Sunrise 2027, explained

Sunrise 2027 is a retail-industry initiative, led by GS1 US together with major retailers and brands, with a simple ambition: by the end of 2027, checkout scanners should be able to read 2D barcodes — such as QR codes carrying a GS1 Digital Link — in addition to the traditional 1D barcodes used today.

What it is

The 1D barcode (the UPC or EAN stripe pattern) has identified products at checkout for about fifty years, and it does that one job well. But it can only hold a product number. It can’t carry a lot code, an expiration date, or a link to product information — and a consumer’s phone can’t scan it into anything useful.

2D barcodes like QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix can hold much more data in a small space, and every modern phone camera reads them natively. Sunrise 2027 is the industry’s coordinated effort to make point-of-sale systems capable of scanning them, so a single 2D code on a package can serve both the checkout lane and the consumer.

It was announced publicly by GS1 US and industry partners in 2023, and the transition work — scanner upgrades, pilot programs, packaging changes — has been underway since. If you’ve heard “2D barcode,” “GS1 Digital Link,” or “Sunrise 2027” from a retailer, a printer, or a trade publication, this is what they were referring to.

What the timeline actually means

“2027” is a readiness target, not a switch-over date. The ambition is that by the end of 2027, retail point-of-sale environments are capable of scanning 2D barcodes. In practice:

• Nothing turns off on a single date. Traditional UPC and EAN barcodes are expected to keep working throughout and beyond the transition.
• Dual marking is the normal bridge. Many brands print both the existing 1D barcode and a new 2D code on the same package while scanner capability rolls out.
• Retailer requirements will vary. Individual retailers set their own policies and timelines for what they accept or prefer. Confirm current requirements directly with your retail partners and with GS1 US (or your local GS1 member organization) rather than relying on any single summary — including this one.

Why it’s happening

• Consumers expect more from packaging. Ingredients, allergens, sourcing, instructions, promotions — a QR code connects the physical package to information that doesn’t fit on a label.
• Supply chains want lot-level data. When a code can carry a lot code and expiration date, recalls get faster and more precise, and freshness can be managed at the shelf.
• Retailers want one code that does both jobs. Today a package may carry a UPC for the store and a separate marketing QR for consumers. A GS1 Digital Link code can serve as both.

What it means for a small brand, practically

Large brands have packaging teams and systems integrators for this. Small food, beverage, and supplement brands usually don’t — but the actual to-do list is short:

• Your barcode numbers don’t change. The GTINs behind your existing UPCs are the same identifiers a GS1 Digital Link uses.
• Packaging artwork changes, not packaging itself. The change lands on your next print run: add a 2D code alongside (or eventually instead of) the 1D barcode.
• Someone has to host the link. A GS1 Digital Link is a URL, so it needs to resolve to something — your own website, or a resolver service that manages destinations and lot data for you.
• Starting early is cheap; starting late is rushed. Because artwork lead times are long, the low-cost path is learning what you need before the next reorder of labels or film.

See the practical getting-started steps →

What Sunrise 2027 is not

• Not a law or government mandate. It is an industry initiative. No regulation forces a brand to adopt 2D barcodes by a specific date.
• Not the end of the UPC. Existing 1D barcodes remain valid GS1 identifiers and keep scanning at checkout.
• Not a requirement to replace your packaging inventory. Brands transition at print-run boundaries; nobody credible expects existing stock to be stickered overnight.
• Not the same as the FDA food traceability rule. FSMA 204 is a separate, regulatory record-keeping rule for certain foods. The lot-level data a GS1 Digital Link can carry is complementary to that kind of traceability program, but one does not mandate the other.

Part of the OriginQR learning hub: What is a GS1 Digital Link? · Getting started · Glossary · FAQ