8 Application Standard Profiles
8.1 Introduction
When a company requires or claims conformance to GS1 standards, it is important to understand what conformance means. The AIDC application standards in section 2 specify the application scope, required identifier, mandatory/optional attributes, data carrier (e.g., EAN/UPC, GS1 DataMatrix) options, data carriers specifications (e.g., print quality, size range) and rules such as GS1 identification key allocation. These and other GS1 standards provide the basis to measure conformance in a consistent way.
For example, retailers require suppliers to place an EAN/UPC barcode carrying a GTIN on the consumer package as the retailer requires the GTIN for point-of-sale (POS) and inventory transactions such as orders and invoices. The EAN/UPC barcode must also be printed to a minimum quality specification to ensure it can fulfil its purpose.
Note: Implementation of GS1 standards is voluntary unless related to a specific regulation. National, federal or local regulations may take precedence over GS1 standards. The Application Standard Profiles (ASPs) specify what is conformant for current and, where appropriate, future state implementations. These ASPs are designed for all stakeholders involved in the implementation process. This could be a supplier of a consumer product making sure the right identifier, attributes, barcode type and barcode size/quality are implemented on the package or a quality control function assessing the package. It could also be a solution provider who is ensuring their barcode design, printing, verification, or scanning systems accommodate the identifiers, attributes, barcodes and sizes specified by ASPs relevant to the product they are offering. These ASPs provide ways to simplify specifications for hardware and software purchases by referencing conformance requirements for ASPs relevant to the performance of a system.
Beyond documenting current AIDC application standard conformance requirements mentioned above, ASPs provide: 1. Conformance requirements: Provides normative reference(s) for conformance requirements, available identifiers, attributes and data carrier choices and quality specifications.
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Future state conformance requirements: Documents future conformance requirements that support migration to an additional data carrier or syntax. These requirements enable a standardised migration to a new capability. For example, the retail sector may determine 2D barcodes could add significant value to an application area, ASP is used to document the conformance requirements for which barcodes will be used for the migration period to support backward compatibility and more. Once specified data carrier or syntax is pervasive enough to be used in an open value chain, the future state conformance requirements will become part of the global application standard.
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Cross-application rules: Provides references to rules that apply across application standards such as multiple barcode management rules, GS1 identification key allocation rules, symbol placement rules and more.
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Technical Specifications: Provides references to technical standards related to the application such as the GS1 Application Identifier list, symbology specifications and more. ASPs are listed sequentially as they are approved. This modular approach creates persistent ASP references. For example, vendor requirement documents or system purchase agreements that reference ASPs to specify requirements will remain relevant independent of future ASP additions.
The ASP tables provide the following references: Basis of conformance requirements: Each ASP is based on one or more normative AIDC
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application standards. These are typically found in section 2 of this document but may also be in stand-alone documents. References to normative application standards are provided in each ASP table. Identifier choices: AIDC application standards contain a required GS1 identification key such
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as GTIN for trade items, SSCC for logistic units, GLN for physical locations and more. In the case of GTIN, there may be up to four different formats, GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 and GTIN- 14. In some cases, all four can be used, but in other cases, only one, two, or three formats are permitted.
Mandatory attribute(s): An identifier is always required and in some applications an attribute
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is mandatory. For example, variable measure trade items with a GTIN also require an attribute for weight or measure. Optional attribute(s): Section 3.2 provides a list of all GS1 Application Identifiers and data
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that is defined by GS1 for use in barcodes. All attributes that support the GS1 identification key in use are optional if not listed as mandatory. The party responsible for labelling the object is responsible for determining if optional attributes are needed. Data carrier choices: There are various data carriers approved within GS1 AIDC application
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standard. Each AIDC application standard records which data carriers are conformant. In some cases, there may also be one required data carrier and another that can be used in addition to the first. Barcode size and quality specifications: Each AIDC application standard that includes a
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barcode has specifications for size and print quality minimums. Conformity to these specifications and proper placement ensures the barcode has a high likelihood of scanning successfully in the required scan environment. GS1 syntax: GS1 AIDC data carriers support five different syntaxes. Each syntax defines a
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structured approach to representing data when it is encoded so that it can be correctly interpreted and processed when it is decoded.
