# GS1 DataBar

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/gs1-databar
> research date 2026-05-29 · extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [GS1 DataBar — GS1](https://www.gs1.org/standards/barcodes/gs1-databar)
- [GS1 DataBar — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1_DataBar)

## Overview

**GS1 DataBar** is a family of 1D linear barcode symbologies that **GS1 promotes as the modern successor to [EAN-13](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ean-13) / [UPC-A](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/upc-a) for retail product categories where space, structured data, or coupon-specific Application Identifiers matter** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>. Originally developed as **Reduced Space Symbology (RSS)** with an initial specification released by **AIM in 1999** <sup>[3][3]</sup>, it was **officially adopted and renamed by GS1 in 2007** and **mandated for global supply-chain use as of January 2011** <sup>[3][3]</sup>. Since **30 June 2015**, GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked has been the **US industry standard for retail coupons** <sup>[3][3]</sup>.

The DataBar family includes several variants — **DataBar Omnidirectional**, **DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional**, **DataBar Limited**, **DataBar Expanded**, and **DataBar Expanded Stacked** — each tuned for a different deployment context (fresh produce labels, small-package coupons, variable-measure items, etc.) <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>. The family's structural design priority is **smaller footprint than [EAN-13](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ean-13) / [UPC-A](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/upc-a) while encoding richer Application-Identifier data** beyond just the GTIN.

## History

**1999 — AIM publishes RSS specification** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: AIM (Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility) released the initial **Reduced Space Symbology (RSS)** specification. The motivating problem: retailers and brand owners needed to encode more data than EAN-13 / UPC-A could carry, in less printable space than [Code 128](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/code-128) / [EAN-13](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ean-13) required. Particular pressure came from:
- **Fresh produce labels** — small stickers on fruits and vegetables where EAN-13 is too large.
- **Variable-measure products** (weighed deli items, butcher meat) — needed to encode weight or price along with the GTIN.
- **Coupons** — needed to carry expiration date, serial number, manufacturer-specific offer codes alongside the product identifier.

**2007 — GS1 adopts and renames** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>: GS1 officially adopted RSS for supply-chain use and rebranded it as **GS1 DataBar**. The rename signalled GS1's strategic commitment to DataBar as the modern successor to its older EAN/UPC family.

**Coupon adoption phased rollout** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- **2007** — interim coupon transition began (GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked alongside legacy coupon codes).
- **2011** — final phase began (GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked as standalone coupon barcode).
- **30 June 2015** — GS1 DataBar became the **US industry standard for retail coupons** — mandated by major retailer chains and coupon clearinghouses <sup>[3][3]</sup>.

**January 2011 — GS1 DataBar formally adopted by the global supply chain** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: This is the date GS1 considers DataBar's "official" worldwide launch. From 2011 onwards, all retail POS scanners are expected to read GS1 DataBar natively.

## Technical specification

The GS1 DataBar family consists of **seven variants** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:

| Variant | Shape | Capacity | Primary use |
|---|---|---|---|
| **DataBar Omnidirectional** | Linear, normal height | 14-digit GTIN | Retail POS scanning at any orientation |
| **DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional** | Two-row stacked | 14-digit GTIN | Fresh produce labels, small packages where vertical space is limited |
| **DataBar Stacked** | Two-row stacked, shorter | 14-digit GTIN | Truncated for very small labels |
| **DataBar Truncated** | Linear, short height | 14-digit GTIN | Small-package labels |
| **DataBar Limited** | Linear, compact | 14-digit GTIN (limited number-system range) | Healthcare items, small-package GTINs |
| **DataBar Expanded** | Linear, longer | Up to **74 numeric digits** or **41 alphanumeric** | **Variable-measure products** (deli, butcher), coupon-AI encoding |
| **DataBar Expanded Stacked** | Multi-row stacked | Same capacity as Expanded; fits in smaller footprint | **Coupons** (US standard since 30 June 2015), small-package multi-AI |

**Common properties** <sup>[1][1]</sup>:
- **Bidirectional reading** at retail POS.
- **Omnidirectional scanning** (for the Omnidirectional variants) — readable at any rotation angle.
- **Public domain** — no licensing fees (governed by GS1 specifications).
- **GS1 Application Identifier framework** — DataBar Expanded carries the same AI structure as [Code 128](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/code-128) / GS1-128 (`(01)` GTIN, `(15)` best-before, `(17)` expiry, `(21)` serial, `(310n)` weight, etc.).

**Coupon-specific application** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- DataBar Expanded Stacked encodes coupons with **multiple Application Identifiers**: manufacturer GS1 prefix, offer code, expiration date, serial number, household identification, etc.
- Replaces the older UCC/EAN-128 coupon profile that used [Code 128](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/code-128) for the same data.
- Mandated for US coupons since 30 June 2015 <sup>[3][3]</sup>.

**Fresh produce / variable-measure use case** <sup>[1][1]</sup>:
- DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional encodes 14-digit GTIN in roughly the **footprint of a small produce sticker** (~25 mm × 16 mm).
- DataBar Expanded carries weight (e.g., AI `(310n)` for net weight) or price for variable-measure deli items.
- Both work at standard supermarket POS scanners without hardware changes.

