// Key takeaways
- A GS1 Digital Link QR code carries GS1 data such as the GTIN, batch and expiry inside a web address.
- GS1 supports industry’s ambition to read 2D barcodes at retail points of sale by the end of 2027; until then the linear barcode stays.
- On retail items GS1 sets a module size of 0.396 to 0.990 mm and a quiet zone of 4 modules on every side.
- A line check proves presence, readability and content against the expected link, GTIN, batch and date.
- Whether the web page opens and shows the right content is an IT check, not a camera check.
What is the difference between a plain QR code and a GS1 Digital Link QR code?
A plain QR code holds a web address and is typically scanned by consumers to reach product information. A QR code with a GS1 Digital Link URI holds a web address built from GS1 identifiers: the path carries the AI number as a qualifier, such as /01/ before the 14-digit GTIN or /10/ before a batch, and further GS1 data goes in the query string (GS1 General Specifications, 1.2.4.4 and 5.1.1). Scanning software can extract the GS1 data without going online, or open the linked content (GS1 Digital Link). GS1 South Africa describes GS1 QR codes as designed to be read by scanners and smartphones, representing a URL and a GTIN (GS1 South Africa, barcode types).
| Kind of QR code | What is inside | Who can use the data | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain QR code | Any web address or text | Phones open the link; tills cannot use it | Marketing, recipes, competitions |
| QR code with a GS1 Digital Link URI | A web address whose path carries GS1 identifiers such as /01/ and a GTIN | Phones open the link; GS1-aware scanners extract the GTIN, batch and dates | One code for consumers and, in future, the till |
| GS1 QR Code | GS1 element strings after an FNC1, like GS1 DataMatrix | GS1-aware scanners and systems | Supply chain and industrial use |
How is the code built, and how big must it be?
A QR code has three square finder patterns in its corners, timing patterns of alternating modules between them, and a data area. It comes in 40 versions, from 21 × 21 to 177 × 177 modules, and needs a quiet zone four modules wide all round. Four levels of Reed-Solomon error correction, L, M, Q and H, recover about 7, 15, 25 and 30 % of the codewords; GS1 does not support Micro QR (GS1 General Specifications, 5.7.2 and 5.7.4).
Swipe sideways to see the whole drawing →
| Property | GS1 value | Practical effect on the pack |
|---|---|---|
| Module size on retail items (table 1, addendum 2) | Minimum 0.396 mm, target 0.495 mm, maximum 0.990 mm | Printed at 1.5 times the linear X-dimension, because a camera must resolve each module |
| Quiet Zone | 4 modules on all four sides | Four times the clear margin a Data Matrix needs |
| Minimum print quality | 1.5/12/660 | Graded to ISO/IEC 15415 |
| Symbol sizes | Versions 1 to 40: 21 × 21 to 177 × 177 modules | A longer web address needs a higher version, so a bigger code |
| Error correction | Levels L, M, Q, H recover about 7, 15, 25 and 30 % of codewords | Higher levels survive more damage but need a bigger symbol |
| Digital Link syntax | Uncompressed form required on retail items | The URI is readable as text, at the cost of more characters |
| Placement next to the linear barcode | Whole 2D symbol, quiet zone included, within 50 mm of the linear barcode centre | The till can tell both codes belong to one item |
The web address takes most of the space. A longer domain, a longer batch or a higher error correction level all push the code to a higher version, so a bigger print area. Agreeing the domain and the module size with the printer before the artwork is fixed avoids a code that fits on paper but not on the coder.
Why is retail moving to 2D codes, and what does it mean in South Africa?
GS1 describes the aim as a single multipurpose 2D barcode per product that can be scanned at the point of sale and used to reach digital content (GS1 Digital Link). The GS1 General Specifications note that GS1 supports industry’s ambition to read 2D barcodes at retail points of sale around the world by the end of 2027 (GS1 General Specifications, 1.2.2.2.1). Both QR codes with a GS1 Digital Link URI and GS1 DataMatrix can carry the GTIN together with data such as an expiry date or a serial number (GS1, 2D barcodes).
