Each time a new barcode arrives, someone predicts the end of the old one. With 2D barcodes the prediction usually comes with a date: "linear barcodes end in 2027". They don't. For years to come, most retail packs that carry a 2D code will also carry the familiar striped EAN or UPC barcode — and that is by design.
This article explains why the two formats will coexist, what that looks like on a pack, and how long it is likely to last.
What GS1 actually says
GS1 is explicit. In its guidance for 2D barcodes at retail, it says linear barcodes such as EAN/UPC and GS1 DataBar "will not go away and will coexist with 2D barcodes for as long as there are uses for them". GS1 also tells businesses that traditional barcodes will not be gone by 2027, and that packs are likely to carry both formats during the transition.
The industry goal for 2027 — called Ambition 2027 by GS1 globally and Sunrise 2027 by GS1 US — is about checkouts being able to read 2D codes as well as linear ones. Removing linear barcodes is not part of it. For the full picture, read what Sunrise 2027 is (and isn't).
Why coexistence is necessary
Not every scanner can read 2D
A linear barcode can be read by a laser scanner, which sweeps a line of light across the stripes. A 2D barcode cannot: it has to be photographed by an imaging scanner. Some checkouts still use laser scanners, and replacing them — plus updating the software behind them — takes time and money. Retailers will upgrade on their own schedules.
One pack, many tills
A single product may be sold by hundreds of stores, across many retailers and countries, each at a different stage of upgrading. A brand cannot print a different pack for each one. If the pack carried only a 2D code, it would fail at every till that can't yet read it. Keeping the linear barcode means it scans everywhere, every time.
It isn't only checkouts
Warehouses, distribution centres and wholesale customers also scan products, and their equipment is upgraded on its own cycle. The linear barcode keeps working for them throughout.
What the rules require during the transition
Under the GS1 General Specifications, a 2D barcode on a general retail item is used in addition to the EAN/UPC or GS1 DataBar. In plain terms, GS1 rules require the linear barcode to stay alongside the 2D code during the transition. The main points:
| Rule | What it means on pack |
|---|---|
| Both barcodes present | The 2D code is added, not substituted. |
| Close together | The 2D code sits within 50 mm of the centre of the linear barcode. |
| Same product number | Both encode the same GTIN; any shared data, such as a batch, must match. |
| One beep | The checkout registers one item and one set of data, even though it sees two codes. |
| Approved 2D only | The 2D code is GS1 DataMatrix, or a QR Code or Data Matrix carrying a GS1 Digital Link. |
Both codes also need to meet retail print-quality requirements; for 2D codes that includes a minimum grade of 1.5 (C) and a module size within GS1's range for retail.
How a checkout copes with two barcodes
GS1 describes three ways a POS (point-of-sale) scanner can handle a dual-marked pack:
- Mode 1 — send the first GTIN read from either barcode. This is the minimum for Ambition 2027.
- Mode 2 — prefer the 2D barcode and fall back to the linear one.
- Mode 3 — read all compliant barcodes, so the till can use extra data such as batch or expiry from the 2D code.
In every mode, the product is recorded once. Dual marking is a belt-and-braces arrangement, not a source of double scans.
When does dual marking end?
GS1 links it to a threshold: dual marking on general retail items continues until 90% of POS scanning solutions are capable of using GS1-compliant 2D barcodes and, at minimum, capturing the GTIN. Nobody can honestly put a year on that, and readiness will differ between countries and retail sectors.
One group may move sooner. A retailer can switch its own-label and in-store-labelled goods to a single 2D code earlier, if all of its own in-store systems can handle it. That is a retailer's decision for products it controls end to end. It does not let brands remove the linear barcode from products sold through other retailers. The detail is in can a GS1 QR code replace a traditional retail barcode?
What this means for your packaging
Coexistence has a cost — two codes take more room than one — but it also lowers the risk of the change:
- Plan for space. Allow room for both codes close together. On small packs this may influence the choice of 2D symbol; see QR code vs GS1 DataMatrix.
- Use the 2D code for something. If it is a QR code with a GS1 Digital Link, it can replace an existing marketing QR code and give consumers a reason to scan.
- Change with your artwork cycle. There is no switch-off date to race against, so adding a 2D code at the next planned artwork revision is usually the cheapest route. Our guide to preparing your packaging for the next generation of product identity covers the practical steps.
- Don't remove the linear barcode early. On general retail items, GS1 rules keep it until the 90% threshold is reached. The only earlier exception covers a retailer's own-label and in-store-labelled goods, not brands' products.
Indian brands facing the same question can read do Indian manufacturers need to replace their existing barcodes?
Generate a 2D code that matches your existing barcode's GTIN