Dual marking: running UPC and a 2D code on the same package

Updated July 2026

Through the Sunrise 2027 transition, most retail packaging carries two symbols: the existing linear UPC or EAN, and a new 2D code. This is deliberate, not a hedge — retailers upgrade scanners on their own schedules, and a package has to work at every checkout it might reach.

The double-scan problem

The failure everyone worries about: a scanner reads both symbols and rings the item twice. In practice, POS software handles this by extracting the GTIN and de-duplicating within a short window. But it depends on both symbols encoding the same GTIN. If your UPC says one thing and your Digital Link says another, you have created exactly the problem dual marking was designed to avoid.

Verify that the GTIN in your 2D code matches the GTIN in your linear barcode. This single check prevents the most expensive category of packaging error.

Placement

• Keep the symbols visually separate — each needs its own clear space, and quiet zones cannot overlap.
• Do not place the 2D code where a hand naturally covers it at checkout.
• Avoid the panel that faces down in a shelf-ready case if scanning happens at the case level.
• Flat areas only. Seams, folds, and tight curves distort the module grid.

When you can drop the linear code

Not yet, and not on a date you choose unilaterally. Removing the UPC before your retailers confirm 2D-only capability risks unsellable inventory. The practical answer: keep dual marking until your retail partners tell you in writing that they no longer need the linear symbol.

Batching the change

Artwork revisions are the expensive part of this transition — plates, proofs, approvals. Almost no one should run a dedicated 2D-only artwork cycle. Fold the 2D code into whatever revision you already have scheduled, and prioritise SKUs whose packaging is due for a refresh anyway.