8.2 ASP 1: Fixed measure trade items scanned at retail POS
ASP 1 applies to trade items that are intended for scanning at retail point-of-sale, are fixed measure (i.e., not sold based on variable weight or variable measure) and are not intended for general distribution scanning. Examples include trade items such as milk, soup cans, a hat, a lamp, a tennis racket, a battery pack, or a toy.
Note: ASP 1 does not apply to products sold or dispensed in a controlled environment (e.g., pharmacy, hospital) nor does it apply to books and serial publications where additional identification, data carrier, specifications and/or rules apply.
Table 8-1 ASP 1 conformance requirements
| Conformance requirements | General retail products |
|---|---|
| Basis of conformance requirements | Section 2.1.3.1 Fixed measure trade items scanned at retail POS using GTIN-12 or GTIN-13 Section 2.1.3.2 Fixed measure trade items scanned at retail POS using GTIN-12 carried by a UPC-E barcode Section 2.1.3.3 Fixed measure trade items scanned at retail POS using GTIN-8 Section 2.1.3.6 Fixed measure fresh food trade items scanned at retail POS |
| Identifier choices | GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 |
| Mandatory attribute(s) | N/A |
| Optional attribute(s) | See section 3.2 for the list of GS1 Application Identifiers that may be used with the identifier |
| Mandatory choices for a data carrier | EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E, GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional, GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional, GS1 DataBar Expanded, GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked |
| Conformance requirements | General retail products |
|---|---|
| Agreement on conformant data carriers in the future | Any one of the mandatory data carriers or any one of the data carriers below will be conformant in the future once POS system support for these three 2D barcodes below reached pervasive adoption and becomes part of the global application standards. In the migration period, one of the data carriers below may be used in addition to the mandatory data carrier selected. □ GS1 DataMatrix □ Data Matrix (GS1 Digital Link URI) □ QR Code (GS1 Digital Link URI) Please refer to the 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline for further support on implementing 2D barcodes. |
| Barcode size and quality specifications | Table 5-44 Symbol specification table 1 contains barcode quality and size specifications for trade items scanned in general retail POS and not general distribution Table 5-46 Symbol specification table 1 addendum 2 for 2D barcodes |
| Mandatory choices for GS1 syntax | Plain, GS1 element string |
| Agreement on conformant syntax in the future | Any one of the mandatory GS1 syntaxes or the uncompressed form of GS1 Digital Link URI syntax SHALL be conformant in the future once the POS system support for interoperability between all three GS1 syntaxes has reached pervasive adoption and becomes part of the global application standards. |
Note: A data carrier with GS1 Digital Link URI to support consumer mobile devices may be used in addition to the mandatory POS data carriers selected.
Table 8-2 ASP 1 cross-application rules
| Cross-application rules | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GTIN rules | Rules for GTIN management of uniqueness and allocation, and responsibility for allocation. | 4.2 |
| Rules that apply when a company changes legal status as a result of an acquisition, merger, partial purchase, split, or “spin-off.” | 1.5 | |
| Data relationships | Rules for allowed combinations of element strings on the same physical entity, irrespective of the data carrier(s) applied to the entity. | 4.13 |
| Human readable interpretation | Human readable interpretation (HRI) rules used to standardise printing requirements and facilitate training of staff on how to deal with GS1 AIDC data carriers that fail to scan or read. | 4.14 |
| Multiple barcode management | Rules for implementing multiple barcodes on the same trade item. | 4.15 |
| Barcode placement | Rules for barcode placement on trade items that will be scanned at point-of-sale. | 6.3 |
Table 8-3 ASP 1 related technical specifications
| Related technical specifications | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 Application Identifiers in numerical order | This section describes the meaning, structure and function of the GS1 system element strings so they can be correctly processed in users’ application programmes. An element string is the combination of a GS1 Application Identifier and a GS1 Application Identifier data field. Also see GS1 Application Identifiers browser | 3.2 |
| Data carrier specifications | EAN/UPC family technical specifications | 5.2 |
| GS1 DataBar family technical specifications | 5.5 | |
| Check digit calculations | The algorithm used for check digit calculations | 7.9 |
| The GS1 subset of International Standard ISO/IEC 646 | Lists all characters allowed for use in GS1 Application Identifier (AI) element strings. | 7.11 |
8.3 ASP 2: Fixed measure trade items scanned at retail POS and in general
distribution ASP 2 applies to trade items that are intended for scanning at retail point-of-sale and are fixed measure (i.e., not sold based on variable weight or variable measure). Unlike ASP 1 they are also intended for general distribution scanning. Examples of these products might be a microwave oven or large bag of animal feed.
