EU DPP QR Code Data Carrier Requirements

ESPR Article 10 requires a Digital Product Passport’s data carrier to stay on the product for its full service life, using open, interoperable formats — not a proprietary code locked to one vendor’s scanner.

Why AuthiChain

• GS1 Digital Link is the open URL format the AuthiChain protocol spec already uses for item identity — interoperable by construction, not a workaround
• The signed record behind the code is a W3C Verifiable Credential, readable by any conforming verifier, not one vendor’s app
• An unknown or malformed code returns 404, not a synthesized response — a scan either resolves to a real record or says so

How it works

Issue a unique identifier per unit, anchor its record on-chain for tamper-evidence, and let anyone verify it with a single scan. Plans start at $49/mo.

FAQ

Does the data carrier have to be a QR code?

Article 10 lets manufacturers choose the carrier — QR code, RFID, or NFC — as long as it is durable, accessible, and built on open standards. QR is the most common choice today.

What standard covers the carrier itself?

EN 18220:2026, referenced in the Official Journal in July 2026, sets the data-carrier requirements; product-specific delegated acts still set size, durability, and error-correction parameters per category.