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GS1 Digital Link · Sunrise 2027

The barcode is becoming a QR code. Deadline: 31 December 2027.

GS1 — the body behind every retail barcode — has set the date: by the end of 2027, point-of-sale should scan 2D barcodes. [GS1] One QR on the pack will check out at the till and open web content in a shopper's camera. Behind every one of those codes sits a managed, re-pointable redirect — which is exactly what xengo runs.

Talk to us about Sunrise 2027 UK brands: sovereignty matters →

One code on the pack. Two jobs.

The till lane is the GS1 standard doing its job — a 2D barcode replacing the stripes. The bottom lane is ours: the printed code resolves through a redirect on your domain — so the destination can change forever, and every scan can fire an event the moment it happens.

The dates are set

  1. Now

    Puma, PepsiCo and P&G are piloting 2D codes on packaging; Walmart, Target and Carrefour are committed. A third of GS1 UK's 60,000 members plan implementation within 12 months. [GS1 UK]

  2. Feb 2027

    EU Digital Product Passports become mandatory for batteries — QR codes are the expected data carrier; textiles and more follow. [European Commission]

  3. 31 Dec 2027

    GS1 Sunrise 2027: retail point-of-sale should scan 2D barcodes. Every pack that wants one code for both checkout and content needs a resolvable, managed QR by then. [GS1 US]

What we do for the 2D barcode transition — today

Codes on your domain, not ours

The QR on your packaging should belong to your brand. Bring-your-own-domain with automatic HTTPS means the printed code points at infrastructure you name — and you keep the exit. Custom domains →

Printed once, re-pointed forever

Packaging runs are printed months ahead. Dynamic codes let you change the destination — campaign, regulatory content, a recall notice — without reprinting. Destination edits are unmetered on every plan. Dynamic QR →

A code per SKU, in one call

Bulk-create up to 500 codes per request via CSV or the REST API, then pull print-ready SVG per code — a label pipeline in two calls. Bulk API →

Every scan is an event

Scans arrive in your systems within seconds — signed webhooks, Slack, Teams or 20+ channels. Supply-chain telemetry, market surveillance, recall monitoring: the scan is the trigger. Real-time events →

Analytics by product, place and time

Bot-filtered scan analytics with country, city, device and source — see which SKUs get scanned, where, and when. Analytics →

Codes that can't die with a subscription

Packaging outlives billing cycles. Our continuity promise, in writing: codes are never deleted, no ads are ever injected, and your domain is your exit. The promise →

Need full GS1 Digital Link resolver conformance — the /01/{gtin} URI syntax and linkset responses? That's an engagement we scope together. Talk to us.

Frequently asked questions

What is GS1 Sunrise 2027?

GS1's global programme for retail point-of-sale to be able to scan 2D barcodes (QR codes) by 31 December 2027, alongside — and eventually instead of — the traditional striped barcode. Major retailers including Walmart, Target and Carrefour have committed, and brands like Puma, PepsiCo and P&G are already piloting 2D codes on packaging.

What is GS1 Digital Link?

A GS1 standard that encodes a product's GTIN (its barcode number) as a web URL inside a QR code. One printed code then does two jobs: it scans at the till like a barcode, and it resolves in a shopper's phone camera to web content — product information, provenance, recalls, promotions. The resolution step requires a managed redirect service behind the URL.

Does xengo provide a conformant GS1 Digital Link resolver?

Not off the shelf today — full Digital Link resolver conformance (the /01/{gtin} URI syntax and linkset responses) is an engagement we scope with you. What ships today is the infrastructure underneath it: dynamic QR on your own domain, bulk per-SKU code creation via API or CSV, re-pointable destinations after printing, scan analytics and real-time scan events. Talk to us about resolver conformance.

What is the EU Digital Product Passport, and is it related?

The EU's ESPR regulation requires products sold in the EU to carry a digital passport — starting with battery passports from February 2027, with textiles and other categories following. QR codes are the expected data carrier, which compounds the 2D-transition timeline for any brand selling into the EU.

Why does re-pointing matter for packaging?

Packaging is printed months ahead in enormous runs. A static QR locks the destination at print time; a dynamic code lets you change what it resolves to — new campaign, updated regulatory content, a recall notice — without touching the print. On xengo, destination edits are unmetered on every plan and codes are never deleted, even if billing lapses.