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By the VixQR team · published on · 3 min read

GS1 Sunrise 2027: Are QR Codes Replacing Barcodes?

For fifty years, the EAN or UPC barcode has done one essential job: identify a product quickly at checkout. It normally carries little more than an…

GS1 Sunrise 2027: Are QR Codes Replacing Barcodes?

For fifty years, the EAN or UPC barcode has done one essential job: identify a product quickly at checkout. It normally carries little more than an identifier. Batch numbers, expiry dates, instructions, ingredient origins and recycling information live elsewhere.

GS1 wants to expand what a product code can do. Its 2027 ambition is for retail point-of-sale systems to read and process next-generation 2D barcodes, including QR Codes powered by GS1 and GS1 DataMatrix, by the end of 2027. The programme is widely known as Sunrise 2027.

Linear barcodes will not disappear overnight

“Sunrise” describes the arrival of a new capability, not an instant shutdown of the old format. The end of 2027 is a readiness target for checkout systems. Adoption will vary by market, product category and trading network.

During the transition, many packs will carry two symbols: an EAN-13 or UPC for existing systems and a GS1 2D code for richer functions. Moving to one symbol makes sense only when printing, quality control, warehouses, checkouts and backend software can all process the data correctly.

Why move to a 2D barcode?

A 2D code can carry more than a GTIN. Depending on the use case, it can encode or connect to:

  • a batch, lot or serial number;
  • an expiry or best-before date;
  • traceability information;
  • instructions and recycling guidance;
  • an updatable product page;
  • regulatory data or a Digital Product Passport.

At checkout, structured data can help stop a recalled or expired item. After purchase, the same symbol can open useful consumer content. One identifier can support both operations and engagement.

A GS1 QR Code is not just any QR code

A square pattern is not automatically GS1 compliant. Its data must follow the relevant GS1 standards. A QR code that simply contains a brand homepage is still a conventional QR code; it is not automatically a retail product identifier.

GS1 Digital Link expresses GS1 identifiers in a standardised Web address. A phone can treat the code as a URL while compatible business software can interpret its structured identifiers. In some sectors, GS1 DataMatrix or another GS1 syntax is the appropriate choice.

How to prepare without rushing

  1. Define the use case: checkout, traceability, consumer engagement or a combination.
  2. Confirm the required data structure with your local GS1 organisation.
  3. Check that scanners and POS software can parse the symbol, not merely capture it.
  4. Test the code on the real material, at the real size and operating speed.
  5. Keep the linear barcode during the period when part of the ecosystem still needs it.
  6. Maintain a durable Web destination if consumers will scan the code throughout the product’s life.

What this means for VixQR users

VixQR can create a conventional QR code linking to a product page, manual or online resource. A code intended for point-of-sale processing or formal GS1 compliance also requires governed identifiers, validated syntax and tests with trading partners. Producing a scannable image is only one part of that project.

Sunrise 2027 is not the overnight “death of the barcode.” It is the point at which retail is expected to support richer symbols. Brands should begin with the data and the user journey, then select the correct carrier.

Official sources

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