2D barcodes and Sunrise 2027: what changes at the checkout
Sunrise 2027 is GS1’s global initiative for points of sale to be able to read 2D barcodes — a QR code carrying a GS1 Digital Link, a GS1 DataMatrix — by the end of 2027, alongside legacy EAN codes.
What it actually is
Sunrise 2027 is not a legal obligation but an industry target, driven by GS1 together with its retailer and manufacturer members. The aim is for checkout equipment to read both code families, making a gradual transition possible.
That distinction matters: nobody will be penalised on 1 January 2028. What is at stake is the window during which a brand can migrate without risking that one of its retailers cannot scan its product.
What a 2D code adds
- It carries more information: beyond the GTIN, the batch, the durability date, the serial number.
- It is a web address: a shopper scanning it reaches the product page directly.
- It enables targeted withdrawal: recalling a single batch instead of an entire reference.
- It takes less space than an EAN at equal information density.
Preparing the transition
Migration is gradual: during the transition, most packaging carries both codes — the EAN for the checkout, the QR for everything else. Nothing forces a choice today.
The real preparatory work is not printing the code, but the data it serves. A brand that has not centralised its compositions, allergens and origins has nothing for its QR code to point to.