New GS1 Digital Link Guideline helps retail industry provide unlimited, instantly updated product data to consumers with a single barcode scan
Standard supports industry's transition from U.P.C. to two-dimensional (2D) barcode
GS1 US has published a guideline to help the retail industry implement GS1 Digital Link, a standard that allows brands to web-enable barcodes and provide consumers with rich product information. With a single scan of a two-dimensional (2D) barcode (e.g., QR code or Data Matrix) that’s encoded with GS1 Digital Link, consumers can gain access to unlimited and instantly updated, brand-authorized content online, including product data, promotions, ingredients, recipes and more.
GS1 Digital Link leverages Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) for product identification, which have been encoded into U.P.C. barcodes and used at the point of sale for more than four decades to aid price lookup. Embedding the GTIN in a 2D data carrier using GS1 Digital Link connects the physical product to the web. The standard can help eliminate the need for multiple on-pack barcodes, freeing up space for brand expression and supporting industry’s need for a more robust data carrier. Recent GS1 US research revealed that 82 percent of retailers and 92 percent of brand owners support transitioning from the U.P.C. to a data-rich 2D barcode within the next five years because of the consumer-driven need for more product information.