QR codes for packaging
Packaging is printed in long runs and sits on shelves and in homes for months or years. The URL you printed on the box, though, has the shelf life of a campaign. When that landing page is retired, every box becomes a dead end, and you can't reprint a production run to fix a link.
A TangoQR code on a box or label points at a redirect you control for the life of the product. Launch it pointing at a campaign page; later repoint it to how-to content, a reorder page, a registration flow, or support, without touching the artwork or the print run. The code molded into thousands of boxes stays useful long after the original URL is gone.
It's editable on the free plan, so a small brand can ship real packaging codes before committing to a subscription. Total scans show on every plan, with detailed analytics for a code's first 50 scans. Brand the code to the packaging with custom colors and a center logo on any plan.
Because the redirect never switches off, the code keeps resolving even if you pause billing between product lines. A printed box is a permanent surface; the destination behind it stays yours to change.
A worked example. A product launches with a TangoQR code on the box pointing at the launch campaign. Six months later the campaign ends; you repoint the code to a how-to-use guide and a reorder link. Every box already in customers' homes now opens current content, with no new print run.
Getting started
Three steps:
- Paste your campaign or product link into the builder on the home page.
- Brand it, download the SVG for your packaging artwork, and send it to print.
- Repoint the code as campaigns end and content changes. No new run.
Common questions
How do I make a QR code?
On the TangoQR home page, paste your link into the builder and a QR code appears right away. Download it as a PNG or an SVG and put it wherever it needs to go.
You don't need an account for your first code. If you want to come back and change where it points later, add your email when you download it so it's saved to your inbox, then sign in with that email.
Do I need an account to use TangoQR?
Not for your first code. Paste a link, get the QR, download it; no signup. To save a code so you can manage it later, enter your email when you download it; we'll send the code to your inbox. When you sign in (with Google, Apple, Facebook, GitHub or Microsoft) using that same email, the codes you saved are linked to your account automatically.
What makes a TangoQR code different from a regular QR code?
A plain QR code from most free tools has your URL baked straight into the pattern. Print it, and it can never change; if the link dies, the code dies with it.
A TangoQR code points at a short redirect we host, not at your link directly. The image stays the same forever; you change where the redirect sends people whenever you want. So a printed menu, sign, flyer or box keeps working even after the page behind it moves. This is true on every plan, including the free one; it's not a paid feature.
Can I change where my code points after I've printed it?
Yes; that's the point of TangoQR. From your dashboard (Your codes), click the pencil icon labelled Edit destination next to the code, type the new URL, and click Save. The printed image doesn't change; everyone who scans it from now on lands at the new destination.
Editing destinations is included on Pro across every code, and on the free plan for each code's first 50 scans. See pricing for the details.
Will my printed codes break if I change the destination?
No. The QR image is just a pointer to a TangoQR redirect; when you edit a code, only the redirect's target changes. Codes already printed on menus, signs, packaging or flyers keep working; they just send people to the new place.
Do my codes keep working if I cancel or downgrade?
Yes. Every code keeps resolving to the last destination you set, on every plan, forever; the redirect never switches off. If you cancel a paid plan or downgrade, your dashboard reverts to free-plan behavior (editing and detailed analytics lock; the total scan count still shows), but printed codes keep redirecting. Re-subscribe and everything turns back on with nothing lost.
What happens to a free code's detailed analytics after 50 scans?
The total scan count keeps ticking up; that's your signal the code is working. The breakdowns (region, device, time of day, scans over time) move behind an upgrade once a code passes 50 scans on the free plan. Upgrade to Pro and the detailed analytics come back on every code. The limit is per code, so codes still under 50 scans are unaffected. See pricing.
Can I put my own logo in the center of the code?
Yes; on every plan, including free. You can drop a logo into the middle of the code, pick your colors, and save styles to reuse. Custom branding isn't a paid feature; it's there from the start.
(One thing that's plan-specific: free-plan images carry a small TangoQR wordmark in the corner. That comes off on Pro.)
Does the free plan put a TangoQR mark on my codes?
Yes; free-plan images have the TangoQR wordmark in the corner. It sits alongside your own logo (it doesn't replace it). On Pro the wordmark is off, with no per-code toggle; paid means clean codes. See pricing.
Can I change the QR code's colors?
Yes, on every plan. Set the code's colors to match your brand, and save the style so your next code uses the same look. Keep enough contrast between the pattern and the background so scanners can read it cleanly.
What do the plans cost?
Free is $0. Pro is $10 a month, or $100 a year (two months free). The pricing page has the full comparison.
How does the free plan work?
You can make unlimited codes for free. Each code gets the full product (editing the destination and the detailed analytics) for its first 50 scans. After that, those move behind an upgrade for that code, but the code keeps redirecting forever and the image stays downloadable, and the total scan count keeps showing. The 50-scan limit is per code, not per account: a code that never passes 50 scans stays fully editable for free, forever. See pricing for the details.
How do I upgrade, change plans, or cancel?
To upgrade, open your dashboard and click Upgrade; that takes you to a secure checkout. Once you're on a paid plan, a Manage billing link on your dashboard opens the billing portal, where you can switch plans, update your card, or cancel. If you cancel, your codes keep redirecting; the dashboard just reverts to free-plan behavior.
Is there a free trial of Pro?
There's no time-based trial. Instead, every code on the free plan gets Pro-level editing and detailed analytics for its first 50 scans, so you see the value on real codes before you pay for anything. If you want it across all your codes from then on, upgrade to Pro. See pricing.
Can I keep codes I made before I signed up?
Yes. If you added your email when you saved a code (the "save it to your inbox" step at download), then signing in with that same email links those codes to your account automatically. The first time you sign in you'll see them gathered up under your account, ready to edit and track.
What formats can I download my code in, and can I re-download it later?
PNG and SVG. Use the SVG for anything that prints large; it scales to any size with no fuzziness. PNG is fine for screens and small print. You can download a code again any time from your dashboard, and if you saved a code to your inbox, the email has it too.
My QR code won't scan
Usually it's size, contrast, or cropping:
- Size: print it big enough for the distance people scan from; a table tent can be small, a yard sign or poster needs to be larger. Use the SVG so it stays crisp at any size.
- Contrast: keep the pattern dark on a light background (or vice versa). Very light colors or busy backgrounds behind the code hurt readability.
- Cropping: don't trim the quiet space around the code, and don't cover too much of it with a logo.
If it still won't scan, contact us with a screenshot.