Table 8-4 ASP 2 conformance requirements
| Conformance requirements | Fixed Measure POS and General Distribution |
|---|---|
| Basis of conformance requirements | Section 2.1.4 Fixed measure trade items scanned in general distribution and at retail POS |
| Identifier choices | GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 |
| Mandatory attribute(s) | N/A |
| Optional attribute(s) | See section 3.2 for the list of GS1 Application Identifiers that may be used with the identifier |
| Mandatory choices for a data carrier | EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E, GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional, GS1 DataBar Stacked Omnidirectional, GS1 DataBar Expanded, GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked |
| Agreement on conformant data carriers in the future | Any one of the mandatory data carriers or any one of the data carriers below will be conformant in the future once POS and general distribution system support for these three 2D barcodes below reaches pervasive adoption and becomes part of the global application standards. In the migration period, one of the data carriers below may be used in addition to the mandatory data carrier selected. □ GS1 DataMatrix □ Data Matrix (GS1 Digital Link URI) □ QR Code (GS1 Digital Link URI) Please refer to the 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline for further support on implementing 2D barcodes. |
| Barcode size and quality specifications | Table 5-48, Symbol specification table 3 Table 5-49, Symbol specification table 3 addendum 1 for 2D barcodes |
| Conformance requirements | Fixed Measure POS and General Distribution |
|---|---|
| Mandatory choices for GS1 syntax | Plain, GS1 element string |
| Agreement on conformant syntax in the future | Any one of the mandatory GS1 syntaxes or the uncompressed form of GS1 Digital Link URI syntax SHALL be conformant in the future once the POS system support for interoperability between all three GS1 syntaxes has reached pervasive adoption and becomes part of the global application standards. |
Note: A data carrier with GS1 Digital Link URI to support consumer mobile devices may be used in addition to the mandatory POS data carriers selected.
Table 8-5 ASP 2 cross-application rules
| Cross-application rules | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GTIN rules | Rules for GTIN management of uniqueness and allocation, and responsibility for allocation. | 4.2 |
| Rules that apply when a company changes legal status as a result of an acquisition, merger, partial purchase, split, or “spin-off.” | 1.5 | |
| Data relationships | Rules for allowed combinations of element strings on the same physical entity, irrespective of the data carrier(s) applied to the entity. | 4.13 |
| Human readable interpretation | Human readable interpretation (HRI) rules are provided to standardise printing requirements and facilitate training of staff on how to deal with GS1 AIDC data carriers that fail to scan or read. | 4.14 |
| Multiple barcode management | Rules for implementing multiple barcodes on the same trade item. | 4.15 |
| Barcode placement | Rules for barcode placement on trade items that will be scanned at point-of-sale. | 6.3 |
| Rules for barcode placement on trade items that will be scanned in general distribution environments. | 6.7 |
Table 8-6 ASP 2 related technical specifications
| Related technical specifications | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 Application Identifiers in numerical order | This section describes the meaning, structure and function of the GS1 system element strings so they can be correctly processed in users’ application programmes. An element string is the combination of a GS1 Application Identifier and a GS1 Application Identifier data field. Also see GS1 Application Identifiers browser | 3.2 |
| Data carrier specifications | EAN/UPC family technical specifications | 5.2 |
| GS1 DataBar family technical specifications | 5.5 | |
| Check digit calculations | The algorithm used for check digit calculations | 7.9 |
| Related technical specifications | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| The GS1 subset of International Standard ISO/IEC 646 | Lists all characters allowed for use in GS1 Application Identifier (AI) element strings. | 7.11 |
8.4 ASP 3: Variable measure trade items scanned at retail POS
ASP 3 applies to trade items that are intended for scanning at retail point-of-sale, are variable measure (i.e., are sold based on variable weight or variable measure) and are not intended for general distribution scanning. Examples include fruits, vegetables, dairy items, bakery items, meat and poultry sold by weight or measure.
