What happens to my QR codes after I downgrade?
Updated:
After moving to a smaller plan nothing is deleted and every code keeps working. Here's what gets locked, which features pause, and how to unlock codes.
Your plan can get smaller when you cancel and the paid period ends, when you switch from Pro to Premium, or after a refund. In every case nothing is deleted, and every code keeps working for the people who scan it. What changes is what you can edit and which paid features are applied.
- Your oldest trackable codes, up to the new plan's limit, stay fully editable.
- Newer ones are Locked: they keep working, but you can't change their content and their scans aren't counted.
- Paid features you set up stay saved but aren't applied until you upgrade again.
Trackable codes over the limit are locked
Each plan includes a number of trackable codes: 3 on Free, 50 on Premium and 250 on Pro. If you have more than the new plan allows, your oldest trackable codes (by the date you created them) stay fully editable, up to the limit. The rest are locked. Before you cancel, the cancel dialog tells you how many codes will be locked.
A locked code shows a Locked badge in your list, and a notice on the dashboard says how many codes are locked and links to the plan that unlocks them. For a locked code:
| Still works | Paused until it unlocks |
|---|---|
| Scanning it: people still reach its link or page | Changing its content (link, menu, text…) |
| Renaming it and changing its style, colors, logo and frame | Changing its options (UTM tags, password, expiry, smart redirects) |
| Switching it on or off with Active | Recording scans: they aren't counted in stats or toward your monthly usage |
| Downloading it again |
How to unlock locked codes
- Upgrade again. Open the account menu → Account & billing and pick a plan with enough trackable codes. Locked codes unlock as soon as the new plan is active.
- Or make room. Delete trackable codes you no longer need. Each one you delete frees a slot, and the oldest locked code unlocks automatically.
Deleting a code also deletes its stats, responses and coupon claims for good, and a printed copy of a deleted trackable code stops working. Its link is retired and can't be reused, not even by you, so only delete codes that aren't in use.
Paid features stay saved but pause
Settings you made on a higher plan aren't erased. They just aren't applied while your plan doesn't include them, and they start working again when you upgrade:
- Password (Pro): the code opens without asking for the password.
- Expiry date and scan limit (Pro): the code keeps working past the date or the number of scans.
- Smart redirects (Pro): every scan goes to the code's normal link.
- Automatic UTM tags (Premium and Pro): the tags aren't added to the link.
- One-time coupon codes (Premium and Pro): new claims get the coupon's shared code instead. Codes already given out can still be redeemed.
You can't switch these on again, or change them, until you're on a plan that includes them. The editor shows them with a lock and a note such as "Your saved tags are kept but not added on this plan."
Other things that change
- Monthly limits: the new plan's tracked scans and form responses apply straight away (see QR Crab plans compared: Free, Premium and Pro).
- Stats: you can look back as far as the new plan's history (30 days on Free). On Free, countries, cities, operating systems, browsers, the list of recent scans and CSV export are locked. The scans themselves are kept.
- Hosted pages: on Free they show the small “Made with QR Crab” badge again.
- Downloads: Free downloads are PNG, up to 1,024 px. Codes you've already printed aren't affected.
- Files: files you already uploaded, including videos, stay on their pages. New uploads follow the new plan's size limit, and video uploads need Premium or Pro.
- Custom short links you already made keep their link. Bulk creation from CSV needs Pro.
Common questions
Will my printed QR codes stop working after I downgrade?
No. Every code keeps working for the people who scan it, including locked ones. Static codes keep working on any plan.
Can I choose which codes stay unlocked?
Not directly. The oldest trackable codes, by creation date, always stay editable. To unlock a newer code, delete an older one you don't need or upgrade.
Is a locked code still counting scans?
No. People who scan it still reach its content, but those scans aren't recorded and won't appear later, even if you upgrade.
Do my old stats disappear?
No. Your stats are kept, but you can only look back as far as your plan's stats history (30 days on Free). Upgrade again and the older scans show up.
My password-protected code opened without a password. Why?
Passwords are a Pro feature. On a lower plan the saved password is kept but isn't asked for. It's asked for again as soon as you're back on Pro.