You may have seen a short, thin barcode on a produce sticker, or a wide two-row one on a package of meat, and wondered why it doesn't look like a UPC. Those are GS1 DataBar symbols. They exist for two jobs a standard UPC-A or EAN-13 does badly: fitting on very small items, and carrying more than a product number.
This guide explains the family, which members work at a register, and where you are likely to meet one. It also says plainly that the Plain Barcode generator does not make them.
What GS1 DataBar is
DataBar is a family of linear (one-dimensional) barcodes defined by GS1. GS1's support page lists seven symbols. The symbols used at the register carry a GTIN as 14 digits. A GTIN-8, GTIN-12 or GTIN-13 is padded on the left with zeros, as the IFPS produce guide explains.
For example, the UPC-A number 614141123452 becomes the 14-digit string 00614141123452 inside a DataBar symbol. The check digit does not change, because the padding zeros add nothing to the mod-10 sum. If you want a refresher on those numbers, see What Is a GTIN? or use the check digit calculator, which converts between GTIN lengths.
The seven symbols and which ones scan at a register
Per GS1, four of the seven are approved for retail point of sale because they are designed to be read by omnidirectional slot scanners. Three are not.
| Symbol | What it carries (per GS1 Fresh Foods guide) | Approved for retail POS (per GS1) |
|---|---|---|
| DataBar Omnidirectional | GTIN only | Yes |
| DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional | GTIN only, in two rows | Yes |
| DataBar Expanded | GTIN plus attribute data | Yes |
| DataBar Expanded Stacked | GTIN plus attribute data, in two rows | Yes |
| DataBar Truncated | Not covered here | No |
| DataBar Stacked | Not covered here | No |
| DataBar Limited | Not covered here | No |
The three that are not approved for checkout are meant for other settings, so do not choose them for something a cashier will scan. The attribute data in the Expanded symbols is written with GS1 Application Identifiers, the same system used in GS1-128. Our Application Identifiers guide covers how those pieces are built.
Where you will meet DataBar
Produce stickers
The small oval PLU sticker on loose fruit often carries a Stacked Omnidirectional symbol. According to the IFPS guide, this is the official name of the symbol on those stickers, and it exists so loose items can be scanned instead of cashiers keying a four- or five-digit PLU code. The same guide says it is for item-level labeling, not cases, and that fixed-weight, fixed-count packages with enough room should use a UPC-A or EAN-13.
The IFPS guide also gives print limits for these stickers: an X-dimension from 0.203 mm (0.008 inch) to 0.660 mm (0.0260 inch), and a minimum ISO symbol grade of 1.5. The smallest label it says the symbol fits on is an oval 21 by 17 mm. Those numbers come from the produce guide, so confirm anything beyond produce with your label supplier.
Meat, deli and other fresh food
Here the Expanded and Expanded Stacked symbols matter. GS1's Fresh Foods implementation guide describes moving variable-measure products off store-specific restricted circulation numbers (the prefix-2 codes covered in Variable-Weight Price Barcodes) to a real GTIN plus extra data. That data can include pack weight, price, a best-before date or a batch number, and it makes it possible to stop an out-of-date item from selling at the register.
The same guide says a supplier that wants to add an expiry date or batch number to a fixed-measure product should use an Expanded or Expanded Stacked symbol, which needs on-demand or in-line printing. If no extra data is needed and there is room, EAN/UPC stays an option.
Coupons
North American coupon barcodes use a DataBar Expanded symbol. GS1 change notice WR16-239 refers to AI 8110 as the North American Coupon Code and adds AI 8112 for paperless coupons. Both point to GS1 US's coupon guideline for the data layout. Coupons are issued by manufacturers and processed through retailer systems, so this is not something a small business builds by hand.
DataBar and the 2D transition
If you have read about Sunrise 2027 (GS1 calls the goal Ambition 2027), you might wonder whether DataBar is going away. GS1's 2D at retail guideline says linear barcodes such as EAN/UPC and DataBar will coexist with 2D barcodes for as long as there are uses for them. It lists the DataBar retail POS family and EAN/UPC as the two linear options at the register. For the 2D side, see GS1 Digital Link QR Codes.
Do you need one?
Probably not. Packaged goods sold at retail normally take a UPC-A or EAN-13, and our barcode type decision guide walks through the other cases. You would need DataBar if you sell loose produce, label fresh food with weight or dates at the register, or a retail buyer asks for it by name.
Plain Barcode's generator does not create GS1 DataBar. It makes UPC-A, EAN-13, UPC-E, EAN-8, ISBN, ITF-14, GS1-128, Code 128, Code 39, Codabar, QR, Data Matrix, GS1 DataMatrix and PDF417. If a buyer requires DataBar, ask them which of the four POS symbols they want, and get the labels from a label printer or software that supports it.
Bottom line
GS1 DataBar is a specialist family for small items and extra data, not a replacement for your UPC. Four of its seven symbols are approved for checkout, the rest are not, and the symbols you are most likely to see are Stacked Omnidirectional on produce, Expanded on fresh food and Expanded on coupons. If a buyer asks for one, confirm the exact symbol and data in writing before you print.
Sources
- GS1: Are there different kinds of GS1 DataBar symbols? (accessed )
- GS1: GS1 AIDC Fresh Foods Sold at Point-of-Sale Implementation Guide, Release 1.1 (accessed )
- International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS): Implementation of GS1 DataBar for Global Fresh Produce Industry (Fall 2020) (accessed )
- GS1: GSCN WR16-239: AI for paperless coupon (accessed )
- GS1: 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline (accessed )
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