Table 8-7 ASP 3 conformance requirements
| Conformance | Variable measure fresh food using GTIN + | Variable measure fresh food using |
|---|---|---|
| requirements | count/weight | Restricted Circulation Number (RCN) |
| Basis of conformance requirements | Section 2.1.12.1 Variable measure fresh food trade items scanned at retail POS using GTIN | Section 2.1.12.2 Variable measure fresh food trade items scanned at retail POS using RCN |
| Identifier choices | GTIN-12, GTIN-13 | RCN-12, RCN-13 |
| Mandatory attribute(s) | SHALL have at least one of the following GS1 Application Identifiers: AI (30) / AI (31nn) / AI (32nn) / AI (35nn) /AI (36nn) | N/A |
| Optional attribute(s) | See section 3.2 for the list of GS1 Application Identifiers that may be used with the identifier | N/A |
| Mandatory choices for a data carrier | GS1 DataBar Expanded, GS1 DataBar Expanded Stacked | EAN-13, UPC-A |
| Agreement on conformant data carriers in the future | Any one of the mandatory data carriers or any one of the data carriers below will be conformant in the future once POS system support for these three 2D barcodes below reaches pervasive adoption and becomes part of the global application standards. In the migration period, one of the data carriers below may be used in addition to the mandatory data carrier selected. □ GS1 DataMatrix □ Data Matrix (GS1 Digital Link URI) □ QR Code (GS1 Digital Link URI) Please refer to the 2D Barcodes at Retail Point- of-Sale Implementation Guideline for further support on implementing 2D barcodes. | N/A |
| Barcode size and quality specifications | Table 5-44 Symbol specification table 1 contains barcode quality and size specifications for trade items scanned in general retail POS and not general distribution Table 5-46 Symbol specification table 1 addendum 2 for 2D barcodes | Table 5-44 Symbol specification table 1 contains barcode quality and size specifications for trade items scanned in general retail POS and not general distribution |
| Mandatory choices for GS1 syntax | GS1 element string | Plain |
| Conformance | Variable measure fresh food using GTIN + | Variable measure fresh food using |
|---|---|---|
| requirements | count/weight | Restricted Circulation Number (RCN) |
| Agreement on conformant syntax in the future | GS1 element string or the uncompressed form of GS1 Digital Link URI syntax SHALL be conformant in the future once the POS system support for interoperability between these syntaxes has reached pervasive adoption and becomes part of the global application standards. | N/A |
Note: A data carrier with GS1 Digital Link URI to support consumer mobile devices may be used in addition to the mandatory POS data carriers selected.
