[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":242},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page-\u002Fguides\u002Fwhat-is-sunrise-2027":3,"related-\u002Fguides\u002Fwhat-is-sunrise-2027":224},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":210,"description":211,"extension":212,"heading":5,"heroImage":210,"heroImageAlt":213,"layout":214,"meta":215,"navigation":216,"ogImage":217,"path":218,"publishedAt":219,"sections":210,"seo":220,"sourcePath":221,"stem":222,"updatedAt":219,"videoPosition":210,"videos":210,"__hash__":223},"pages\u002Fguides\u002Fwhat-is-sunrise-2027.md","What is Sunrise 2027? The plain-English guide for brands","Casandra",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":196},"minimark",[10,14,17,22,25,28,37,45,49,52,104,112,116,119,122,129,132,135,139,142,145,150,153,161,170,174,179,182,186,189,193],[11,12,13],"p",{},"Sunrise 2027 is GS1's global initiative for retail checkouts to be able to read 2D barcodes, meaning QR codes and Data Matrix codes, by the end of 2027. It is not a new law and it is not a switch-off date for the barcode you already know. It is a coordinated push, agreed across the retail and manufacturing industry, to upgrade the checkout scanners in shops so they can read the richer 2D codes alongside the old striped barcode. The goal is a world where a single code on a pack can serve the till, the shopper and the regulator at once.",[11,15,16],{},"If you make or sell physical products, Sunrise 2027 matters because it changes what the code on your packaging can do. This guide covers what the initiative is, the dates that matter, what it is not, and what a brand can do now.",[18,19,21],"h2",{"id":20},"why-replace-a-barcode-that-works","Why replace a barcode that works?",[11,23,24],{},"The short answer is that the striped barcode does one job well and no others. The linear EAN or UPC barcode on the back of a product exists to do a single thing at the till: look up a price. It encodes a GTIN, the global number that identifies the product, and that is all the checkout needs to ring up the sale. It has done this reliably for fifty years.",[11,26,27],{},"What it cannot do is carry anything else. A linear barcode has no room for a batch number, an expiry date, a recall reference or a link to more information. That data has to live in separate systems, and often it does not travel with the product at all. When a shopper wants provenance, or a store needs to pull expired stock, the humble stripe has nothing to offer.",[11,29,30,31,36],{},"A 2D barcode changes that. A QR code or a Data Matrix stores data across a grid rather than in the widths of lines, so it holds far more in a smaller space. The same code can carry the GTIN for the till and, at the same time, a batch, an expiry, a serial number or a web address for the shopper. If you want to understand how the two 2D formats differ, see our guide on ",[32,33,35],"a",{"href":34},"\u002Fguides\u002Fqr-code-vs-data-matrix\u002F","QR code vs Data Matrix",". Sunrise 2027 is the industry agreeing to make checkouts ready for this richer code, so that one symbol can eventually do the work the stripe cannot.",[11,38,39],{},[40,41],"img",{"alt":42,"src":43,"title":44},"A plain striped linear barcode beside a modern 2D QR code, with floating data chips above the 2D code showing that it holds far more in the same space: batch, expiry, a web link and the product identity","\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F08\u002Fstriped-barcode-vs-2d-code.webp","The striped barcode carries a single number. The 2D code holds far more in the same space.",[18,46,48],{"id":47},"the-key-dates","The key dates",[11,50,51],{},"The direct answer on timing: Sunrise 2027 targets the end of 2027 for checkouts to be able to read 2D codes, but the whole period from now until then is a gradual transition, not a single event. The table below sets out the milestones that matter, including the one genuine legal deadline that sits alongside the initiative.",[53,54,55,68],"table",{},[56,57,58],"thead",{},[59,60,61,65],"tr",{},[62,63,64],"th",{},"Date",[62,66,67],{},"What happens",[69,70,71,80,88,96],"tbody",{},[59,72,73,77],{},[74,75,76],"td",{},"Now to 2027",[74,78,79],{},"Transition phase, a dual-code period",[59,81,82,85],{},[74,83,84],{},"February 2027",[74,86,87],{},"EU Digital Product