a code that works for a single scan. The limit counts scans, not people, so keep two things in mind.

• One code with a limit of 1 serves one scan in total. To give 30 guests a single-use voucher each, make 30 codes, one per guest.
• A second scan by the same person counts as another scan. If someone may need to open the page again, set the limit a little higher or use an expiration date.

For a deadline, see how to set a QR code with an expiration date. For content that only certain people should open, a password protected QR code is the better fit.

What to do when a code reaches its limit

• It reached a total limit you set. Edit the code and raise or remove the limit. It forwards again immediately.
• It reached a daily limit. It forwards again after the reset at midnight UTC, or sooner if you raise the limit.
• It paused at 50 scans on the free plan. Upgrade to Pro and the code is reactivated with unlimited scans. Nothing is reprinted, and the code and its analytics are kept.

In every case the printed code is unchanged. How to edit a QR code after printing covers what else you can change on a code that is already out in the world.

Using a scan limit with other controls

A scan limit can be combined with the other Pro access controls on the same code: a password, an expiration date, and geofencing, which opens the code only for scanners in a city, region, or country you choose. When more than one control is on, QRelix checks the geofence first, then the password, then the scan limit, then the expiration date. The security and access controls guide describes each setting, and the QR code geofencing guide covers the location control.

QR code scan limit questions

How many times can a QR code be scanned?

A static code can be scanned any number of times. A dynamic code can be scanned as many times as its plan and its settings allow. On QRelix that is 50 scans per code on the free plan and unlimited scans on Pro, unless you set a lower limit yourself.

Does QRelix charge per scan?

No. Pro is a flat $5.99 per month and includes unlimited scans.

Can I remove a scan limit after the code is printed?

Yes. A limit you set is a setting in your dashboard and not part of the printed pattern, so you can raise, lower, or remove it at any time.

What do people see when the limit is reached?

When a limit you set is reached, they see a limit-reached message in place of your destination.

Is a scan limit the same as an expiration date?

No. A scan limit ends a code by count, and an expiration date ends it by time. You can use both on one code.

Set your first scan limit

Create a QR code on the free plan to design and test it. The free plan includes unlimited dynamic QR codes, editable destinations, custom colors and logo, and scan analytics, with 50 scans per code and a brief QRelix screen on each scan. Move to Pro at $5.99 per month when you need unlimited scans or your own scan limits. The pricing page lists what each plan includes.