Troubleshooting QR codes that won't scan

A customer scans your printed code and gets an error card instead of the join page or their stamp. Almost every time, the reason is sitting in the Status column on your QR Codes page. Go to QR Codes in the left sidebar and find the code by its name or code string.

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What each status means

A code only works while its status is Active. Three other statuses stop a scan, and each one shows the customer a specific message on their phone. A customer who scanned with a plain phone camera sees the join page wording of the same message: “This QR code is inactive”, “This QR code has expired”, or “This QR code has reached its limit”. For an Inactive code, open the three-dot menu on its row and choose Activate. The scan works again right away. An Expired or Max code can’t be revived. Generate a new code for the same location and reprint it. When you create the replacement, leave the expiry date and scan limit empty if you want a code that keeps working, or set a higher limit.

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A deleted code is gone for good

If a customer sees “QR code not found. It may have been deleted,” the code was removed from your account. Deleting is permanent, and any printed copies of that code stop working. There’s no undo, so generate a fresh code and replace the printed one. When you only want to pause a code for a while, use Deactivate instead of Delete. An inactive code keeps its history and can be switched back on later.

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Where to find a code’s limit and expiry date

Click a code’s name to open its detail page. The Details panel lists its scan limit and expiry date, so you can confirm whether a code is close to either one.

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A scan didn’t add a stamp or points

Sometimes customers tell you they scanned but never got their stamp or points. A scan from a plain phone camera opens a join page rather than crediting on the spot. A new customer who completes the form becomes a member and earns from that first scan. A customer who is already a member sees a welcome back message instead and earns nothing; their repeat earning happens at the counter, where a staff member scans them, or from inside the Qtap app where they’re signed in. Someone who opens the join page and walks away adds nothing, not even to the scan count.