Passport applies to batteries",[59,89,90,93],{},[74,91,92],{},"End of 2027",[74,94,95],{},"Sunrise 2027 target: checkouts able to read 2D codes",[59,97,98,101],{},[74,99,100],{},"After 2027",[74,102,103],{},"Progressive retirement of the striped barcode",[11,105,106,107,111],{},"Two of these entries are worth separating clearly. The end of 2027 target is an industry goal set through GS1, the organisation that manages the global barcode standard. The February 2027 entry is different in kind: it is a legal deadline under the EU Digital Product Passport rules, and it applies specifically to batteries from 18 February 2027. The two are often mentioned together because they point the same way, toward richer product data, but only one of them is a law. You can read more in our guide to the ",[32,108,110],{"href":109},"\u002Fguides\u002Feuropean-digital-product-passport-dpp\u002F","European Digital Product Passport",".",[18,113,115],{"id":114},"what-sunrise-2027-is-not","What Sunrise 2027 is not",[11,117,118],{},"The direct answer: Sunrise 2027 is an industry initiative, not a legal mandate, and it does not force anyone to change their packaging overnight. Because the name sounds official and the date is fixed, it is easy to read more into it than is really there. Three clarifications save a lot of confusion.",[11,120,121],{},"First, it is not a legal mandate. No government has passed a Sunrise 2027 law. It is a target agreed across the GS1 community of retailers and manufacturers, and it commits scanner makers and stores to be ready, not brands to comply by a certain day.",[11,123,124,125,111],{},"Second, it is not a requirement to put URLs on your packs. A 2D code carrying only the GTIN is enough to satisfy the checkout, and adding a web link with GS1 Digital Link is optional. What is actually required versus what is simply worth doing is a topic in its own right, and we cover it in full in ",[32,126,128],{"href":127},"\u002Fguides\u002Fsunrise-2027-vs-gs1-digital-link\u002F","Sunrise 2027 vs GS1 Digital Link",[11,130,131],{},"Third, it is not a hard switch-off date for the old barcode. Nothing stops working at the end of 2027. The striped barcode will be retired progressively, over years, as scanners and packaging catch up. The dual-code period is designed to make the change gentle, not abrupt.",[11,133,134],{},"None of this means there is no pressure to move. The mandate is commercial rather than legal. As retailers standardize on 2D at the checkout, they expect the products they stock to be ready, and a supplier that is not can lose the listing to one that is. Some large retailers are already asking their suppliers to prepare. So the honest reading is that no law forces the change, but the market increasingly will.",[18,136,138],{"id":137},"what-should-a-brand-do-now","What should a brand do now?",[11,140,141],{},"The direct answer: use the runway. There is no need to panic, but there is real value in preparing early, because the brands that move first turn a compliance chore into a marketing and operations advantage. Four steps make sense for almost any brand.",[11,143,144],{},"Audit your product data quality first. The richer code is only as good as the data behind it. Before you think about symbols on packs, check that your GTINs, batch records, expiry logic and product attributes are accurate and consistent. A 2D code that links to wrong or missing data is worse than no code at all.",[11,146,147,148,111],{},"Decide your level of ambition. There is a genuine choice here, from a plain 2D code that only carries the GTIN to a GS1 Digital Link code that turns the same pack into a channel for product information, provenance and engagement. What matters at this stage is simply deciding how far you want to go; we lay out the options, and which suits which brand, in ",[32,149,128],{"href":127},[11,151,152],{},"Align packaging changes with your natural cycles. You almost never need a special print run for Sunrise 2027. The cheapest way to adopt a 2D code is to fold it into the packaging redesigns you were going to do anyway, when a label is refreshed, a range is relaunched or artwork is updated. Plan the transition around those moments and the cost approaches zero.",[11,154,155,156,160],{},"If you sell in Europe, synchronise Sunrise with the Digital Product Passport. For European