GS1 US is merging the speed and efficiency of the linear barcode with the immense capabilities available in the data-rich QR code into one 2-dimensional standard that can power infinite possibilities.

GS1 said the QR code was not a threat to the traditional linear barcode. A QR (Quick Response) code is an image made up of dots, which can contain more data than a barcode.

The barcode was patented on 7 October 1952, but it was two decades before it was first used in a US supermarket.