GS1 Sunrise 2027

Overview

GS1 Sunrise 2027 is an industry initiative, not a symbology or a data format. It is GS1's global program — branded "2D in Retail" or "2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale" — whose goal is that, by the end of 2027, retail point-of-sale (POS) scanning will be globally capable of reading and processing the GTIN from both existing linear barcodes and 2D barcodes [1, 2]. It marks the long-planned migration of the retail checkout from the half-century-old 1D EAN/UPC barcode to 2D codes that can additionally carry batch, expiry, serial, and a web link [2, 4].

Sunrise 2027 does not invent a new code. It mandates capability and prescribes which existing carriers are acceptable at POS: a gs1-datamatrix, or a QR Code carrying gs1-digital-link URI syntax (i.e. a gs1-qr-code), or a Data Matrix carrying GS1 Digital Link URI syntax [1]. The term "sunrise" denotes a capability deadline — the day a new capability must be live — as opposed to a "sunset" that retires an old one; the 1D barcode is explicitly not being switched off on that date [4].

History

GS1 and the retail industry set 2027 as the collaborative target for POS systems to be able to scan and process 2D barcodes at checkout [1, 7]. GS1 US published the 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline (with separate guidance for general merchandise/apparel and for healthcare) to give stakeholders practical advice for implementing 2D by 2027 [7]. The program has been pursued through a phased "Crawl-Walk-Run" approach rather than a single big-bang switchover, encompassing education and system upgrades, pilots, and broader dual-labelling adoption ahead of the 2027 milestone [2, 3]. Major brands and retailers have publicly backed the transition — for example Procter & Gamble's CEO endorsed the move to 2D for richer consumer information, regulatory compliance, and traceability, and dozens of large retailers have committed to piloting or supporting 2D POS scanning [2, 3].

Technical specification

The end-2027 capability target. The industry aims for "retail point-of-sale (POS) scanning to be globally capable of reading and processing the GTIN from both existing linear and 2D barcodes by the end of 2027" [1]. December 31, 2027 is a date by which 2D-scanning capability must be a baseline feature of compliant POS systems — it is not a shutdown date for the 1D barcode [4].

Permitted POS 2D carriers. During and after the transition the allowable POS 2D barcode options are [1]:

• GS1 DataMatrix (see gs1-datamatrix);
• a QR Code with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax (see gs1-qr-code, gs1-digital-link);
• a Data Matrix with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax.

All of these encode the GTIN (and optionally further GS1 Application Identifiers such as expiry, batch, and serial), which the till extracts at checkout [1, 2].

Dual-barcode transition rule. Until 2D scanning is ubiquitous, on-pack 2D codes must be accompanied by a linear POS barcode. The official guideline states: "Until 90% of POS scanning solutions are capable of using GS1 compliant POS 2D barcodes and at minimum capture the GTIN, any products using retail 2D barcodes on-pack will need to be accompanied by a POS linear barcode" [1]. In the transition period a trade item therefore "will feature both the current linear (i.e., EAN/UPC or GS1 DataBar retail POS family) barcode and either a GS1 DataMatrix or QR Code with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax" [1] (see gs1-databar).

Placement. Implementation guidance advises that during transition the 1D and 2D codes be kept close together — e.g. the 2D code within roughly a 50 mm radius of the centre of the EAN/UPC code — for consistent scanning [5].

Use cases

• Faster, data-rich checkout. A 2D code at POS can carry expiry and batch alongside the GTIN, enabling automatic enforcement of sell-by dates and markdown/recall handling at the till [2, 4].
• Convergent consumer engagement. A QR Code with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax serves the GTIN to the till and simultaneously opens product information, provenance, or instructions in a phone browser — one code, two functions [2] (see gs1-digital-link).
• Traceability and targeted recalls. Batch/serial carried in the 2D code lets retailers and regulators act at item or lot granularity [2, 4].
• Regulatory compliance. 2D carriage supports expiry, country-of-origin, and other mandated attributes in markets that require them [2].

Comparison

Linear EAN/UPC vs 2D at POS. The legacy 1D barcode encodes only the GTIN; it cannot carry batch, expiry, serial, or a web link. The Sunrise 2027 carriers add all of these in a small footprint, and (when a Digital Link URI) are also web-resolvable [2, 4]. The cost is that 2D codes need imager-based scanners rather than laser line scanners — the core upgrade the deadline targets [1, 2].

GS1 DataMatrix vs GS1 Digital Link QR for Sunrise 2027. Both are permitted POS carriers [1]. gs1-datamatrix encodes GS1 Application Identifiers via the FNC1 element-string model and is the established choice in healthcare and high-density industrial marking; it is compact and well suited to small carton faces. A QR Code with gs1-digital-link URI syntax encodes the identifiers as a web URL, so the same scan that feeds the till can also open browser content — making it the preferred carrier where consumer engagement is a goal [1, 2]. Brands choosing between them weigh footprint and supply-chain habit (favoring DataMatrix) against web-resolvability and shopper interaction (favoring Digital Link QR) [1, 2].

Status

As of 2026 the initiative is in its active transition phase. The binding target stands: POS systems should be able to scan and process 2D barcodes (at minimum capturing the GTIN) by the end of 2027 [1, 2]. The dual-barcode requirement remains in force until 90% of POS scanning solutions can read GS1-compliant POS 2D barcodes [1]. Many large retailers are piloting or rolling out 2D POS scanning, and brands are increasingly applying 2D codes alongside their existing EAN/UPC symbols [2, 3]. The 1D barcode is not scheduled to be retired at the deadline; 2027 is a capability sunrise, not a 1D sunset [4].

Sources

1 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline — GS1 2 What is GS1 Sunrise 2027? — GS1 US 3 GS1 Sunrise 2027 - Everything You Need to Know — CYBRA 4 GS1 Sunrise 2027: What is it & How 2D Barcodes Impact Businesses — Videojet 5 GS1 Sunrise 2027: The Transition Period — Videojet 7 GS1 US Releases 2D Barcode Guidelines — GS1 US

Deployments

No country reports mention this standard by name.

Regions / aggregations not mapped to a single country

• Universal