Wine
Static vs Dynamic QR Codes on Wine Labels
Static or dynamic QR code on a wine label? What each stores, cost, edits after printing, scan counts, and which suits the EU e-label and marketing codes.
By Ali Murtaza ·
Every wine QR code is either static or dynamic, and the difference decides what you can change after the labels are printed, what the code costs to keep running, and whether the code itself might break the EU e-label rules. Picking one without knowing which you have is a common cause of reprints. This guide explains both in plain terms and shows which type suits each of the codes a winery now prints.
Plain-language guidance, not legal advice. You stay responsible for what your labels and pages say.
What is a static QR code?
A static QR code stores the full web address inside the pattern itself. Scan it and the phone goes straight to that address, with nothing in between. Static codes are free to make, never expire and don't depend on any provider staying in business. The catch is that the address is fixed forever. If the page moves, the domain lapses or you mistype a letter, every printed bottle points to the wrong place, and the only fix is a new label.
Long addresses also make static codes denser. More data means more, smaller squares, which need a larger printed size and cleaner printing to scan reliably on textured or curved paper.
What is a dynamic QR code?
A dynamic QR code stores a short address that belongs to a redirect service. When someone scans, the service looks up where that code should go today and forwards the phone there. You can change the destination at any time without reprinting, and the service can count scans as they pass through. The short address also keeps the pattern simple, so the code can print smaller.
The trade-off is dependence. If you stop paying, the service closes, or a free generator switches your code off after a trial, every bottle with that code stops working. Some free generators also show their own ads or pages before forwarding, which is not what you want between a customer and your wine.
Static vs dynamic at a glance
| Static QR code | Dynamic QR code | |
|---|---|---|
| What is stored in the code | Your full page address | A short redirect address |
| Change the destination after printing | No | Yes |
| Scan counting | Not from the code itself | Usually, as the redirect passes through |
| Ongoing cost | None | Usually a subscription |
| Risk if the provider stops | None, if the page stays online | The printed codes stop working |
| Pattern density | Higher with long addresses | Lower, so it can print smaller |
The e-label code: why the type matters for compliance
For wine sold in the EU, the "Ingredients" QR code must lead to a page that shows the ingredients and nutrition information straight away, with no sales or marketing content, and that does not collect or track user data. That last rule is where the code type matters. A dynamic service that logs each scan as it redirects may be collecting data before the visitor ever reaches your neutral page. Read the European Commission's Q&A on wine e-labels for its exact wording, and ask any provider plainly whether its redirect logs scans, sets cookies or records devices.
For many wineries the safest e-label setup is a static code, or a redirect you control that logs nothing, pointing at a page that stays online for as long as the wine is on sale. Remember that bottles sit in cellars for years, so "as long as the wine is on sale" can mean a long time after a vintage sells out at the winery.
The marketing code: where dynamic earns its keep
The second code on the label, the one for tasting notes, food pairings, the club and reorders, has no tracking restriction, and it is the code most likely to need changes. Vintages sell out, shop links change, a stockist list grows. A dynamic code lets you update all of that without touching the label, and the scan counts tell you whether anyone is using it. This is why most wineries now print two codes: a neutral e-label code and a separate, clearly labelled marketing code. Our guide to placing two QR codes on a wine label covers size, spacing and wording.
A middle route: a static code on your own domain
There is a third option that many larger producers use. Print a static code that points to an address on your own domain, such as yourwinery.com/e/rose-2025, and set that address to forward wherever you like. You keep the ability to change the destination, you don't depend on a QR provider, and you decide whether anything is logged. It does need someone who can manage redirects on your website, and the domain must be renewed for as long as the bottles are around. Some producers go a step further with GS1 Digital Link, which builds the product's barcode number into the address so one code can serve both retailers and consumers.
Which type for which code?
- EU e-label code: static, or a redirect you control with no scan logging, pointing to a neutral page that stays online for the life of the wine.
- Marketing or reorder code: dynamic, so you can change the page per vintage and see scan counts per code.
- Codes on cases, shippers and point-of-sale material: dynamic, because campaigns and offers change faster than packaging.
- One-off event or tasting room signs: either works; static is fine if the page will never move.
Questions to ask before you print
- Whose address is inside the code, yours or the provider's?
- What happens to the codes if we cancel or stop paying?
- Does the redirect log scans, set cookies or record devices?
- Can we export our data and repoint the codes to a new host?
- Do we get vector files (SVG, PDF or EPS) for the printer?
- Has a printed proof been scanned on the real paper, on several phones, before the full run?
Common mistakes
The most expensive mistake is a free dynamic code that stops working a few months after the labels ship. The second is a static code pointing at a page on a temporary or campaign domain that is later dropped. The third is using a tracked marketing code as the e-label code to save space on the label, which mixes the neutral page with marketing and tracking. Each of these usually means reprinting or over-stickering stock.
FAQs
Can I change where a static QR code goes?
Not the code itself. You can only change what is at the address it stores, for example by redirecting that page on your own website.
Do dynamic QR codes expire?
The code never expires, but the service behind it can. If the redirect service stops, the code leads nowhere. Check the provider's terms for what happens when you cancel.
Is a dynamic QR code allowed for the EU wine e-label?
The rules are about the page and about tracking, not the code type. A dynamic code that tracks scans is the risk. Ask your provider how its redirect behaves and check the Commission's Q&A.
Will a dynamic code scan as well as a static one?
Usually better at the same size, because the short address makes a simpler pattern. Print quality, contrast and quiet margin around the code matter more than the type.
Where does Tapline fit?
Tapline is a dynamic marketing code for the bottle. Each wine gets a story page with tasting notes, a reorder button to your own shop or stockist list, and scan counts per code, all editable after the labels are printed. On the Scale plan the page can be shown in several languages for export markets. The marketing page is never the legal e-label. Tapline can also host a separate, neutral e-label page that you fill in yourself, and you are responsible for its accuracy. Tapline is built by Esipick, which has been building software for brands since 2013.
Related: what happens after the scan.
Related: two QR codes on one label.
Related: how to choose a wine e-label generator.
Related: EU e-label rules for wine.
Related: what scan data can tell a winery.
Related: wine bottle QR codes that turn into reorders.
Related: pricing.