Industrybeginner11 min read

Sunrise 2027: Timeline, Deadlines, and What Brands Must Do

By 2027, the global retail industry will begin accepting 2D barcodes - like QR codes - at the point of sale. This initiative, known as Sunrise 2027, is led by GS1, the organization behind the barcodes already on every product you sell.

If you make, distribute, or sell physical products, this affects you. Here's what's happening, the full timeline of how we got here, and what you need to do.

What is Sunrise 2027?

Sunrise 2027 is GS1's global initiative to transition retail from traditional 1D barcodes (the familiar lines you see on every product) to 2D barcodes - specifically, GS1 Digital Link QR codes.

The key date: by 2027, major retailers worldwide will begin accepting 2D codes at checkout, alongside traditional barcodes. This doesn't mean 1D barcodes disappear overnight - it means the industry is opening the door to a more capable format.

The transition has already started. Several major retailers in the US and Europe are running pilot programs, and GS1 has been working with point-of-sale system vendors to ensure scanners can read both formats.

Why is this happening?

Traditional barcodes have one job: carry a product number (GTIN). That's it. The same barcode on a bottle of olive oil tells the register "this is product X" whether it was made yesterday or six months ago.

GS1 Digital Link QR codes carry a URL that encodes not just the GTIN, but potentially:

Batch and lot numbers for traceability
Expiration dates for automated freshness checks
Serial numbers for anti-counterfeiting
Links to product information - ingredients, allergens, sustainability data, promotions

One code replaces what used to require separate barcodes, QR codes, and printed text. For regulators pushing food safety traceability (like the FDA's FSMA 204 rule in the US), this is a significant step forward.

Sunrise 2027 timeline: key dates and milestones

2027 is the target date, but the transition has been underway for years. Here's the chronological reference.

Date	Milestone	Significance
Aug 2019	GS1 publishes the Digital Link standard (v1.0)	The technical foundation. Defines how to encode GTINs and other identifiers into web URIs.
May 2020	GS1 US Board of Governors approves the "Sunrise 2027" date	Sets the target: by end of 2027, retail point-of-sale systems should be able to read and process 2D barcodes alongside traditional 1D codes.
Nov 2022	FDA FSMA 204 Food Traceability Rule finalized	The rule requires certain foods to carry additional traceability data. Original compliance deadline set for January 2026 (later extended to July 2028). GS1 Digital Link becomes the leading on-pack solution.
2023	Major retailers begin 2D code pilot programs	Retailers across the US and Europe begin in-store pilots scanning QR codes at checkout alongside traditional barcodes.
2024	POS system vendors update scanner firmware	Datalogic, Zebra, Honeywell, and other scanner manufacturers release firmware updates supporting GS1 Digital Link QR code parsing at point of sale.
Jun 2024	GS1 Digital Link URI Syntax standard updated (v1.5)	Refinements to conformance levels, compression, and resolver requirements. Resolver standard also updated.
2025	Retailer readiness accelerates	More retailers upgrade POS systems. Industry working groups publish implementation guides. Solution providers expand resolver offerings.
2026	Early-mover brands add 2D codes to packaging	Brands preparing for 2027 begin adding QR codes alongside existing barcodes during scheduled packaging refreshes.
2027	Sunrise date: retailers begin accepting 2D codes at POS	The target date for broad retail acceptance. 2D codes can be scanned at checkout alongside (not instead of) traditional barcodes.
Jul 2028	FDA FSMA 204 compliance deadline (extended)	Originally set for January 2026, the FDA delayed enforcement by 30 months to July 2028. Covered food products must carry traceability data. Brands using GS1 Digital Link for on-pack data have a built-in compliance path.
2027+	Transition period	Traditional 1D barcodes continue to work. The industry gradually shifts toward 2D as the primary code, with 1D as backup and eventually phased out.

What "2027" actually means

The 2027 date is when retailers begin accepting 2D codes at the point of sale. It does not mean:

Traditional barcodes stop working in 2027 (they won't)
Every product must have a QR code by 2027 (there's no single mandate)
Retailers will refuse products without QR codes in 2027 (most will accept both for years)

What it does mean: the infrastructure will be in place. POS scanners will read QR codes. Retail systems will extract GTINs from GS1 Digital Link URIs. The door is open, and the industry will walk through it at varying speeds.

What does this mean for your brand?

If you sell through major retailers

Your retail partners will eventually require GS1-compliant 2D codes. The timeline varies by retailer, but early adopters are already requesting them. Getting ahead of the curve avoids last-minute scrambles when mandates arrive.

