GS1 Sunrise 2027: what brand owners need to know

If you're responsible for product packaging, brand compliance, or retail readiness, you've likely encountered the phrase "GS1 Sunrise 2027." It sounds like an industry buzzword, but it represents a concrete deadline that affects every product sold through a retail point-of-sale system. By 2027, retailers globally expect point-of-sale scanners to be capable of reading 2D codes — specifically GS1 Digital Link QR codes — in addition to, or instead of, traditional 1D barcodes.

This guide explains what Sunrise 2027 actually requires, what "2D capable" means in practice for retail POS systems, what brand owners need to do to be ready, and how to generate compliant codes today.

What GS1 Sunrise 2027 actually is

GS1 Sunrise 2027 is the name given to the global retail industry's commitment — coordinated by GS1, the standards body behind barcodes, GTINs, and supply-chain data — to have point-of-sale scanning infrastructure capable of reading 2D barcodes by the end of 2027.

It is not a law, and GS1 is not a regulator. But Sunrise 2027 carries real weight because it represents a firm, publicly committed timeline from the world's largest retailers, grocery chains, and point-of-sale system vendors — including Walmart, Carrefour, Tesco, and major POS platform providers. If your products are sold in modern retail, this deadline effectively applies to you.

The "2D" in question refers primarily to GS1 Digital Link QR codes — a standard that encodes a product's GTIN (the number inside every existing barcode) and optional supply-chain data (lot, batch, expiry date) into a QR code URL that retail scanners can read exactly as they read a traditional barcode today.

The Sunrise 2027 timeline

GS1 and the retail community have laid out a phased transition. Here is where each milestone sits:

• ✓
  2020–2023 — Standards finalised Done

  GS1 Digital Link (ISO/IEC 18975) and the GS1 Application Identifier framework were ratified. The technical specification for how QR codes carry GTIN and supply-chain data is complete and stable.

• ✓
  2023–2025 — Early adopters and pilots Done

  Leading brands in food, pharma, and beauty began deploying GS1 Digital Link QR codes alongside existing barcodes. Major retailers confirmed their Sunrise 2027 participation. POS vendors began development of 2D-capable scanning firmware.

• →
  2025–2027 — Packaging transition You are here

  Brand owners are integrating GS1 Digital Link QR codes into new and refreshed packaging artwork. The window to test, validate, and roll codes out through packaging production cycles is open now — and closing.

• 🎯
  End of 2027 — Sunrise date Deadline

  Participating retailers expect their point-of-sale scanning systems to be 2D capable. Brand owners whose packaging carries only a traditional 1D barcode will find themselves in a transition period where they may need to carry both codes until the 1D is phased out.

What "2D capable" means for point-of-sale

Point-of-sale scanners — the devices at supermarket checkouts, self-scan kiosks, and handheld retail terminals — have been tuned to read 1D barcodes for decades. "2D capable" means those scanners can now also decode QR codes and, critically, parse a GS1 Digital Link URL as if it were a traditional barcode.

This is a more significant change than it sounds. A standard QR code reader decodes a QR and returns a URL string — that's it. A 2D-capable POS scanner does three things differently:

1. It decodes the GS1 Digital Link URL structure. The scanner doesn't just return a URL — it parses the URL path to extract the GTIN (Application Identifier 01), lot number (AI 10), expiry date (AI 17), and any other encoded AIs, treating each one as a structured data element, exactly as it would with a GS1-128 barcode today.
2. It routes the GTIN to the product lookup system. The extracted GTIN is passed directly to the POS item database, just as it would be from a 1D barcode scan. Price, product name, tax class, and stock records all link to the same GTIN. The fact that it came from a QR code is transparent to the checkout system.
3. It uses additional AIs for enhanced workflows. Expiry date data (AI 17) can trigger freshness alerts at checkout. Lot numbers (AI 10) can be captured automatically for food safety recall systems. Serial numbers (AI 21) can support returns management. These are all invisible to the shopper but extremely valuable to retailers and regulators.

For brand owners, the implication is straightforward: a QR code on your packaging must be a properly structured GS1 Digital Link QR code, not a plain URL QR code. A plain URL QR code cannot be read by a POS scanner in the way Sunrise 2027 requires, because the GTIN is not encoded in a machine-readable, standards-compliant format.

What your brand needs to do before 2027

The transition is a packaging project as much as a technology project. Packaging artwork has long lead times — artwork freeze, print production, supply-chain drawdown of existing stock. The brands that will be ready for Sunrise 2027 are the ones acting in 2025 and 2026, not late 2027.

