2D Barcode Glossary
Your plain-language guide to the terminology of the Sunrise 2027 transition.
What is a 2D Barcode?
A two-dimensional barcode, like a QR code or Data Matrix, that can hold significantly more data than traditional linear barcodes, including a URL that connects the product to the internet.
What is Sunrise 2027?
An industry-wide initiative led by GS1 to transition from traditional 1D barcodes (UPC/EAN) to 2D barcodes at the point-of-sale retail register by the year 2027.
What is GS1 Digital Link?
A standard that web-enables barcodes, allowing a single 2D barcode to be scanned at the checkout register and scanned by consumers on their smartphones to access web content.
What is a GTIN?
Global Trade Item Number. The unique identification number that GS1 assigns to your product. It's the number underneath a traditional 1D barcode.
What is a Resolver?
A web server that takes a GS1 Digital Link URL and redirects the user (or scanner) to the appropriate destination based on who is scanning it (e.g., consumer vs. retail register).
What are Linktypes?
Standardized categories in the GS1 system that tell the resolver what kind of information is being requested, such as 'Recipe Info', 'Traceability', or 'Product Recall Status'.
What is a Data Matrix?
A type of 2D barcode often used in healthcare and fresh foods. It looks like a square of black and white pixels.
What is a QR Code?
Quick Response code. The most widely recognized 2D barcode format, easily scannable by all modern smartphone cameras.
What is a Point of Sale (POS)?
The place where retail transactions occur, usually the checkout register.
What is dynamic routing?
The ability of a GS1 Resolver to change where a barcode points without having to reprint the physical barcode on the packaging.
What is product traceability?
The ability to track a product's journey from raw materials to the consumer, often facilitated by 2D barcodes carrying batch and serial numbers.
What is a Serial Number?
A unique identifier assigned to an individual instance of a product, added alongside the GTIN in a 2D barcode for precise tracking.
What is a Batch/Lot Number?
An identification number assigned to a specific production run of a product, crucial for managing targeted product recalls.
What is a UPC?
Universal Product Code. The standard 1D barcode format used primarily in North America.
What is an EAN?
European Article Number. The standard 1D barcode format used globally outside of North America.
What is consumer engagement?
Interactions between a brand and a customer. 2D barcodes boost this by linking physical products to digital experiences.
What is an Application Identifier (AI)?
A 2-to-4 digit prefix in a GS1 barcode that defines the meaning and format of the data that follows it (e.g., (01) for GTIN).
What is 'web-enabled' packaging?
Packaging that includes a GS1 Digital Link 2D barcode, turning the physical product into a gateway to online information.
What is a URL?
Uniform Resource Locator. A standard web address. GS1 Digital Links are essentially specialized URLs.
What is the GS1 Global Office?
The central coordinating body for GS1, the not-for-profit organization that develops and maintains global standards for business communication.