GS1 Sunrise 2027: what changes on your pack

The short version

• Sunrise 2027 is a goal for retailers. GS1 wants tills to be able to read 2D barcodes, the square kind, by 2027.
• It is not mandatory for brands. GS1 Australia says so directly.
• Keep your barcode. Linear barcodes stay during the change.

GS1 asks retailers to read 2D barcodes by 2027

GS1 is the organisation that issues barcode numbers and writes the standards behind them. GS1 Australia describes 2027 as a goal that all retailers should aim to scan 2D barcodes by then. GS1 US calls Sunrise 2027 a global transition from 1D barcodes to 2D barcodes, and it uses the word "milestone" for 2027.

A 1D or linear barcode is the familiar set of stripes. A 2D barcode is a square pattern, such as a QR code, that holds far more data.

2D barcodes are not mandatory for brands by 2027

News headlines often say barcodes will be replaced in 2027. GS1's own pages are more careful. GS1 Australia writes: "It is not mandatory for brands to implement 2D barcodes by 2027." GS1 US says it is not necessary to use every 2D capability by that date.

A large retailer or a law in your sector may still set its own date. EU rules for some products are one example. So ask your main retailers what they expect from you, and check the rules for your product.

Keep your linear barcode

GS1 Australia says linear barcodes "are not going away anytime soon". During the change, packs can carry both codes. It recommends placing the 2D code, including its clear margin, within 50 mm of the centre of the linear barcode. Both codes must carry the same GTIN, the product number under your barcode.

Which 2D codes count at the till

GS1 Australia lists 3 options for point of sale:

• QR Code with GS1 Digital Link. A phone can open it, so most consumer brands will look here first.
• Data Matrix with GS1 Digital Link. This is a smaller square symbol holding the same kind of link.
• GS1 DataMatrix. This holds data for scanners, not a web address for phones.

An ordinary QR code that opens your website is not one of these, because it does not carry your GTIN in the GS1 form. GS1 US suggests updating existing QR codes to GS1 Digital Link, including your GTIN.

What a small brand can do now

We suggest doing this in order, at your next planned reprint rather than as a special one. It follows the first steps of GS1 US's phased approach.

1. Ask your retailers. Find out whether they read 2D codes yet and what they want from you.
2. Choose the web address. GS1 allows any domain. Your own domain keeps you in control.
3. Make a test code. Use your GTIN alone at first: our free generator checks the number as you type.
4. Prepare the page behind it. The address must open a useful page before you print.
5. Add it to the pack. Keep the linear barcode, and scan a printed proof with two phones and, if you can, your retailer's scanner.

Add batch or expiry data only if you have a use for it. Those details change between runs, so each run needs its own printed code.

How QR Lasts helps

Our GS1 Digital Link generator is free and needs no account. The code holds your own address and does not pass through our servers, so it does not depend on a plan or on us. You still keep your domain and page working.

We do not issue GTINs, and a code from us does not guarantee that any retailer accepts it. If you want more background, read whether QR codes expire.

Other views

GS1 and scanner makers have an interest in this change, and most of what is published on it comes from them. Retailers move at different speeds, so your own retailers' answers matter more than any general date, including the ones on this page.

Sources

• GS1 Australia, Next generation 2D barcode FAQs, read 4 November 2026 (supports)
• GS1 US, What is GS1 Sunrise 2027?, read 4 November 2026 (context)
• GS1, Does everyone have to use id.gs1.org?, read 4 November 2026 (context)

If we have misread a source, tell us and we will correct it.