brands the two efforts overlap heavily. The DPP will require a data carrier on regulated products, and a 2D code is the natural choice. Treating Sunrise 2027 and the DPP as one project, rather than two, avoids doing the same packaging work twice. Our pillar guide on ",[32,157,159],{"href":158},"\u002Fguides\u002Fare-qr-codes-on-products-safe\u002F","2D barcode doubts"," is a good place to start if you are weighing the wider questions.",[11,162,163,164,111],{},"Ready to see what a 2D code can carry for your products? ",[32,165,169],{"href":166,"rel":167},"https:\u002F\u002Fapp.digital-link.com\u002Fen\u002Fsign-up",[168],"nofollow","Create a free account and try it",[18,171,173],{"id":172},"frequently-asked-questions","Frequently asked questions",[175,176,178],"h3",{"id":177},"is-sunrise-2027-a-law","Is Sunrise 2027 a law?",[11,180,181],{},"No. Sunrise 2027 is an industry initiative coordinated through GS1, not legislation. It commits the retail sector to making checkouts able to read 2D barcodes by the end of 2027, but it does not oblige brands to comply by a legal deadline. The one legal deadline nearby is separate: the EU Digital Product Passport for batteries, which applies from 18 February 2027.",[175,183,185],{"id":184},"do-i-have-to-use-qr-codes","Do I have to use QR codes?",[11,187,188],{},"No, not specifically. A 2D code that carries the GTIN is enough to meet the aim of Sunrise 2027, and that can be either a Data Matrix or a QR code. QR codes are popular on consumer packaging because they are large, robust and phone-friendly, while Data Matrix codes suit small or regulated items. The choice is yours. Adding a web link through GS1 Digital Link is also optional, not required.",[175,190,192],{"id":191},"will-the-old-barcode-stop-working-in-2027","Will the old barcode stop working in 2027?",[11,194,195],{},"No. There is no hard switch-off. The striped linear barcode will be retired progressively over several years, well beyond 2027, during a dual-code transition period in which both the old and new codes are accepted. Your existing barcodes keep working while the industry gradually moves to 2D.",{"title":197,"searchDepth":198,"depth":198,"links":199},"",3,[200,202,203,204,205],{"id":20,"depth":201,"text":21},2,{"id":47,"depth":201,"text":48},{"id":114,"depth":201,"text":115},{"id":137,"depth":201,"text":138},{"id":172,"depth":201,"text":173,"children":206},[207,208,209],{"id":177,"depth":198,"text":178},{"id":184,"depth":198,"text":185},{"id":191,"depth":198,"text":192},null,"Sunrise 2027 is GS1's initiative for retail checkouts to read 2D barcodes (QR, Data Matrix) by end of 2027. Key dates and what brands should do now.","md","A striped linear barcode transforming into a modern 2D QR code, illustrating the Sunrise 2027 move to 2D barcodes at retail checkouts","article",{},true,"\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F08\u002Fwhat-is-sunrise-2027.webp","\u002Fguides\u002Fwhat-is-sunrise-2027","2026-08-21T10:00:00+02:00",{"title":5,"description":211},"\u002Fguides\u002Fwhat-is-sunrise-2027\u002F","guides\u002Fwhat-is-sunrise-2027","t7NvqM3hEKK4urTDtRrgk6cKiMXcW9eoaFFHVBMTEE8",[225,229,235],{"path":226,"sourcePath":127,"title":227,"heading":227,"ogImage":228,"publishedAt":219},"\u002Fguides\u002Fsunrise-2027-vs-gs1-digital-link","Sunrise 2027 vs GS1 Digital Link: what's mandatory and what's optional","\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F08\u002Fsunrise-2027-vs-gs1-digital-link.webp",{"path":230,"sourcePath":158,"title":231,"heading":232,"ogImage":233,"publishedAt":234},"\u002Fguides\u002Fare-qr-codes-on-products-safe","Is the new 2D barcode safe? Honest answers to the internet's 7 biggest doubts","Are QR codes on products safe? Honest answers to the internet's 7 biggest doubts about the 2D barcode transition","\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F08\u002Fare-qr-codes-safe.webp","2026-08-20T10:00:00+02:00",{"path":236,"sourcePath":237,"title":238,"heading":239,"ogImage":240,"publishedAt":241},"\u002Fguides\u002Fdigital-product-passport-cost","\u002Fguides\u002Fdigital-product-passport-cost\u002F","How much does a Digital Product Passport cost?","How much does a Digital Product Passport cost? A full breakdown","\u002Fimages\u002F2026\u002F08\u002Fdigital-product-passport-cost.webp","2026-08-19T10:00:00+02:00",1787305759852]