GS1 Sunrise 2027: what it means for your barcodes

What is Sunrise 2027?

Sunrise 2027 is the name GS1 US uses for the move to 2D barcodes at the retail point of sale in the United States. The aim is that by the end of 2027, retail scanners can read 2D barcodes such as QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix as well as the familiar linear UPC barcode. GS1 describes the same goal globally as Ambition 2027: point-of-sale systems able to read and process the GTIN from both existing linear barcodes and 2D barcodes by the end of 2027.

It is an industry target, not a law and not a switch-off date. GS1 US says it is not necessary to implement every 2D capability by 2027 and recommends a phased approach, starting small and adding more data over time.

Why change at all? A 2D code can carry more than the product number. Alongside the GTIN it can hold a batch or lot number, an expiry date or a serial number, which retailers and brands can use for stock rotation, traceability and recalls. A QR code with GS1 Digital Link can also be scanned by a shopper’s phone to reach product information.

1D vs 2D: which codes are involved

Today’s retail barcodes are linear (1D): UPC-A, EAN-13 and EAN-8 encode only the GTIN, the Global Trade Item Number that identifies the product. GS1’s guideline for 2D in retail lists these options for the point of sale:

A Data Matrix symbol carrying a GS1 Digital Link URI is also allowed at the point of sale. Whichever you choose, the checkout reads the GTIN from it exactly as it would from the UPC or EAN.

The data a 2D code can carry

Each piece of data is identified by a GS1 Application Identifier (AI), the same numbers used in GS1-128 logistics barcodes:

Only the GTIN is required. Batch, expiry and serial values change from one production run (or one item) to the next, so they have to be printed on the line, for example by a thermal-transfer or inkjet coder, rather than fixed in the pack artwork. In the example, 271231 means 31 December 2027.

Why you keep the UPC or EAN

Checkouts will not all read 2D codes at the same time. GS1’s 2D-in-retail guideline says that until 90% of point-of-sale scanners can read GS1 2D barcodes and capture at least the GTIN, products carrying a retail 2D code need to keep a linear barcode for the till as well.

• Print both. The UPC-A or EAN-13 stays on the pack and the 2D code is added next to it.
• Use the same GTIN in both. The 2D code must identify the same product as the linear barcode on the same pack.
• Keep them separate. Each symbol keeps its own quiet zone; they sit side by side and never overlap.
• Removal follows readiness, not the calendar. Dropping the linear barcode depends on the scanner-readiness condition above, not on the 2027 date itself.

If your products only pass through checkouts that scan UPC and EAN, nothing about your current barcode stops working in 2027. Sunrise 2027 adds a capability; it does not invalidate existing barcodes.

How a GS1 Digital Link URI is built

A QR code at the checkout can’t hold just any web address. GS1 Digital Link is a standard way of writing GS1 identifiers into a URL, so one code works as a product barcode at the till and as a link for a shopper’s phone. A typical URI looks like this:

• Domain. Any domain you control. GS1 operates a resolver at id.gs1.org, and the standard also allows your own brand domain. Whatever you use must answer: set up the landing page or redirect before you print.
• /01/ and a 14-digit GTIN. The GTIN is always written as 14 digits, so shorter GTINs get leading zeros: UPC-A 036000291452 becomes 00036000291452 and EAN-13 9506000134352 becomes 09506000134352.
• /10/ batch or lot and /21/ serial. Optional path segments. When both are used, the batch comes before the serial.
• ?17= expiry. Dates and other attributes go in the query string after a ?, written as 17=YYMMDD.
• Special characters. Characters that are not safe in a URL, such as /, # or % inside a batch or serial, must be percent-encoded.

A longer URI means more modules, so the QR code grows at the same X-dimension. GS1 advises against letters and special characters in the data where symbol size matters. A short domain and a GTIN-only link make the smallest code; batch and expiry can be added later.

Building one? The GS1 Digital Link generator assembles the URI from your GTIN and optional batch, expiry and serial, and draws the QR code.

Get a real GS1 GTIN first

Every code above starts with the GTIN, so it has to be yours. GTINs are built from a GS1 Company Prefix licensed to your company by your local GS1 member organisation, which is GS1 US in the United States. GS1 US points out that a GS1-issued barcode identifies your company as the brand owner, information retailers look for.

Be careful with resold barcode numbers. Cheap numbers from resellers come from a prefix that was licensed to a different company, so GS1 records won’t show you as the brand owner. Retailers and marketplaces that check GTINs against GS1 data can reject them, and a 2D code or Digital Link built on a resold number carries the same problem.

Once you have a prefix, give each product its own number, calculate the check digit, and use the same GTIN in the UPC or EAN and in the 2D code. The check digit calculator in the generator does the arithmetic.

Sizing and placement basics

The linear barcode

• An EAN-13 or UPC-A is 37.29 mm wide including quiet zones at 100% magnification, an X-dimension of 0.33 mm. GS1 allows 80% to 200% for general retail; the size guide lists each step.
• Don’t cut the bar height to fit the pack. Truncated barcodes are harder to scan from every angle, and GS1 specifications don’t allow the height to drop below the minimum.
• Keep the quiet zones clear: 11X on the left and 7X on the right for EAN-13, 9X on each side for UPC-A.

The 2D code

• Place it close to the linear barcode. GS1 guidance recommends that the 2D code, including its quiet zone, sits within 50 mm of the centre of the linear barcode. On large items this can be exceeded, but keep the gap small.
• Leave its quiet zone clear: 4X around a QR code, 1X around a GS1 DataMatrix.
• Expect it to be bigger than you think. GS1’s 2D-in-retail guideline uses 2D X-dimensions 1.5 times the linear ones, for example 0.495 mm where the linear barcode uses 0.33 mm.
• More data means a bigger symbol. GS1 Australia gives about 7 × 7 mm for a GS1 DataMatrix holding only a GTIN at minimum size; a QR code with a full Digital Link URI is larger.
• Use dark modules on a light background, the same as linear barcodes, and keep the code away from folds, seams and tight curves.

Sunrise 2027 checklist

• Your GTINs come from a GS1 Company Prefix licensed to your company.
• Every retail pack keeps its UPC-A or EAN-13.
• You have asked your main retailers which 2D options and data they expect.
• You have chosen a 2D type: a QR code with GS1 Digital Link for consumer packaging, or GS1 DataMatrix where no phone link is needed.
• You know which data to add now (GTIN only, or batch, expiry and serial) and whether your line can print variable data.
• The domain and landing page behind your Digital Link are live before printing.
• The URI writes the GTIN as 14 digits, puts the batch before the serial and the expiry in the query string.
• The 2D code sits within 50 mm of the linear barcode’s centre, with both quiet zones clear.
• A proof printed at actual size scans on a retail scanner and on a phone.
• Existing marketing QR codes are scheduled to move to GS1 Digital Link at the next redesign.

FAQ

Sources

GS1 publications this guide is based on. Standards change; check the current version before you finalise artwork.

1. GS1 US: Sunrise 2027
2. GS1: 2D barcodes at retail point-of-sale implementation guideline
3. GS1 Digital Link URI syntax standard
4. GS1 General Specifications
5. GS1 Australia: next generation 2D barcode FAQ
6. GS1 UK: where should the QR code go on retail packaging?
7. GS1 New Zealand: 2D barcodes for retail, things you need to know
8. GS1 US: How to get a UPC barcode