EAN barcodes and GS1 2D codes
GS1 is the only official issuer of GTINs, and the EAN barcodes and GS1 2D codes created from them, in Finland and abroad.
All products sold in stores—and in many online stores—must have a unique product identifier and a barcode. This identifier is called a GTIN. An EAN barcode represents the GTIN in a machine-readable format, encoded as a series of bars.
Alongside the EAN barcode, a new and more advanced GS1 2D code is now being introduced. It enables significantly more data to be carried and opens up new ways to use that information. During the transition period, when not all retail POS systems are yet able to read 2D codes, product packaging must still include the traditional EAN barcode alongside the new GS1 2D code.