Here's a practical readiness checklist:

• 1
  Confirm your GTINs are registered with GS1. Your GS1 Digital Link QR code must contain a valid, licensed GTIN. If your products already carry an EAN-13 or UPC-A barcode, you already have one — it's the number embedded in that barcode, zero-padded to 14 digits. If you're not sure, check your GS1 member portal or contact your national GS1 organisation.
• 2
  Choose which Application Identifiers you need. At minimum, you need AI 01 (GTIN). For food and perishables, add AI 17 (expiry date) and AI 10 (lot/batch number). For serialised products, add AI 21 (serial number). The more AIs you include, the more utility the code provides — but even just the GTIN satisfies the core Sunrise 2027 POS requirement.
• 3
  Decide on your resolver domain. GS1 provides a global resolver at id.gs1.org. You can also host your own resolver at a brand-controlled domain (e.g. id.yourbrand.com) — this gives you full control over where scans are directed, including the ability to show different content to consumers versus retail scanners versus regulators. Either is valid for Sunrise 2027 compliance.
• 4
  Generate and test your QR codes. Use a GS1 Digital Link generator (like NOTaRentalQR's) to build compliant codes. Test them with both a consumer smartphone camera and a 2D-capable retail scanner if you have access to one — or use GS1's own verification tools to validate the URL structure. Confirm the GTIN resolves correctly.
• 5
  Integrate into your packaging artwork. GS1 Digital Link QR codes can coexist with your existing 1D barcode during the transition period — many brands are printing both. Work with your packaging designer to size the QR code correctly (minimum 2 cm × 2 cm for reliable scanning), ensure adequate quiet zone, and confirm the code is printed in solid black on a light background.
• 6
  Update your packaging across SKU refreshes. You don't need to reprint everything at once. The practical approach is to integrate GS1 Digital Link QR codes into each SKU's packaging at the next natural artwork revision or reprint. Map your packaging refresh schedule to ensure coverage before end of 2027.

GS1 Digital Link: a quick recap

GS1 Digital Link is the specific standard that powers Sunrise 2027. It defines how to encode a GTIN and other GS1 Application Identifiers as a URL, which can then be encoded into a QR code. The result is a QR code that is simultaneously:

• Consumer-scannable — any smartphone camera opens a product page, recipe, sustainability certificate, or promotion.
• POS-scannable — a 2D-capable retail scanner extracts the GTIN and processes it exactly like a barcode.
• Supply-chain-readable — warehouse and logistics systems extract lot, batch, expiry, and serial data from the same code.
• Regulatory-compliant — pharmaceutical and food safety systems can read mandatory serialisation data from the encoded AIs.

For a full technical breakdown of how GS1 Digital Link works, including the URL structure and Application Identifier reference, see our dedicated explainer: What is a GS1 Digital Link QR code?

Common questions from brand teams

Do I have to remove my existing barcode?
No — not immediately. During the transition, GS1 recommends carrying both the existing 1D barcode and the GS1 Digital Link QR code on packaging. Eventually, once POS infrastructure is universally 2D capable, the 1D barcode becomes redundant — but that is a decision for retailers and GS1 to communicate, not something brand owners need to force in 2027.

Can I use a plain QR code that links to a product page?
Not for Sunrise 2027 POS compliance. A plain URL QR code (e.g. yourbrand.com/products/item-123) is not decodable by a POS scanner in the way a GS1 Digital Link QR code is. The GTIN must be in the URL path in the correct GS1 Application Identifier format for the scanner to extract it. A marketing QR code is not a substitute.

What if I sell through online-only channels?
If your products never touch a physical retail POS system, Sunrise 2027 has no direct operational impact on you. However, GS1 Digital Link QR codes still offer significant benefits: direct consumer engagement, traceability, product authentication, and sustainability credentials — all from a single printed code. Many online brands are adopting them proactively for these reasons.

Is there a cost to switching?
Generating GS1 Digital Link QR codes is straightforward and inexpensive — you can do it on NOTaRentalQR with your existing GTIN, free to try, with no subscription required. The main cost is packaging artwork revision and print production, which you will incur regardless at your next reprint cycle. The integration cost is minimal compared to the operational benefit of a single code that works everywhere.

What about small brands or emerging brands without major retail presence?
If you're planning to grow into retail, it's worth building GS1 Digital Link into your packaging from the start. Retrofitting packaging with a new code type is expensive and disruptive. If GS1 Digital Link is designed in from day one, the cost is essentially zero.

The bottom line

GS1 Sunrise 2027 is the retail industry's coordinated commitment to 2D-capable point-of-sale infrastructure. By the end of 2027, scanners at retail checkouts globally will be able to read GS1 Digital Link QR codes — and brand owners who have not integrated these codes into their packaging will be behind the curve.

The good news: acting now is straightforward. Your GTIN already exists. The QR code standard is stable. Generators like NOTaRentalQR can produce compliant codes in minutes. The window to integrate GS1 Digital Link into your next packaging revision is open — the question is whether you use it.