GB/T 33993-2024Two dimensional code for commodity (English PDF)

1 Scope

GB/T 33993-2024 is the Chinese standard for the commodity two-dimensional code, the QR code carried on retail products that resolves to product information rather than merely encoding a number. It is the bridge between the GS1 identification the world uses at the checkout and the scan-with-a-phone behaviour that dominates Chinese retail, and it only works if the data inside the symbol is structured the same way by every brand. The standard sets the codes and abbreviated terms, then the data structure of the commodity two-dimensional code, the identification of the product, the application identifiers and the additional data such as batch, serial number and expiry that may be carried, the URI form used when the code resolves to a web resource, and the rules for constructing it; and then the symbol requirements, the symbology, the size, the quality grade and the printing and placement requirements, together with the verification of the symbol. It takes effect on 1 July 2025.

This Document specifies the data structure, symbol representation and symbol quality requirements of two-dimensional code for commodity. This Document applies to the management and application of two-dimensional code for commodity.

2 Normative References

The provisions in following documents become the essential provisions of this Document through reference in this Document. For the dated documents, only the versions with the dates indicated are applicable to this Document; for the undated documents, only the latest version (including all the amendments) is applicable to this Document.

GB 12904 Bar code for commodity - Retail commodity numbering and bar code marking

GB/T 12905 Bar code terminology

GB/T 14257 Bar code for commodity - Bar code symbol placement guidelines

GB/T 16986 Bar code for commodity - Application identifier GB/T 18284 QR Code GB/T 21049 Han Xin code

GB/T 41208 Data matrix code

3 Terms and Definitions

For the purposes of this Document, the terms and definitions given in GB/T 12905 and the following apply.

3.1 Two-dimensional bar code; 2D code A bar code symbol that represents information in two-dimensional direction. [Source: GB/T 12905-2019, 2.3]

3.2 Two-dimensional code for commodity A two-dimensional code that uniquely identifies products and their attributes worldwide.

3.3 Application identifier Characters that identify the meaning and format of data. NOTE. Generally composed of 2 to 4 digits. [Source: GB/T 16986-2018, 3.1]

3.4 Indicator The first digit of the 14-digit Global Trade Item Code (excluding the digit 0). NOTE. It is used to distinguish different combination packages of the same trade item or to specify variable trade items. [Source: GB/T 36069-2018, 3.1.4, modified]

4 Codes and Abbreviated Terms

The following codes and abbreviated terms apply to this Document. AI. Application Identifier GS

1.Global Standards One GTIN. Global Trade Item Number HRI. Human Readable Interpretation POS. Point-of-Sale URI. Uniform Resource Identifier

5 Data Structure of Two-Dimensional Code for Commodity

5.1 Data structure type The data structure of two-dimensional code for commodity is divided into encoding data structure and URL data structure.

6 Symbols of Two-Dimensional Code for Commodity

6.1 Code system The two-dimensional code for commodity shall use the two-dimensional code system with national standards such as Han Xin code, quick response matrix code and data matrix code, etc.; and shall meet the requirements of GB/T 21049, GB/T 18284 and GB/T 41208, respectively. Among them, when the encoded data structure is used for two-dimensional code symbol representation, the GS1 mode of the relevant code system shall be used for encoding. When the URL data structure uses Han Xin code, the URI mode of Han Xin code should be used. Application examples are shown in Appendix C.

6.2 Size The size of the two-dimensional code symbol for commodity shall be determined based on factors such as the encoding content, error correction level, reading device and system, and printing space, etc. If necessary, it shall be determined after conducting relevant adaptability tests. In a retail environment, a module size of

0.495 mm should be used; the minimum module size should be no less than

0.396 mm; and the maximum module size should be no greater than

0.990 mm.

6.3 Symbol position The basic requirements and placement rules of the two-dimensional code symbol position for commodity shall comply with D.1 and D.2 of Appendix D; and the position requirements for HRI characters shall comply with D.3.

7 Symbol Quality of Two-Dimensional Code for Commodity

7.1 Quality grade The quality grade of two-dimensional code symbol for commodity should be no lower than 1.5/× ×/660.Where.

1.5 is the symbol grade value; × × is the reference number of the measurement aperture (different application environments, different measurement aperture sizes shall be selected; 12 is selected in retail environments); 660 is the measurement light wavelength, in nm, with an allowable deviation of ±10 nm.

7.2 Quality inspection The quality of two-dimensional code symbol for commodity should be determined according to the following contents.

a) Check whether the encoding data structure complies with the provisions of

5.2 and Clause 6;

b) Check whether the URL data structure complies with the provisions of

5.3 and Clause 6;