In South Africa, GS1 South Africa promotes 2D in retail and lists batch or lot number, serial number and expiry date among the data the codes can carry. It reports that Woolworths and selected suppliers are using 2D barcodes with GS1 standards, with results including enhanced food safety and food waste reduced by up to 40 % (GS1 South Africa, 2D in retail). That figure is Woolworths’ and GS1 South Africa’s, not addaScan’s.
For a packaging line the change is practical: a code that used to be fixed artwork now changes with every batch or date. It has to be printed on the line by a coder, and checked on the line like a date code.
What can a line check on a QR code?
A fixed code reader or smart camera reads the QR code on every pack and compares the content with what the line should be printing: the GTIN and, where used, the batch or date inside the GS1 Digital Link URI, or the exact web address. A GS1 QR Code with element strings is reported with the symbology identifier ]Q3 (GS1 General Specifications, 5.1.3); a Digital Link QR is an ordinary QR code whose text the station parses. Missing, unreadable or wrong codes are rejected.
| Question | Line check? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Present | Yes | The code is on every pack |
| Readable | Yes | It decodes at the line |
| Right content | Yes, when the expected link or GTIN is known | The URI or GTIN matches the product running |
| Right batch and date inside | Yes, when the run data is sent to the reader | The /10/ and date values match the printed code |
| Web page works | No | The link opens and shows the right content: a separate IT check |
| Print grade | No | Grade to ISO/IEC 15415 with a verifier |
A sensible check order: decode; confirm the URI starts with the brand owner’s agreed domain; extract the GTIN after /01/ and compare it with the product running; extract batch and date and compare them with the run data, and with the printed date read by OCR where both are on the pack. OCR/OCV and code inspection covers stations that check code and text together.
What goes wrong when QR codes are printed on the line?
Inkjet QR codes printed at speed can lose modules, smear on film or print too small for the reader. A QR code that changes per batch also needs the coder’s data source to be right at every changeover, the same discipline as a date code; why wrong expiry dates still leave the line covers that discipline.
| Fault | Usual cause | What the reader sees | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lost or merged modules | Inkjet at speed, worn print head, smear on film | No-read, or a read that needs heavy error correction | Larger module, print head care, slower print |
| Quiet zone cut | Code placed against a seam, edge or text | No-read at the till or on a phone | Artwork: 4 modules clear on every side |
| Wrong batch in the URI | Coder data source not updated at changeover | Reads perfectly | Expected batch from the recipe, compared in the reader |
| Wrong domain or old campaign link | Template from a previous artwork or promotion | Reads perfectly | Compare the full URI prefix, not only the GTIN |
| Code too small for the data | Long URI squeezed into a fixed print area | Slow or failed reads | Shorter domain and path; agree the module size first |
Frequently asked questions
Can the camera check that the QR code’s web page works?
No. The station checks the code on the pack: present, readable and carrying the expected content. Whether the address resolves and shows the right page is checked by the brand owner’s IT or marketing team, ideally before the run starts.
Do we still need the EAN-13 if we add a QR code?
Yes, for now. GS1 requires 2D barcodes on retail items to be in addition to the linear barcode during the transition. Your retailers and GS1 South Africa’s guidance decide when that changes for your products.
How much space does a QR code need on the pack?
The symbol plus a quiet zone of 4 modules on every side. On retail items GS1 sets a module size of 0.396 to 0.990 mm; the number of modules depends on the length of the web address and the error correction level.
What is the difference between GS1 QR Code and a Digital Link QR code?
A GS1 QR Code carries GS1 element strings after an FNC1, like a GS1 DataMatrix. A Digital Link QR code carries a web address whose path holds the GS1 identifiers, so a phone can open it and a GS1-aware scanner can extract the data.
Sources
- GS1 General Specifications, Release 26.0 (Jan 2026), GS1 South Africa copy: 1.2.2.2.1, 1.2.4.4, 5.1, 5.7, 5.12.3.1, 6.3.3.1 (standard, checked 2026-10-27)
- GS1 Digital Link (standards body page, checked 2026-10-03)
- GS1: 2D barcodes (standards body page, checked 2026-10-03)
- GS1 South Africa: 2D in retail (Woolworths statement) (standards body page, checked 2026-10-27)
- GS1 South Africa: barcode types (standards body page, checked 2026-10-27)