## Use cases

GS1 DataBar's deployment is concentrated in **retail categories where [EAN-13](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ean-13) / [UPC-A](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/upc-a) / [Code 128](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/code-128) don't fit well** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:

- **Fresh produce labels** — DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional on the small adhesive stickers applied to individual fruits and vegetables. Encodes the variety code (PLU) plus optional brand / organic indicators.
- **Variable-measure products at the deli / butcher / fish counter** — DataBar Expanded encoding GTIN + weight + price from the in-store scale's print-and-apply labeller.
- **US retail coupons** — **DataBar Expanded Stacked** since 30 June 2015 <sup>[3][3]</sup>. Carries manufacturer ID, offer code, expiration date, serial number, household identifier — all in one barcode where legacy coupons used multiple codes.
- **Pharmacy retail (OTC and small pharmaceutical packages)** — DataBar Limited where [EAN-13](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ean-13) is too large for the package face.
- **Healthcare items** — DataBar Stacked for small-format medical-device labelling.
- **Cosmetics and beauty (small-package retail)** — DataBar Stacked where the product face is too small for EAN-13.
- **Catch-weight protein** (chicken, beef, fish at retail) — DataBar Expanded with weight encoding.

**Where DataBar has NOT yet displaced its predecessors** <sup>[1][1]</sup>:
- **General retail packaged-goods** — [EAN-13](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ean-13) and [UPC-A](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/upc-a) remain dominant on standard-sized boxes, cans, bottles. DataBar adoption at this level has been slow because retailers haven't required migration.
- **Shipping cartons** — [ITF](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/itf) (ITF-14) and [Code 128](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/code-128) (GS1-128) remain dominant. DataBar wasn't designed to compete in this segment.

## Implementations

GS1 DataBar has **universal POS-scanner support** since the early 2010s — every commercial POS scanner installed after ~2012 reads the full DataBar family natively <sup>[7][7]</sup>:

- **Java + many ports** — [zxing/zxing][7] — 34 000★, active 2025. Decodes GS1 DataBar variants alongside other 1D and 2D symbologies.
- **C / C++** — `libzint` (Zint barcode generator) — comprehensive DataBar family support.
- **Python** — `python-barcode`, `treepoem`, `pyzbar`.
- **PHP** — `picqer/php-barcode-generator`.
- **JavaScript** — `JsBarcode`, `bwip-js`.
- **C# / .NET** — `ZXing.Net`, `Aspose.BarCode`, `Dynamsoft Barcode Reader`, GS1-specific commercial generators.
- **OS-level mobile** — iOS AVFoundation, Android CameraX / ML Kit support GS1 DataBar (typically exposed under a unified "GS1 DataBar" symbology type).
- **POS scanners** — every commercial POS scanner manufactured since ~2010 (NCR, Datalogic, Honeywell, Symbol/Zebra, Cognex) reads the DataBar family.
- **Mobile SDKs** — Scanbot, Scandit, Anyline, Dynamsoft.
- **Thermal printers** — Zebra, Honeywell, SATO support GS1 DataBar from their command languages (ZPL, EPL).
- **In-store scales** — modern deli / produce / butcher scales (Mettler Toledo, Bizerba, Avery Berkel, Digi) generate DataBar Expanded for variable-measure pricing.

**Reference documentation** <sup>[2][2], [4][4]</sup>:
- [GS1 DataBar standard][2] — GS1's official specifications.
- [GS1 DataBar Business Case (2007)][4] — GS1's strategic positioning document.

## Comparison

**vs. [EAN-13](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/ean-13) / [UPC-A](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/upc-a)** — DataBar's intended successor / complement. DataBar **fits in smaller printable footprints** than EAN-13 / UPC-A and **encodes richer GTIN + AI data** that EAN-13 / UPC-A can't. However, EAN-13 / UPC-A's 50-year installed base in general retail packaged-goods means DataBar adoption has been **gradual rather than displacing**. The split:
- **Standard retail packaging** → EAN-13 / UPC-A continues
- **Small / fresh produce / coupons / variable-measure** → DataBar [[ean-13-ref], [upc-a-ref]]

**vs. [Code 128](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/code-128) (and GS1-128)** — DataBar Expanded encodes the same GS1 Application Identifier structure as GS1-128 but in **2D-friendly smaller footprints** for retail POS contexts. GS1-128 dominates **shipping carton / outer pack** (where horizontal space is plentiful); GS1 DataBar Expanded dominates **retail variable-measure / coupons** (where space is constrained and POS scanners read at the front-of-store) [[code-128-ref]].

**vs. [ITF](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/itf) (ITF-14)** — Different deployment niche. ITF-14 is **shipping-carton GTIN-14 encoding**; DataBar is **retail item-level**. The two don't overlap at the supply-chain-level point of use [[itf-ref]].

