Choosing annual or monthly billing is usually a bet on whether you will still be using the tool in a year. For a QR platform, that bet is easier than most, because the codes you print are physical and long-lived — a code on packaging or a poster is meant to keep working for years, and the account behind it has to stay open for the code to keep resolving. That changes the math on committing annually, so it is worth understanding what you are actually paying for first.
What is scan-based pricing?
Scan-based pricing meters the thing that actually costs money to run — scans — and lets you keep a generous number of codes, instead of pricing the plan by how many codes you are allowed to have. Every scan forwards through live infrastructure and gets recorded, so scans are the real cost driver. redireo prices on that: Pro includes 250,000 scans a month across 250 codes, and Business includes 2,000,000 scans a month across 2,000 codes. The alternative model, common elsewhere, caps the number of codes and advertises “unlimited scans” — which moves the ceiling from scans to codes rather than removing it. We cover that trade in the scan-based pricing post linked below.
How much does annual billing save?
Annual billing saves 40% against the monthly rate on both paid tiers. The numbers are exact:
| Plan | Monthly | Billed annually | Included scans/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | $39/mo | $23.40/mo | 250,000 |
| Business | $149/mo | $89.40/mo | 2,000,000 |
At the annual rate, Pro works out to $280.80 for the year instead of $468, and Business to $1,072.80 instead of $1,788. The included scans and codes are identical either way — annual changes the price, not the allowance. Annual is the promoted default on the pricing page, shown as the “billed annually” per-month figure, because for a long-lived printed code the year-long commitment usually matches how long the code is in the field anyway.
What happens if you go over your scan allowance?
If you go over, the extra scans are billed as transparent overage and your codes keep resolving — there is no hard suspension. Pro overage is $6 per additional 100,000 scans; Business overage is $5 per 100,000. Overage is billed monthly in arrears, so a busy month costs a predictable amount extra rather than cutting your codes off mid-campaign. This is the point of metering scans in the open: you can see the ceiling and you can see the price of crossing it, instead of discovering a limit the hard way.
Do codes stop working if you downgrade or cancel?
No — codes never brick. This is the part that makes the annual-versus-monthly decision lower-stakes than it looks. Your printed codes keep resolving past your scan allowance rather than being suspended the moment you cross it, and the platform is built so that a code in the field is not held hostage to a plan change. That is deliberately different from tools that deactivate codes beyond a small free allowance when you cancel. Because a code you printed on a thousand boxes should not stop working because of a billing event, the commitment you are weighing on annual billing is about price, not about whether your existing codes survive.
When is annual worth it, and when is monthly better?
Annual is worth it when the codes are already committed to the physical world; monthly is better when you are still testing. If you have printed codes on packaging, signage, or products that will be out for a year or more, you are keeping the account open regardless, so the 40% saving is close to free money. If you are running a single short campaign, or still deciding whether the tool fits, monthly keeps you flexible while you find out — and the free tier, at 500 scans on 3 codes, is enough to confirm the mechanics before you pay anything. Commit annually once the codes are in the field; stay monthly while they are still on your screen.
Compare the tiers, see the annual-default pricing in full, and pick the plan that matches your scan volume on the pricing page.