GS1 DataBar Coupon

GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional is designed to condense the GTIN information into a more compact and square barcode suitable for use on smaller packages (such as the label stickers on fresh produce).

Because the size of the traditional UPC/EAN barcode is limited, a great deal of additional information often had to be entered manually at the time of purchase, and complex offers such as "buy a shampoo and conditioner, and get a hair gel free" were impossible to encode.

The manual entry process generally delayed the purchase transaction and introduced errors, inconveniencing customers and raising costs for retailers.

This barcode can hold up to 74 numeric digits or 41 alphanumeric characters, and can be encoded with multiple coupon-specific Application Identifiers such as expiration date, serial number, etc.

[4] GS1 laid out specific instructions detailing how to compose coupon data using the DataBar Expanded Stacked barcode symbology.

By 2011, the final phase with stand alone Expanded Stacked barcodes went into effect, and as of June 30, 2015 the GS1 DataBar is the USA industry standard for coupons.

It is recommended that the GS1 Company Prefix and offer code, separated by a dash, is stated on top of Expanded Stacked barcode.