Yes, but not in the way most people picture it. You can’t “transform” the printed UPC lines on your packaging into a QR code. What you’re actually doing is taking the GTIN your UPC already encodes and building a new GS1 QR code around it, a separate, additional barcode, not a replacement for the one you already have.
That’s why your UPC doesn’t need to disappear immediately: since the GS1 QR code is added alongside it rather than swapped in, products stay scannable at POS systems that aren’t yet equipped to process GS1-standard 2D barcodes during the retail transition. Once 2D barcode adoption becomes widespread, brands may be able to move to a single 2D barcode (QR code), depending on retailer and market readiness.
If you’re asking this question because of GS1 Sunrise 2027, that distinction matters a lot for how you plan your rollout. Here’s what’s actually going on.
Key Takeaways:
- You reuse the GTIN; you don’t convert the barcode image itself.
- GS1 QR codes add to UPCs during transition, not replace them.
- Sunrise 2027 targets POS readiness, not a UPC cutoff date.
- Dual-marking keeps products scanning at every checkout type.
- A valid, properly assigned GTIN is all you need to start.
What “converting” a UPC actually means
A UPC barcode is a 1D symbol that encodes one thing: your product’s GTIN (Global Trade Item Number). That’s it: a fixed string of digits that identifies the product, decoded by a scanner and looked up in a database.
A GS1 QR code is different. It’s a 2D barcode built on the GS1 Digital Link standard, which turns that same GTIN into a structured web-style URL, one that can carry the GTIN plus optional data like batch/lot number, serial number, expiration date, or country of origin, and can resolve to an actual webpage when a consumer scans it with a phone.
So “converting” a UPC barcode into a GS1 QR code really means three steps:
Extract the GTIN. Identify the GTIN-12 encoded in your UPC-A barcode. In a GS1 Digital Link URI, that GTIN-12 is represented as a zero-padded 14-digit value. For example, GTIN-12 012345000058 becomes 00012345000058 in the 14-digit GS1 Digital Link representation.
Structure it as a GS1 Digital Link URI, adding any additional identifiers you want to include (batch, expiry, etc.).
Encode that URI into a QR symbol using the GS1 Digital Link URI structure so enabled retail systems can identify and process the encoded GS1 data.
Nothing about your existing UPC changes. During the transition, you are usually generating a second, complementary code rather than immediately replacing the UPC.
Why the UPC barcodes stay during the transition
This is the part that gets misunderstood most often. During the retail transition, GS1 recommends using the new QR code alongside the existing UPC or EAN barcode so products remain scannable in POS environments that aren’t yet ready to process GS1-standard 2D barcodes.
That’s also the actual shape of Sunrise 2027. It isn’t a deadline that makes UPCs invalid. It’s a GS1-led initiative aimed at retail POS infrastructure.
The industry goal is that, by the end of 2027, retail POS systems should be capable of reading and processing a defined set of 2D barcodes using GS1 standards, such as QR codes and GS1 DataMatrix, in addition to existing linear barcodes.
It’s an industry ambition, not a guarantee that every individual retailer will be ready by that date, which is exactly why GS1 recommends dual-marking: printing both the 1D barcode and the new 2D code on packaging during the transition, so every checkout lane, old or new, can still scan the product.
In short:
| UPC (1D barcode) | GS1 QR code (2D barcode) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it holds | GTIN only | GTIN, plus optional batch, serial, expiry, and other GS1 identifiers |
| Where it’s scanned | Any retail POS scanner | POS systems enabled to process GS1 Digital Link QR codes, plus consumer smartphones |
| What happens on scan | Database lookup for price/ID | Product ID at checkout (where POS is enabled), or a live product page/PDF/experience for consumers |
| Can linked content be updated after printing? | Not applicable; the POS system controls the information associated with the GTIN | Yes, when the URI is configured to redirect to managed content; the encoded GS1 values themselves stay fixed |
| Sunrise 2027 role | Remains necessary during dual-marking; may later be retained or removed depending on POS readiness | Added alongside the UPC to prepare for 2D-capable checkout |
How to actually do it
If your UPC contains a valid GTIN that has been properly assigned to the product, you can use that same identifier as the foundation of the GS1 QR code. Turning it into one is a data-structuring task, not a barcode “conversion” tool. The practical steps:
- Confirm and validate your GTIN. Identify the GTIN encoded in the UPC barcode and confirm it’s valid and correctly assigned to the product (most GS1 Digital Link tools handle the zero-padding to GTIN-14 automatically).
- Decide what else to include. At minimum, you need the GTIN. Include only data required by your use case: adding batch/lot number, serial number, expiration date, or country of origin can make the code specific to a production batch or individual item. These codes may need to be generated and printed during production rather than included as one fixed code in standard packaging artwork, so it’s worth confirming this with whoever manages your print process before committing to a data set.
- Generate the GS1 QR code. This is where the GTIN and any additional attributes get structured into a GS1 Digital Link URI and encoded as a QR symbol, ideally as a dynamic code, so the linked content can be updated later without reprinting packaging (the encoded GS1 values themselves, like GTIN or batch number, stay fixed once printed).
- Keep the UPC on-pack during the transition. While POS readiness varies by retailer and region, print both codes together rather than swapping one for the other.
- Test before printing at scale. Test the code at its intended packaging size using multiple smartphones. For retail checkout use, also validate the barcode’s dimensions, quiet zone, placement, print quality, encoded data, and compatibility with the intended retailer’s POS environment, not just whether a phone camera can pick it up.
