GS1 Sunrise 2027: What Product Brands Should Know About 2D Barcode Labels

Product brands preparing for GS1 Sunrise 2027 do not need to remove every UPC from their packaging by January 2027. The initiative is an industry effort to help retail point-of-sale systems scan and process GTINs from GS1-compliant 2D barcodes by the end of 2027.

For brand owners, the practical challenge is broader than choosing a square barcode. The encoded product information must be accurate, the barcode format must suit its intended use, and the packaging or label must provide enough space and print quality for dependable scanning.

During the transition, many products will carry both a traditional UPC or EAN barcode and a 2D barcode. Planning early gives brands time to review retailer requirements, choose appropriate data, test packaging, and verify printed symbols before committing to a large label or packaging order.

What Is the GS1 Sunrise 2027 Initiative?

GS1 Sunrise 2027 is part of a broader retail industry transition toward barcode systems that can carry more information than conventional linear barcodes.

The goal is for participating retail point-of-sale systems to be capable of processing a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) from approved 2D barcodes by the end of 2027. Achieving that goal may require retailers to update scanners, point-of-sale software, databases, and connected business processes.

Many camera-based retail scanners can read both 1D and 2D symbols, but their capabilities vary by model and software configuration. Support for QR Code or Data Matrix symbols containing GS1 Digital Link URI syntax may require software or firmware updates.

A scanner recognizing a symbol does not necessarily mean the retailer’s software can interpret every encoded data element. Retailers must decide which additional information their systems will accept and how that data will be used.

Sunrise 2027 is an industry readiness goal, not a government regulation or universal legal mandate. Individual retailers and trading partners may establish their own requirements, schedules, and testing procedures.

The transition is also expected to occur in stages. A retailer might begin by processing only the GTIN from a 2D barcode, then introduce lot numbers, expiration dates, or other data as its systems and business processes develop.

Are UPC and EAN Barcodes Going Away in 2027?

UPC and EAN symbols will continue to play a role during the transition.

These familiar 1D barcodes, also called linear barcodes, are already supported throughout the retail supply chain. Removing them before trading partners can reliably accept 2D barcodes could create avoidable scanning problems.

GS1 therefore anticipates a period of dual marking. A product may carry its existing UPC-A or EAN-13 barcode along with an approved 2D barcode. Both symbols should identify the same trade item with the same GTIN.

Changing the barcode format does not automatically require a new GTIN. A new number may be needed if the product itself changes in a way covered by the GS1 GTIN Management Standard, but the move from a linear symbol to a 2D code is not, by itself, a product identity change.

Different retailers will progress at different speeds. Depending on the market and trading partner, a brand may temporarily encounter three packaging scenarios:

• A linear barcode only
• A linear barcode and a 2D barcode
• A 2D barcode accepted as the primary retail symbol

Brands should confirm current requirements with their retail partners before removing an existing UPC or EAN barcode.

Which 2D Barcode Should a Product Brand Use?

Choosing between Data Matrix and QR Code symbols depends on what the barcode needs to accomplish. Some applications focus on retail and supply-chain data. Others need to connect consumers with online product information. Certain implementations may support both.

An ordinary marketing QR Code is not automatically suitable for retail identification. For point-of-sale use, the symbol must carry the GTIN in a GS1-approved structure and meet the applicable formatting, placement, sizing, and print-quality requirements.

The three formats most relevant to the retail transition are GS1 DataMatrix, QR Code with GS1 Digital Link, and Data Matrix with GS1 Digital Link.

GS1 DataMatrix

GS1 DataMatrix uses GS1 Application Identifiers to structure encoded information. It can carry a GTIN along with data such as a lot number, serial number, or expiration date.

It is compact and well suited to products with limited label space. It can also support traceability and inventory processes without directing the user to a website.

GS1 DataMatrix is distinct from a generic Data Matrix symbol. The GS1 version uses specific data structures and symbol characteristics that receiving systems must be configured to interpret.

QR Code With GS1 Digital Link

A QR Code with GS1 Digital Link places the GTIN and other identifiers in a structured web address.

Compatible retail systems can use the identifier for product recognition. Consumers can scan the same symbol with a smartphone to reach product information, instructions, promotions, recycling information, or other digital content.

The destination content can be updated over time without changing the printed code, provided the brand maintains the web address, redirects, and content infrastructure. Those digital responsibilities are separate from producing accurate barcode artwork and a scannable physical label.

Data Matrix With GS1 Digital Link

Data Matrix can also encode a GS1 Digital Link URI. This option combines the compact shape of Data Matrix with a web-based identifier structure.

It may be useful when packaging space is restricted. However, brands that expect extensive consumer smartphone engagement should consider that default phone-camera support for Data Matrix may be less consistent than support for QR Codes.

Brands should select the format according to the intended workflow, not appearance alone. More information about the characteristics of these symbols is available in AccuGraphiX’s guide to 2D barcodes.

Decide What Data the Barcode Should Carry

The benefits of 2D barcodes depend on the data and business processes behind them. A symbol should not be filled with additional information just because it has more capacity.