Table 8-8 ASP 3 cross-application rules
| Cross-application rules | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GTIN rules | Rules for GTIN management of uniqueness and allocation, and responsibility for allocation. | 4.2 |
| Rules that apply when a company changes legal status as a result of an acquisition, merger, partial purchase, split, or “spin-off.” | 1.5 | |
| Data relationships | Rules for allowed combinations of element strings on the same physical entity, irrespective of the data carrier(s) applied to the entity. | 4.13 |
| Human readable interpretation | Human readable interpretation (HRI) rules are used to standardise printing requirements and facilitate training of staff on how to deal with GS1 AIDC data carriers that fail to scan or read. | 4.14 |
| Multiple barcode management | Rules for implementing multiple barcodes on the same trade item. | 4.15 |
| Barcode placement | Rules for barcode placement on trade items that will be scanned at point-of-sale. | 6.3 |
Table 8-9 ASP 3 related technical specifications
| Related technical specifications | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 Application Identifiers in numerical order | This section describes the meaning, structure and function of the GS1 system element strings so they can be correctly processed in users’ application programmes. An element string is the combination of a GS1 Application Identifier and a GS1 Application Identifier data field. Also see GS1 Application Identifiers browser | 3.2 |
| Data carrier specifications | EAN/UPC family technical specifications | 5.2 |
| GS1 DataBar family technical specifications | 5.5 | |
| Check digit calculations | The algorithm used for check digit calculations | 7.9 |
| The GS1 subset of International Standard ISO/IEC 646 | Lists all characters allowed for use in GS1 Application Identifier (AI) element strings. | 7.11 |
8.5 ASP 4: General retail consumer trade item with extended packaging
Information on a trade item can be extended when the consumer scans an AIDC data carrier to reach web resources online. For example, a shopper scans a box of packaged pasta to find a selection of recipes. For new extended packaging applications, a web-enabled approach using GS1 Digital Link URI syntax and an AIDC data carrier such as QR Code, Data Matrix, EPC/RFID or NFC tag is used. For this reason, the ASP focuses solely on the forward-looking approach. Prior to the GS1 Digital Link URI standard, two approaches were available to reach extended packaging applications that were available within the GS1 system of standards. All legacy implementations of these approaches remain conformant but new implementations SHALL use the GS1 Digital Link URI approach.
Table 8-10 ASP 4 conformance requirements
| Conformance requirements | General retail products GS1 Digital Link URI |
|---|---|
| Basis of conformance requirements | Section 2.1.13.1 GS1 Digital Link URI syntax for extended packaging applications for trade items |
| Identifier choices | GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13 |
| Mandatory attribute(s) | N/A |
| Optional attribute(s) | See section 3.2 for the list of GS1 Application Identifiers that may be used with the identifier |
| Mandatory choices for a data carrier | QR Code (GS1 Digital Link URI), Data Matrix (GS1 Digital Link URI) Please refer to the 2D Barcodes at Retail Point-of-Sale Implementation Guideline for further support on implementing 2D barcodes. |
| Optional choices for additional data carriers | NFC tags MAY be used in addition to the mandatory data carrier selected and SHALL encode the GS1 Digital Link URI using a Well-Known Type URI record as defined in the NFC Forum URI Record Type Definition Technical Specification. Identifier Code 2 (https://www.) or Identifier Code 4 (https://), SHALL be used as defined in the NFC Forum URI Record Type Definition Technical Specification. |
| Agreement on conformant data carriers in the future | EPC/RFID tags MAY be used as an additional data carrier alongside the mandatory choices until the requirements of Policy B11 are met (e.g., 90%+ of smart devices can read EPC/RFID tags). Once these requirements are satisfied, EPC/RFID can be included among the mandatory data carrier options which means an EPC/RFID tag can be used as an alternative to the current mandatory choices. |
| Barcode size and quality specifications | Table 5-46 Symbol specification table 1 addendum 2 for 2D barcodes contains barcode quality and size specifications for 2D barcodes with GS1 Digital Link URI |
| Mandatory choices of GS1 syntax | This application SHALL use the uncompressed form of GS1 Digital Link URI, see GS1 Digital Link Standard: URI Syntax for more information |
