# PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr Pepper add QR codes to packaging for 2027 retail standard *Beverage giants prepare for GS1 Digital Link compliance, opening a consumer data play for physical brands.* By **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA, Principal** — The Stash Edge, Hako Shikin LLC. Published 2026-08-21. Canonical: https://www.pops4.com/stash/articles/pepsico-coca-cola-keurig-dr-pepper-2026-08-21t15-7 Subject: PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr Pepper Tags: qr codes, packaging, gs1 digital link, retail compliance, consumer data --- PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and Keurig Dr Pepper are rolling QR codes onto soda packaging ahead of a **2027** deadline for connected packaging and retail identification standards, according to MSN. The QR codes comply with GS1 Digital Link, a global standard that replaces traditional linear barcodes at point-of-sale and embeds product information, batch data, and promotional triggers inside a scannable code. The companies are embedding the codes directly on cans and bottles. At checkout, the QR code functions as a standard barcode for inventory and payment. For consumers, the same code can unlock product details, promotional offers, loyalty point accrual, or brand engagement when scanned with a phone. The transition is driven by a retail industry shift: GS1, the organization behind UPC barcodes, has set **2027** as the target year for retailers and suppliers to adopt 2D barcodes that carry richer data than the linear codes introduced in the 1970s. This works because QR codes store more information in less space. A linear barcode holds a product identifier. A GS1 Digital Link QR code holds the same identifier plus URLs, expiration dates, batch codes, and dynamic links to web content. Retailers get more granular supply chain tracking. Brands get a direct channel to the consumer at the moment of purchase, without printing a separate code for marketing. The mechanism matters for small physical-product brands. The beverage giants are not adding these codes for fun. They are preparing for a retail standard that will become table stakes. Any brand selling through grocery, convenience, or mass retail will need 2D barcodes to meet scanner requirements. But the same code that satisfies the retailer also opens a consumer data loop: who scanned, when, where, and what they did next. That loop is currently owned by the retailer or the app. A brand-controlled QR code on the package puts the brand in the conversation. Here is how a small brand runs the same play. First, generate a GS1 Digital Link QR code through a tool like QRCodeChimp's GS1 generator or IBN Link. Cost is typically under **$50** per year for a unique GTIN and dynamic QR infrastructure. Embed the code on your packaging design file, placed where it can be scanned at checkout and by hand. Second, link the QR code to a landing page you control. Not your homepage. A purpose-built page that acknowledges the scan, offers a next action—coupon, recipe, reorder link, SMS signup—and logs the scan source. Use a URL shortener with UTM parameters to track which batch or store location drove the scan. Third, test the code at actual retail. Print samples, take them to a grocery scanner, and confirm the code reads cleanly. If your retailer has not yet upgraded scanners, the code should still resolve when scanned by a phone. This costs the price of a sample run and one store visit. The broader pattern: mandatory standards create mandatory opportunities. When a compliance deadline forces a packaging change, that change can carry a growth feature if you design for it. Beverage giants are layering consumer engagement onto a barcode update. A small brand does the same by treating the **2027** transition not as a cost, but as the installation of a owned-media pixel on every unit shipped. ## The takeaway GS1 Digital Link QR codes meet **2027** retail standards and open a direct consumer data channel on every package. --- ## Publisher **Hako Shikin LLC** — Virginia Beach, Virginia. Founded 1997. ASI 217876 · DUNS 18-204-6339. Principal and author: **Jenny Huang Goodman MPA MSc MHSA**. - Author: https://www.huanggoodman.com/about - LLM context: https://www.pops4.com/stash/llms.txt - MCP endpoint, for AI agents: https://mcp.pops4.com/mcp - Client dashboard: https://dashboard.pops4.com/ - Catalogue: 70,000+ products, 200+ brands