A QR code is a data carrier, a scannable link. A Digital Product Passport is the structured, access-controlled record the link resolves to. The same passport can be reached through a QR code, a GS1 Digital Link URL, a DataMatrix or an NFC tag. Printing a QR code does not create a passport; it only points to one.
Is a QR code a digital product passport?
No. The QR code is one way to reach the passport. The passport is the data, evidence, access rules and version history behind the link, which must stay available for the product's required lifetime.
What should the QR code resolve to?
A persistent, resolvable address for the product, batch or item, ideally a GS1 Digital Link so one code can serve the public passport and other services. Avoid a temporary internal URL that breaks when systems change.
What makes a passport more than a landing page?
Governed identifiers, redaction between public and restricted views, reviewed translations, evidence traceability, versioning and, where required, registration in the EU DPP Registry.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reuse an existing product QR code?
Sometimes, if it resolves to a persistent address you control and can point at the passport. A random shortlink is risky for a record that must last years.
Does the passport have to use GS1 Digital Link?
Not always, but GS1 Digital Link lets a single carrier serve the passport and other services and aligns with retail scanning.