**vs. [Data Matrix](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/data-matrix) (GS1 DataMatrix)** — The 2D alternative. GS1 DataMatrix is increasingly used for **regulated retail categories** where serialisation (pharmaceutical-grade tracking) is required, and for **very small-package marking** (medical devices, cosmetics under regulatory mandate). DataBar Expanded Stacked encoded similar data in 1D form; GS1 DataMatrix encodes more data in less space at the cost of requiring 2D-capable scanners. Both coexist [[data-matrix-ref]].

**vs. legacy UCC/EAN-128 coupon profile** — Specifically: the GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked coupon-barcode standard **replaced the older UCC/EAN-128-based coupon barcode** in US retail. The transition began in 2007 and was completed by 30 June 2015 <sup>[3][3]</sup>. Modern US coupons all use GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked.

## Fun facts

**GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked is the US industry standard for retail coupons since 30 June 2015** <sup>[3][3]</sup> — a regulatory-style mandate from US coupon clearinghouses (Inmar, NCH Marketing, Catalina Marketing, etc.) that required brand owners to migrate from legacy coupon barcodes by that date. After the deadline, legacy-format coupons were no longer guaranteed to be clearable through the major US coupon-redemption networks. This is one of the rare cases of a coordinated barcode-standard migration with a hard cut-off date.

**The rename from "RSS" (Reduced Space Symbology) to "GS1 DataBar" in 2007** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup> was a deliberate GS1 brand strategy. "RSS" sounds technical / niche; "GS1 DataBar" positions the standard as part of the same family as the EAN/UPC barcodes retailers already understand. The technology was unchanged; the marketing repositioning was substantial.

**Fresh produce stickers** <sup>[1][1]</sup> are one of the most underappreciated barcode-symbology applications. Every banana / apple / orange / tomato in a major grocery chain has a small adhesive PLU sticker — increasingly with a GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional encoding the variety, country of origin, and (for premium organic / branded produce) brand identification. **Billions of these stickers print annually**, making produce-stickering one of the larger ongoing DataBar print volumes.

**Variable-measure pricing at the deli counter** <sup>[1][1]</sup> is a structurally important DataBar use case. When you order 250 g of sliced ham, the counter scale weighs it, calculates the price, and prints a DataBar Expanded label encoding the **GTIN + weight + price**. At checkout, the standard supermarket POS scanner reads this label and rings up the correct variable price — without the operator entering anything manually. This **closed-loop "weigh, label, scan, charge"** workflow is the operational reason DataBar Expanded matters in modern supermarkets.

The **DataBar Limited variant** <sup>[1][1]</sup> has a **restricted number-system range** (only certain GTIN-14 number-system character ranges) to keep the symbol very compact. It's specifically designed for healthcare items and small-package retail where every millimetre of printable real estate matters.

## Status

**Active, growing in target retail niches, supplementing EAN/UPC** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:

- **GS1 General Specifications** (current edition) defines the DataBar family
- **Universal POS scanner support** since ~2012
- **US coupon mandate** since 30 June 2015 — GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked is the canonical US coupon barcode
- **Public domain** — no licensing fees
- **Fresh produce, variable-measure, healthcare, small-package retail** — DataBar's defining niches

**Strategic context**:
- **GS1 SunRise 2027** initiative — GS1's multi-year roadmap to migrate primary retail item-level identification to 2D codes (GS1 DataMatrix or QR with embedded GS1 data) by 2027 in some product categories. **GS1 DataBar's adoption trajectory may slow** as 2D successors take some of its target use cases.
- **Coupon migration** is essentially complete; DataBar Expanded Stacked is universal in US retail coupon distribution.
- **Fresh produce and variable-measure** adoption continues to grow as new in-store scales and produce-labeller equipment ships with DataBar generation by default.
- No deprecation planned for the DataBar family itself.

## Sources

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GS1_DataBar
[2]: https://www.gs1.org/standards/barcodes/gs1-databar
[3]: https://free-barcode.com/barcode/barcode-history/history-gs1-databar-rss.asp
[4]: https://www.gs1.org/docs/barcodes/databar/GS1_DataBar_Business_Case_Complete.pdf
[5]: https://www.neodynamic.com/barcodes/GS1-DataBar-Expanded-Barcode.aspx
[6]: https://help.accusoft.com/BarcodeXpress/v9.0/activex/GS1%20DataBar.html
[7]: https://github.com/zxing/zxing
[code-128-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/code-128
[ean-13-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/ean-13
[upc-a-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/upc-a
[itf-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/itf
[data-matrix-ref]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/standards/data-matrix

1. [GS1 DataBar — Wikipedia][1]
2. [GS1 DataBar — GS1][2]
3. [History of GS1 DataBar (RSS) — Free Barcode][3]
4. [GS1 DataBar Business Case (2007)][4]
5. [GS1 DataBar Expanded — Neodynamic][5]
6. [GS1 DataBar — Accusoft Barcode Xpress][6]
7. [zxing/zxing — GitHub][7]

## Deployments

_No country reports mention this standard by name._

## Regions / aggregations not mapped to a single country

- Universal