| Conformance requirements | General retail products GS1 Digital Link URI |
|---|---|
| Agreement on conformant syntax for EPC/RFID encoding schemes in the future | EPC/RFID data carriers MAY only be used as additional data carriers until the requirements of Policy B11 are met. When the requirements are satisfied, EPC/RFID data carriers will be included within the set of mandatory data carrier choices, meaning that they could be used exclusively. At all times, EPC/RFID tags within the GS1 system are encoded with EPC binary schemes that are defined within GS1 Tag Data Standard (TDS). As a result, when the requirements of Policy B11 are met, EPC binary syntax and the EPC binary schemes currently defined within the latest version of TDS all become mandatory choices for identifier syntax, meaning that any of these may be used exclusively of any other GS1 identifier syntax. Where EPC/RFID tags with TDS-conformant EPC encoding schemes are used to provide consumers with access to online resources, the EPC identifier SHALL be decoded to GS1 Digital Link URI format using the algorithms normatively specified in TDS/TDT, in conjunction with one of the following two methods: 1. For EPC encodings per TDS 2.2 and earlier (i.e., EPC/RFID tags encoded with SGTIN-96, SGTIN-198, SGTIN+, DSGTIN+), use a pre-determined, default hostname (e.g., https://id.gs1.org as used by the global GS1 Resolver) to enable decoding to a resolvable Web URI. 2. For EPC encodings introduced in TDS 2.3 and later (i.e., EPC/RFID tags encoded with SGTIN++ or DSGTIN++), include hostname information as normatively specified by TDS to enable seamless decoding to a resolvable Web URI. It is important to ensure that the EPC memory bank (MB01) of the EPC/RFID tag has sufficient capacity to accommodate the appropriate EPC and any required GS1 Application Identifiers (e.g., Batch/Lot), as well as, where applicable (per option 2, above), hostname information. An EPC/RFID tag encodes an EPC binary string and the smart device (reader) MAY use the compressed form of the GS1 Digital Link URI syntax as defined in the GS1 Digital Link URI: Compression Technical Standard for EPC binary strings which SHALL then be decompressed as defined in the GS1-Conformant Resolver Standard before use in this application. |
Table 8-11 ASP 4 cross-application rules
| Cross-application rules | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GTIN rules | Rules for GTIN management of uniqueness and allocation, and responsibility for allocation. | 4.2 |
| Rules that apply when a company changes legal status as a result of an acquisition, merger, partial purchase, split, or “spin-off.” | 1.5 | |
| Data relationships | Rules for allowed combinations of element strings on the same physical entity, irrespective of the data carrier(s) applied to the entity. | 4.13 |
| Human readable interpretation | Human readable interpretation (HRI) rules are provided to standardise printing requirements and facilitate training of staff on how to deal with GS1 AIDC data carriers that fail to scan or read. | 4.14 |
| Multiple barcode management | Rules for implementing multiple barcodes on the same trade item. | 4.15 |
Table 8-12 ASP 4 related technical specifications
| Related technical specifications | Description | Section |
|---|---|---|
| GS1 Application Identifiers in numerical order | This section describes the meaning, structure and function of the GS1 system element strings so they can be correctly processed in users’ application programmes. An element string is the combination of a GS1 Application Identifier and a GS1 Application Identifier data field. Also see GS1 Application Identifiers browser | 3.2 |
| Data carrier specifications | Data Matrix technical specifications | 5.9 |
| QR Code technical specifications | 5.10 | |
| Optional additional data carrier | EPC/RFID technical specifications | 5.13 |
| NFC technical specifications | 5.14 | |
| Check digit calculations | The algorithm used for check digit calculations | 7.9 |
| The GS1 subset of International Standard ISO/IEC 646 | Lists all characters allowed for use in GS1 Application Identifier (AI) element strings. | 7.11 |
| The GS1 regular expression test | The regular expression test is used to differentiate 2D barcodes encoded with GS1 Digital Link URI syntax and those not encoding GS1 data. | See GS1 Digital Link Standard: URI Syntax, section 6 |
| The GS1 link type rules for GS1 Digital Link | Details on link types for use with GS1 Digital Link. Each link type property expresses a distinct kind of information resource found at the target resources URI. | GS1 Web Vocabulary for GS1 Digital Link “link type” rules |