Doing this with QRCodeChimp’s GS1 QR Code Generator
This is exactly the gap QRCodeChimp’s GS1 QR Code Generator is built to close. You enter your GTIN as the primary identifier, add any batch, serial, or expiry data you need, and it structures the GTIN and selected Application Identifier data into a QR code using the GS1 Digital Link URI format, designed to support brands preparing for the retail transition to GS1-standard 2D barcodes.
It also supports displaying a corresponding 1D barcode alongside the GS1 QR code on the same output, so you can follow GS1’s own dual-marking guidance without juggling two separate tools.
Codes can be generated as dynamic, so the linked product page, PDF, or destination can be updated after the code is already printed (the GTIN, batch, or other encoded values stay fixed once saved). And if you’re issuing codes across a full product line, bulk upload lets you generate them at scale instead of one at a time.
Common misconceptions, cleared up
Most of the confusion around this topic comes from a few assumptions that sound reasonable but aren’t accurate. Here’s what to keep in mind before you plan your rollout.
⚠ My UPC becomes invalid once I add a QR code. Will my existing products stop being sellable, or get recalled?
No. Adding a GS1 QR code doesn’t invalidate your UPC or affect any product already in the market. Older stock with just a UPC keeps scanning and selling as normal, and newer packaging with both a UPC and a QR code scans fine too, since the QR code is added alongside the UPC, not a replacement for it. So both versions can sell side by side with no risk of recall. The QR code may eventually replace the UPC on future packaging, but only later, as retailer and market readiness allow.
⚠ Sunrise 2027 means I have to switch every product by a hard deadline.
Not quite. Sunrise 2027 is a target for retail POS readiness, not a mandatory switch date for every brand and every product. Different retailers and regions will be ready at different times, which is why coexistence is the expected state for the foreseeable future.
⚠ Any QR code generator can make a GS1-compliant code.
Not automatically. A regular QR code usually points to a standard URL. A GS1 QR code must structure the GTIN and any additional identifiers according to GS1 Digital Link URI syntax. Otherwise, systems expecting GS1-structured data may not interpret or process it correctly.
⚠ I need a whole new product identifier to do this.
No. Your existing GTIN (the one your UPC already encodes) is exactly what a GS1 QR code is built around, as long as that GTIN has been properly assigned to the product. It’s worth confirming that before you build anything: a UPC can scan successfully at checkout even if the underlying GTIN wasn’t correctly licensed or assigned, and a valid transition should start from a properly assigned GTIN.
The bottom line
You don’t convert the UPC barcode itself. You reuse the valid GTIN encoded in your UPC to create a QR code with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax using QRCodeChimp. During the transition to 2D barcode processing at retail POS, that new QR code will usually appear alongside your existing UPC, not instead of it. Once 2D barcode adoption becomes sufficiently widespread, brands may have the option to move to a single 2D barcode, depending on retailer, market, and regulatory readiness.
For the fuller rollout picture, including pilot planning, packaging timelines, and what to expect from retailers, see our GS1 Sunrise 2027 Migration Guide.
If you’re ready to convert UPC barcodes to GS1 QR Codes, QRCodeChimp’s GS1 QR Code Generator takes your GTIN and builds a QR code following the GS1 Digital Link URI format around it, designed for brands preparing for the 2D barcode transition, with the option to keep your 1D barcode printed alongside it, in line with GS1’s dual-marking guidance during the transition.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a barcode to a QR code?
Yes, you can convert a barcode to a QR code, but not as a direct image conversion. You’ll need the GTIN your barcode already encodes: if it’s a UPC or EAN, that GTIN can be reused to build a GS1 QR code with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax. You can’t just take the printed barcode graphic and turn it into a QR code; the original barcode and the new QR code remain two separate symbols, encoding related but not identical data.
Do I need a separate or new GTIN/UPC number?
No, not if your existing GTIN is properly assigned to the product. The same GTIN encoded in your current UPC can serve as the primary identifier for your GS1 QR code, so there’s no need to apply for a new number just to make the switch.
Can I create a barcode and QR code together?
Yes, and during the retail transition this is generally the recommended approach. GS1’s dual-marking guidance calls for printing both the 1D barcode and the GS1 QR code on the same packaging, so products stay scannable at POS systems that aren’t yet enabled to process 2D barcodes.
Can I create just a QR code, without the 1D barcode?
Yes, that’s technically possible, but it’s worth being cautious about during the transition. If a retailer’s POS isn’t yet enabled to process GS1-standard 2D barcodes, a QR-code-only product may not scan reliably at checkout there. A QR-only approach makes more sense once POS readiness in your relevant markets and retailers has caught up.
Can I create a GS1 QR code for my product?
Yes, as long as you have a GTIN properly assigned to that product. Tools like QRCodeChimp’s GS1 QR Code Generator take that GTIN, let you add optional data like batch, serial, or expiry, and structure it into a GS1 QR code, with the option to include a corresponding 1D barcode alongside it.
Can I create GS1 QR codes for many products at once?
Yes, with QRCodeChimp GS1 QR Code Bulk upload, you can generate codes for multiple SKUs, batches, or variants from a structured product data file instead of building each one individually.
What happens if a retailer’s POS system isn’t ready to read 2D barcodes yet?
Your product still scans normally at that checkout, as long as you’re using dual marking, meaning both the UPC and the GS1 QR code are printed on the same packaging. The UPC does the work at that register exactly as it always has, while the GS1 QR code simply isn’t used for POS purposes there yet. Once the retailer’s systems are enabled to process 2D barcodes, the same QR code becomes usable at checkout too, which is exactly why GS1 recommends dual-marking during the transition.
Can I create GS1 QR codes for many products at once?
Yes, with QRCodeChimp GS1 QR Code Bulk upload, you can generate codes for multiple SKUs, batches, or variants from a structured product data file instead of building each one individually.
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