Sources & reference methodology

We prefer primary standards bodies, official technical guidance and authoritative public documentation. Because standards change, readers should confirm the current version before production use.

Primary references

• GS1 barcode standards and guidance
• GS1 standards repository
• GS1 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline
• GS1 2D Barcode Creation and Printing Playbook
• GS1 EPCIS
• GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard
• GS1 EPC UHF Gen2 Air Interface Protocol

Standards caveat

ISO/IEC and sector standards may contain normative requirements not reproduced here. This site summarizes concepts rather than republishing paid or copyrighted standards.

Update policy

Pages that discuss current transitions or standards are reviewed periodically. The publication date of an external source does not guarantee that it remains current; use the issuing organization’s latest version for implementation.