GS1 standards

The STRICH Barcode Scanning SDK supports GS1 barcode standards. We are a registered GS1 Solution Partner in Switzerland and continuously monitor and implement the standards set by GS1.

GS1 Sunrise 2027

The GS1 Sunrise 2027 initiative promotes the adoption of 2D barcodes, such as QR codes, to enhance product identification and data sharing. Unlike traditional 1D barcodes, 2D codes can store more information, including expiration dates, batch numbers, and web links.

Standards like GS1 Digital Link play a key role by connecting these codes to online resources, enabling richer consumer engagement, streamlined supply chain processes, and improved traceability. By 2027, GS1 aims to make 2D codes the standard across industries, ensuring compatibility and innovation through its global standards framework.

We personally believe 1D barcodes still have a long way to go yet, but with STRICH you have a solution that can scan both 1D and 2D barcodes, so you can be confident that your GS1 needs will be met.

GS1 Digital Link

GS1 Digital Link is a standard format for embedding product information in a QR code. The product information is encoded as a sequence of GS1 Application Identifiers (AIs). The URL points to a web location where additional information about the product can be found, and has well-defined format, as defined in the GS1 Digital Link URI syntax specification.

STRICH implicitly supports GS1 Digital Link QR Codes because it supports reading ISO-compliant QR Codes.

Example: GS1 Digital Link QR Code

The QR code below is an example of a GS1 Digital Link QR code.

The URL encoded in the QR Code is: https://strich.io/01/09505180101011/22/123/10/L99/21/S123456.
Dissecting the URL reveals the following product information:

Please refer to GS1 Application Identifiers for the full list of available Application Identifiers.

GS1 symbologies

GS1 data can be encoded in several barcode symbologies. A special FNC1 character tells the scanner that the barcode contains GS1 Application Identifiers. These are the GS1 symbologies and how STRICH supports them.

To turn the scanned data into structured JSON, with one field per Application Identifier, follow the Reading GS1 Data guide in our documentation.

GS1-128 barcode

The GS1-128 barcode is a subset of the Code 128 symbology which uses a special "flag", the Function Code 1 or FNC1 character to indicate that it contains GS1 Application Identifiers. The AIs are encoded in the barcode as well as printed underneath it as part of the human-readable interpretation.

Example: GS1-128 Barcode

The barcode below is an example of a GS1-128 barcode.

The GS1-128 barcode encodes the following AIs:

GS1 Data Matrix

GS1 DataMatrix is the ISO/IEC recognised and standardised implementation of the use of the Data Matrix 2D barcode symbology.

A special codeword FNC1 codeword is added to the start of the encoded data, flagging it as a GS1 Data Matrix containing GS1 Application Identifiers.

Please refer to GS1 Data Matrix Guideline for details.

Example: GS1 Data Matrix Code

The code below is an example of a GS1 Data Matrix code.

The following AIs are encoded:

Please refer to Reading GS1 Data for a guide on how to read GS1 data in Data Matrix codes.

GS1 QR Code

GS1 QR Code is a subset of the QR Code symbology that uses a special FNC1 character at the beginning of the encoded data to signal that the QR code contains GS1 AIs.

Example: GS1 QR Code

The code below is an example of a GS1 QR code.

The following AIs are encoded:

See Reading GS1 Data on how to read GS1 data in QR codes.

GS1 MaxiCode

STRICH currently does not support the MaxiCode symbology. If you would like us to change that, please contact us at hello@pixelverse.ch and tell us more about your use case.