In today's fast-paced digital world, it's crucial for businesses to remain at the forefront of technological advancements. Upgrading your UPC barcode to a digital 2D barcode is one way to achieve this. Digital 2D barcodes, such as QR codes, offer several advantages over traditional UPC barcodes, including the capacity to store more data, improved security features, and direct links to online content. This article outlines a step-by-step guide on how to transition from a UPC barcode to a digital 2D barcode.

Why Upgrade to a Digital 2D Barcode?

Digital 2D barcodes significantly outperform traditional UPC barcodes in several ways. Their increased data capacity allows for much more information to be stored, facilitating direct links to online content, such as product details, special offers, and multimedia.

Moreover, digital 2D barcodes offer a more interactive customer experience. By connecting your barcode to online resources, you can engage with your customers in innovative ways. From providing product how-to guides to sharing exclusive deals or customer reviews, digital 2D barcodes enable a richer, more personalised shopping journey.

Step-by-Step Guide to Getting a 2D Barcode

1. Select a credible digital 2D barcode provider: Tools offered by platforms like IBN Link simplify the creation of digital 2d barcodes, making the process straightforward and effective.

2. Create your digital 2D barcode: After choosing a provider, it's time to generate your digital 2D barcode. Input the desired information to encode, such as a URL, text details, or contact data, and the platform will generate a unique QR code for you.

3. Update your packaging and marketing materials: Incorporate the new digital 2D barcode on your packaging and marketing collateral, ensuring that instructions for scanning the code and the types of information accessible are clear to your customers.

Following these steps will help you efficiently transition to a digital 2D barcode, leveraging its enhanced data storage, improved security, and interactive consumer experience. Even in today's digital era, it's imperative to display the product's existing UPC or EAN barcode alongside the 2D barcode (due to some older retail scanner systems being unable to decode 2D Barcodes at the point of sale).

Important note: The product's UPC or EAN barcode should continue to be displayed on product packaging alongside the 2D Barcode (this is because some older retail barcode scanner systems cannot decode 2D Barcodes at point of sale). 

Can 2D Barcodes be used at the Point of Sale?

2D Barcodes containing a digital link can be scanned at the Point of Sale to reveal the product's GTIN number, price, and other pertinent details (similarly to traditional UPC or EAN barcodes), provided the retail store is equipped with a 2D Barcodes-compatible scanner. 

Some retailers' current barcode scanning systems might not yet support 2D Barcodes. The barcode industry is urging retailers to modernise their systems by 2027 to facilitate 2D Barcodes scanning at point of sale (an initiative known as Sunrise 2027). Until this benchmark is reached, it's necessary to keep a 1D barcode (UPC or EAN) on product labels or packaging, alongside any 2D Barcode.

Adopting a digital 2D barcode for your products is a wise move for any business aiming to improve their packaging and marketing. The extended data storage capabilities, heightened security, and interactive features of digital 2D barcodes can significantly enhance the customer experience. If you're considering making the switch, utilising a reliable barcode creation platform like IBN Link can facilitate a smooth transition. Visit https://ibn.link/ for more information and to begin the process.