If you sell direct-to-consumer

You're not under immediate pressure, but the same QR code that works at retail checkout can also link consumers to product pages, how-to content, loyalty programs, and reorder links. And every scan gives you data -- where your products are being scanned, how often, and by whom. Most brands have no visibility into what happens after a product ships. A QR code with a resolver changes that.

If you're in food, beverage, or health products

Traceability requirements are tightening. The FDA's FSMA 204 rule requires certain foods to carry detailed traceability data. A GS1 Digital Link QR code is the most practical way to encode that information on-pack.

Regional differences

The timeline above is global, but adoption varies by region:

United States

The US is among the most aggressive adopters, driven partly by FSMA 204 traceability requirements. GS1 US has been actively coordinating with major retailers and CPG companies.

Europe

EU regulations on sustainability reporting and digital product passports (the EU Digital Product Passport) align with GS1 Digital Link. This creates parallel pressure to adopt 2D codes.

Asia-Pacific

Markets like Japan and South Korea have strong GS1 adoption. China uses a parallel system. Australia and New Zealand are aligned with the global GS1 timeline.

What do you actually need to do?

Here's the practical checklist:

Get a GS1 Company Prefix - If you don't already have one, register at gs1us.org (US) or your local GS1 office. This gives you the ability to assign GTINs to your products. See How to Get a GS1 Company Prefix.
Assign GTINs to your products - Each product variant (size, flavor, color) needs its own GTIN. If you're already using UPC barcodes, you already have these. See What Is a GTIN?.
Set up a GS1 Digital Link resolver - This is the web service that turns the URL in your QR code into the right destination. When someone scans your code, the resolver decides where to send them - product page, traceability data, retailer landing page, etc. Don't wait until 2027. Having your resolver running means you can add QR codes at your next print run.
Generate compliant QR codes - The QR code must encode a properly formatted GS1 Digital Link URI (e.g., https://id.example.com/01/09506000134376). Not just any QR code works - it needs to follow the GS1 Digital Link standard.
Add QR codes during your next scheduled packaging redesign - This is the cheapest way to transition. No special print run needed.
Start collecting scan data - Every QR code scan is a data point: who's scanning, where, and when. Most brands have zero visibility into what happens after a product leaves the warehouse. A resolver gives you that for the first time.
Talk to your retail buyers - Ask if they have a specific timeline for 2D code requirements.

How much time do you have?

Less than you think. Traditional barcodes won't disappear overnight - 2027 is when retailers begin accepting 2D codes, not when they stop accepting 1D codes. But packaging redesign cycles, retailer compliance conversations, and resolver setup all have lead times. The brands that start now will have their systems tested and running well before either deadline.

If you wait until 2027, you're scrambling. If you wait until 2028, you're late.

What happens after 2027

The transition won't end in 2027. Think of it in phases:

Dual-code period (2027 to ~2030): Most products carry both a traditional barcode and a QR code. Retailers accept both.
QR-primary period (~2030 to ~2035): QR codes become the primary code. Some products drop the traditional barcode.
QR-only (beyond ~2035): Traditional barcodes are phased out entirely.

These are estimates based on the pace of past retail technology transitions. The actual timeline depends on retailer policies, regulatory requirements, and how quickly brands update packaging.

Where SunriseQR fits

SunriseQR handles steps 3 and 4 for you. Enter your GTIN, and we host a compliant GS1 Digital Link resolver and generate the QR code. No infrastructure to build, no spec to interpret, no resolver to maintain.

What to do next

Nothing about 2027 requires you to act this week. What it does mean is that the next time your packaging changes, you have a decision to make, and the cheapest version of that decision is the one you make before the artwork is finalised.

Find your GTIN. If your product already has a barcode, the number underneath it is your GTIN and you are done. If it does not, how to get a UPC code covers both routes and what each costs.
Work out when your next packaging run is. That date is the real deadline, not 2027. Adding a QR code to a run you were doing anyway costs close to nothing; adding it to a run you were not is an entirely different conversation.
Make one code and scan it. Our GS1 Digital Link QR code generator takes a GTIN and gives you a working code, free and without an account. Do this before any of it reaches artwork.
Decide what a shopper should see. A Digital Link code can point at different things for different audiences, which is the part that makes it worth the space on the pack. GS1 link types explained covers the options.
Check what your artwork can take. Size and quiet zone are the two things that get a code printed and unscannable. Printing QR codes on packaging has the constraints.

If you sell into a specific retailer, their requirements are the thing that actually sets your timeline, not the industry milestone. Our Walmart guide is a good example of how specific those get.