Provider's Short URL or Own Domain?

What's at Stake

With a provider's short URL – for example, xy.link/a1b2c3 – every printed code points to their domain. If you switch providers, all codes become invalid. You cannot switch without reprinting.

With your own domain – qr.ihre-firma.de/a1b2c3 – you own the most important part. Switching providers then only means changing the reference.

Additional Benefits

Trust. Whoever sees their own company domain after scanning is more likely to proceed. An unknown short address appears suspicious – rightly so.

Protection against Counterfeiting. A covered code leads to a foreign address. This is only noticeable if the real one is recognizable.

Analytics. Accesses run through your infrastructure, not through a third party's.

What is Required

A subdomain pointing to the redirection service, plus a certificate. Technically manageable – the provider must support it, however.

Ask about this before signing a contract. Not every provider allows it, and some only in more expensive plans.

When a Short URL is Acceptable

For codes with a short lifespan – an action over four weeks, a poster for an event. There, the effort weighs heavier than the risk.

For everything printed and in circulation for longer than a year: own domain.