GS1 Sunrise 2027: A Developer's Guide to 2D Barcodes

Updated July 2026 · 6 min read · by the team behind the GS1Kit API

The short version: by the end of 2027, retail point-of-sale systems worldwide are expected to accept 2D barcodes — GS1 DataMatrix and QR Codes carrying GS1 Digital Link URIs — alongside the familiar EAN/UPC stripes. GS1 calls this milestone Sunrise 2027. If you build label software, packaging workflows, inventory, traceability, or e-commerce product systems, this transition lands in your codebase.

Why retail is moving to 2D

A traditional EAN/UPC barcode carries one thing: the GTIN. A 2D symbol carries the GTIN plus batch/lot, serial number, expiry date, weight and more — which enables expiry-aware checkout (stores can automatically block the sale of recalled or expired goods), precise recalls, better traceability, and less packaging clutter. And when the 2D symbol is a QR Code with a Digital Link URI, the same symbol scans at the till and in a consumer's phone camera, resolving to a product page you control.

The two formats that matter

Format	Content syntax	Use when
GS1 DataMatrix	Element strings — (01)04006381333931(17)271231(10)L1 with FNC1	Regulated/healthcare labeling, logistics, tight print space
QR + GS1 Digital Link	A web URI — https://id.gs1.org/01/04006381333931/10/L1?17=271231	Consumer packs — phone-scannable, links to your product page, POS-ready

A Digital Link URI encodes GS1 Application Identifiers into a standardized path: primary key first (/01/ = GTIN), then qualifiers in mandated order (/22/ CPV, /10/ lot, /21/ serial), with remaining AIs as query parameters. You can host it on id.gs1.org or your own resolver domain.

What developers actually have to build

• Generation: turn product data into a valid element string or Digital Link URI, then render the symbol. Check digits, YYMMDD dates, and per-AI length/charset rules must be validated before a million labels get printed.
• Parsing: whatever a scanner emits — bracketed element strings, raw FNC1 data with ]d2-style symbology identifiers, or Digital Link URIs — your system needs the AIs back out, validated.
• Both directions must agree: the GTIN in your ERP, the one on the label, and the one the scanner reads.

Doing it with one API call

You can implement the GS1 General Specifications yourself (the AI table alone runs to hundreds of entries), or call an API that already did:

# Build + validate a Digital Link from product data
curl -X POST https://gs1kit-digital-link-2d-barcodes.p.rapidapi.com/gs1/link \
  -H "content-type: application/json" -H "X-RapidAPI-Key: $KEY" \
  -H "X-RapidAPI-Host: gs1kit-digital-link-2d-barcodes.p.rapidapi.com" \
  -d '{"gtin":"4006381333931","lot":"L1","expiry":"2027-12-31"}'

# → { "uri": "https://id.gs1.org/01/04006381333931/10/L1?17=271231",
#     "elementString": "(01)04006381333931(17)271231(10)L1", "ais": [...] }

# Render the Sunrise 2027 symbol (gs1datamatrix | qr | gs1-128)
curl -X POST .../gs1/barcode -d '{"gtin":"4006381333931","lot":"L1",
  "expiry":"2027-12-31","symbology":"gs1datamatrix","format":"svg"}'

Invalid data (a wrong check digit, month 13, an over-long lot) returns a clear 400 listing each failing AI — not a scannable-but-wrong label.

FAQ

Is Sunrise 2027 a legal requirement?

No — it's a GS1 industry milestone, not legislation. But major retailers and GS1 member organizations are aligning on it, and suppliers who can't provide 2D-capable labeling will feel it commercially.

Do 1D barcodes stop working?

No. EAN/UPC keeps scanning; Sunrise 2027 is about POS also accepting 2D. Expect both symbols on packs through a long transition.

QR Code or GS1 DataMatrix?

QR + Digital Link when consumers should scan it too; GS1 DataMatrix for regulated element-string contexts. Many programs will use both, in different places.

Do I need a GS1 membership?

GTINs are licensed through your local GS1 member organization; the encoding and rendering is the part tools can do for you.