Sunrise 2027 is the global retail industry's target, coordinated by GS1, for point-of-sale systems to be able to scan 2D barcodes, QR codes and Data Matrix, by the end of 2027. It is not a law and no regulator enforces it. It is a migration plan agreed between retailers, scanner manufacturers and brands, and it will decide what gets printed on packaging for the next decade. GS1's own program page is at gs1.org, and GS1 US runs a dedicated Sunrise 2027 initiative.
What Sunrise 2027 actually commits to
The commitment is capability, not switchover: by the end of 2027, retail checkouts should be able to read a 2D barcode and process the transaction from it, exactly as they process a linear barcode today. Nobody turns the linear barcode off in 2028. What changes is that a pack carrying only a 2D code stops being un-sellable, and the industry can begin consolidating toward one symbol.
The date matters to brands because of lead times. Packaging designed in 2026 will be printed in runs that sit on shelves into 2028 and beyond. Retail buyers are already passing 2D requirements down their supplier lists, category by category. The question a brand should ask is not whether checkouts scan 2D codes today, but whether the pack being designed right now will look outdated to a buyer in eighteen months.
What actually changes at the till
Today's linear barcode carries one number. A 2D code carries the same number plus, optionally, a batch, a serial, an expiry date, and, when written as a GS1 Digital Link, a working web address. Retail wants that richer data for expiry-aware selling (a till that refuses to sell expired goods, or discounts near-dated ones automatically), for recall precision (blocking exactly the affected lot rather than stripping a whole category), and for inventory accuracy at item level.
What it asks of brands, concretely
1. Put a 2D code on the pack. During the transition most packs carry both codes side by side. That raises real label-space questions: GS1's dual marking guidance keeps the two symbols within 50 mm of each other so a single scan gesture finds both. Our dual marking guide covers the arithmetic, and the free generator checks whether both codes physically fit your label before you print.
2. Choose what the code carries. A plain GTIN-only QR satisfies checkout, but a Digital Link URI satisfies checkout and every other audience: shoppers, regulators, logistics. Since the printing cost is identical, encoding a URL is the strictly better choice. The comparison is spelled out in QR codes vs barcodes in 2027.
3. Make the URL answer properly. If the code carries a URL, something must answer it for both people and machines, which is what a GS1 resolver does. This is infrastructure brands should not build themselves; Onpack runs it free at any volume.
The quiet deadline inside the deadline
Packaging printed in 2026 will still be on shelves in 2028. If the 2D code you print today is a dead QR pointing at a stale campaign, it will be scanned by tills and phones for years. The safe move is to print a Digital Link whose destination is a setting rather than an artwork decision, so it can be repointed at any time after printing. That single property removes the risk from moving early.
Where to start this week
Work through the Sunrise 2027 checklist: confirm your GTINs, generate a Digital Link QR for one product, check the label fit, and scan it yourself. The whole exercise takes an afternoon, costs nothing, and converts an industry deadline into a solved problem.
Common questions
Is Sunrise 2027 a legal requirement?
No. It is an industry migration target coordinated by GS1, not legislation. The pressure comes from retailers and trading partners, who increasingly require 2D codes from suppliers, not from regulators.
Will linear barcodes stop working after 2027?
No. Sunrise 2027 is about checkouts gaining the ability to read 2D codes, not about switching linear barcodes off. Both will coexist on packs for years.
Does a Sunrise 2027 QR code have to be a GS1 Digital Link?
Checkout capability only requires a 2D symbol carrying GS1 data. But a Digital Link URI costs the same ink and also works for shoppers, regulators and machines, so it is the rational default.
What does it cost to get ready?
For most brands, close to nothing: GTINs are already licensed, QR generation is free, and Onpack resolves scans free at any volume. The real cost is artwork revision, which brands can fold into their next scheduled reprint.