# GS1 Sunrise 2027
> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/gs1-sunrise-2027
> research date 2026-06-03 · extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards
Specifications:
- [2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline — GS1](https://ref.gs1.org/guidelines/2d-in-retail/)
- [What is GS1 Sunrise 2027? — GS1 US](https://www.gs1us.org/industries-and-insights/by-topic/sunrise-2027)
# 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][1], [2][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][2], [4][4].
Sunrise 2027 does not invent a new code. It mandates capability and prescribes which existing carriers are acceptable at POS: a **[GS1 DataMatrix](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/gs1-datamatrix)**, or a **QR Code carrying [GS1 Digital Link](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/gs1-digital-link) URI syntax** (i.e. a [GS1 QR Code](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/gs1-qr-code)), or a Data Matrix carrying GS1 Digital Link URI syntax [1][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][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][1], [7][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][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][2], [3][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][2], [3][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][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][4].
**Permitted POS 2D carriers.** During and after the transition the allowable POS 2D barcode options are [1][1]:
- **GS1 DataMatrix** (see [GS1 DataMatrix](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/gs1-datamatrix));
- a **QR Code with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax** (see [GS1 QR Code](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/gs1-qr-code), [GS1 Digital Link](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/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][1], [2][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][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][1] (see [GS1 DataBar](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/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][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][2], [4][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][2] (see [GS1 Digital Link](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/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][2], [4][4].
- **Regulatory compliance.** 2D carriage supports expiry, country-of-origin, and other mandated attributes in markets that require them [2][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][2], [4][4]. The cost is that 2D codes need imager-based scanners rather than laser line scanners — the core upgrade the deadline targets [1][1], [2][2].
**GS1 DataMatrix vs GS1 Digital Link QR for Sunrise 2027.** Both are permitted POS carriers [1][1]. [GS1 DataMatrix](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/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](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/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][1], [2][2]. Brands choosing between them weigh footprint and supply-chain habit (favoring DataMatrix) against web-resolvability and shopper interaction (favoring Digital Link QR) [1][1], [2][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][1], [2][2]. The dual-barcode requirement remains in force until 90% of POS scanning solutions can read GS1-compliant POS 2D barcodes [1][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][2], [3][3]. The 1D barcode is not scheduled to be retired at the deadline; 2027 is a capability sunrise, not a 1D sunset [4][4].
## Sources
[1]: https://ref.gs1.org/guidelines/2d-in-retail/
[2]: https://www.gs1us.org/industries-and-insights/by-topic/sunrise-2027
[3]: https://cybra.com/gs1-sunrise-2027/
[4]: https://www.videojet.com/us/homepage/resources/learn/gs1-sunrise-initiative.html
[5]: https://www.videojet.com/us/homepage/resources/learn/gs1-sunrise-2027.html
[7]: https://www.gs1us.org/industries-and-insights/media-center/press-releases/gs1-us-releases-guidelines-to-help-accelerate-2d-barcode-adoptio
[1] [2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline](https://ref.gs1.org/guidelines/2d-in-retail/) — GS1
[2] [What is GS1 Sunrise 2027?](https://www.gs1us.org/industries-and-insights/by-topic/sunrise-2027) — GS1 US
[3] [GS1 Sunrise 2027 - Everything You Need to Know](https://cybra.com/gs1-sunrise-2027/) — CYBRA
[4] [GS1 Sunrise 2027: What is it & How 2D Barcodes Impact Businesses](https://www.videojet.com/us/homepage/resources/learn/gs1-sunrise-initiative.html) — Videojet
[5] [GS1 Sunrise 2027: The Transition Period](https://www.videojet.com/us/homepage/resources/learn/gs1-sunrise-2027.html) — Videojet
[7] [GS1 US Releases 2D Barcode Guidelines](https://www.gs1us.org/industries-and-insights/media-center/press-releases/gs1-us-releases-guidelines-to-help-accelerate-2d-barcode-adoptio) — GS1 US
## Deployments
_No country reports mention this standard by name._
## Regions / aggregations not mapped to a single country
- Universal