For GS1-based retail identification, the central data element is the GTIN. In a GS1 element string, Application Identifier (01) identifies the GTIN. Other Application Identifiers can represent attributes such as:

• AI (10) for a batch or lot number
• AI (17) for an expiration date
• AI (21) for a serial number

Adding these elements can support traceability, inventory management, recalls, freshness programs, and other supply-chain functions. It can also increase symbol density, affect the barcode’s required dimensions, and introduce new production responsibilities.

Static Product Data

Static data remains the same across every package of the same trade item. A GTIN-only barcode is a common example.

Because the data does not change from package to package, the barcode can often be incorporated into preprinted packaging or a fixed label design.

A shelf-stable product that only needs retail identification may begin with a GTIN in the 2D barcode while keeping the existing UPC during the transition.

Variable Production Data

Variable data changes by production run or individual item. Lot numbers, expiration dates, and serial numbers are examples.

A brand encoding variable information needs more than a completed barcode artwork file. Its production environment must generate the changing data, format it correctly, print it clearly, inspect the output, and maintain records where necessary.

For example, a prepared-food label carrying a changing use-by date needs a production system that supplies the correct date to the printer for each run. A static preprinted symbol cannot perform that job by itself.

Build the 2D Barcode Into the Packaging Design

A 2D barcode should be treated as a functional packaging element rather than placed into whatever space remains after the design is complete.

The package must provide enough room for the symbol, its required quiet zone, human-readable information, and any existing linear barcode used for dual marking.

The quiet zone is the clear area surrounding the symbol. Text, borders, background patterns, and other design elements should not intrude into this space.

Placement also affects scanning. Folds, seams, curves, corners, and highly reflective areas can distort a symbol or make it difficult for a scanner to capture the complete pattern. A location that works on a flat carton may not work on a small bottle or narrow cosmetic tube.

When both a UPC and a 2D barcode are present, brands should consider how scanners will encounter the two symbols. Poor placement can create duplicate-reading or symbol-selection problems in some workflows. GS1 placement guidance and retailer testing requirements should be reviewed before the layout is finalized.

AccuGraphiX provides additional considerations in its guide to choosing packaging for GS1-compliant barcodes.

Account for Print Surface, Contrast, and Symbol Size

Correctly structured data does not guarantee a successful scan. The printed symbol must preserve the contrast and geometric detail needed by scanners.

Potential problems include:

• Weak contrast between the symbol and its background
• Gloss or glare from films, laminates, or coatings
• Ink spread that closes spaces between modules
• Printing that is too small for the selected process
• Wrinkles, folds, abrasion, or damage
• Distortion caused by curved or flexible packaging

A 2D barcode is built from individual modules. The width of one module, often called the X-dimension, affects both the overall symbol size and its tolerance for printing variation. Smaller is not automatically better.

The printing process, substrate, resolution, and expected handling environment should all be considered before final dimensions are approved.

Validate the Data and Verify the Printed Symbol

Validation and verification address different risks.

Data validation checks the structure and content encoded in the barcode. It can identify problems with the GTIN, Application Identifiers, separators, or other encoded elements.

Barcode verification evaluates the printed symbol’s quality using standardized procedures. It does not confirm that a Digital Link destination works correctly or contains accurate information.

For 2D symbols, verification commonly refers to ISO/IEC 15415 grading and the applicable GS1 specifications.

A successful smartphone scan is a useful preliminary check, but it is not a substitute for verification. Phones can read symbols that perform inconsistently in retail or industrial environments, and they do not provide a standardized print-quality grade.

The GS1 2D barcode retail guideline provides additional technical guidance on barcode selection, data, placement, scanning, and implementation.

A Practical GS1 Sunrise 2027 Preparation Checklist

Brands transitioning to 2D barcodes can reduce rework by approaching the project in a defined sequence.

1. Confirm retailer requirements.
   Ask which symbols, data elements, implementation dates, and testing procedures each trading partner expects.
2. Define the barcode’s purpose.
   Determine whether it needs to support retail identification, traceability, variable production data, consumer engagement, or a combination of these uses.
3. Confirm the GTIN and data structure.
   Review the assigned GTIN and decide which GS1 Application Identifiers or GS1 Digital Link components are required. AccuGraphiX’s explanation of GS1 US barcode requirements provides useful background.
4. Select the appropriate 2D barcode format.
   Choose GS1 DataMatrix, QR Code with GS1 Digital Link, or Data Matrix with GS1 Digital Link according to the intended users, systems, data, and available package space.
5. Review the package and label design.
   Reserve enough room for the symbol, quiet zone, human-readable information, and any linear barcode retained during dual marking.
6. Produce and test representative samples.
   Use the actual substrate, printing method, colors, coatings, and package shape whenever possible. Validate the encoded data and verify the printed barcode.
7. Test the full workflow.
   Confirm that scanners, point-of-sale software, databases, production systems, and digital destinations handle the symbol as intended.

GS1 Sunrise 2027 gives brands a reason to review barcode strategy now, but it does not require every company to adopt the same symbol, data, or implementation schedule. The appropriate starting point is the product’s GTIN, the information the barcode must carry, the packaging conditions, and the requirements of the retailers that will scan it.

AccuGraphiX creates barcode artwork and custom labels for products moving toward GS1-compliant 2D barcodes and dual marking. Brands planning a packaging update can contact AccuGraphiX to review barcode and label-production requirements before committing to a full print run.