GS1 DataBar Expanded Generator
GS1 DataBar variant that carries additional retail data such as weight and price for variable-measure goods.
How GS1 DataBar Expanded is structured
GS1 DataBar Expanded is the variable-length member of the family: it chains GS1 application identifiers after the leading (01) GTIN, so a single retail symbol can hold the item number plus weight, price, best-before date or batch. The sample here is (01) followed by a 14-digit GTIN. Where the label is short and wide, the same data can be split over two rows as Expanded Stacked.
GS1 DataBar Expanded check digit
There is no symbol check character. Validation is per application identifier instead: the GTIN in (01) ends with its own mod-10 check digit, the weighted price in (320n)/(310n) and the dates in (15)/(17) are fixed-length fields, and a decoder rejects the string when any field length is wrong.
GS1 DataBar Expanded compared with GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional
Omnidirectional and Limited carry one GTIN and stop; Expanded is the only family member that adds data, and the only one approved at the point of sale for variable-measure items. GS1-128 uses the same application identifier syntax but is a case-level symbol — Expanded is the one that goes on the item itself. Compare the GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional generator page for the same breakdown of structure, check digit and use cases.
Common GS1 DataBar Expanded problems
The (01) application identifier is not first
GS1 requires the GTIN field to open the string. Starting with a date or a batch identifier breaks the parse even when every individual field is correct, so put (01) plus 14 digits at the front and chain the rest after it.
Application identifiers were typed without their field lengths
(3103) expects six digits of weight, (17) expects six of date. A field that is one digit short shifts everything after it, and the symbol decodes to a different payload than the label lists. Check each field length against the GS1 AI list before generating.
The preview is a Code 128 rendering
This page draws the digits through the site's Code 128 encoder so the data and layout can be checked. A label going to a checkout needs a real DataBar Expanded symbol from a GS1-capable print service.
Where GS1 DataBar Expanded is used
- Weight and price on the label for variable-measure fresh food
- Best-before and batch data printed on the retail item itself
- Coupon codes and promotional offers at the point of sale
Not sure this is the right symbology? The barcode format guide groups every supported 1D and 2D format by industry with its character set and limits.