Countries / Europe

United Kingdom

Medicines, tobacco, alcoholChecked 17 Oct 2026
SystemUK tobacco track and trace; vaping duty stamps
Code on the productUnique identifiers on tobacco packs; physical stamps with digital tracking on vapes
AggregationTobacco: yes.
First stepRegister your products and GTINs in the national system: UK tobacco track and trace.
Supplier checklist (PDF)

Overview

Tobacco has unit-level traceability since 2019 under rules kept from the EU directive. Great Britain stopped the EU medicines safety features after Brexit. Vaping products need duty stamps from 1 October 2026, with full implementation by 1 April 2027. On the retail side, Tesco is one of the most active 2D adopters.

If you supply this market

  1. Register your products and GTINs in the national system: UK tobacco track and trace.
  2. Print a unique serialised code on every saleable pack.
  3. Verify every code on the line; aggregate into cases and pallets where required.
  4. Report production and shipments to the national system.

Typical steps for this type of regime. The exact rules are in the sources. Choosing equipment: printing methods.

Timeline

Coming next

  • 1 Apr 2027Vaping stamp regime in full

Already in force

  • 20 May 2019Tobacco track and trace
  • 1 Oct 2026Vaping duty stamps on every vaping product

What the code looks like

Tobacco unique identifier

Tobacco unique identifier

ID issuer code
Identifies the independent ID issuer of the country
Serial number
Unique to this pack
Product code
Links to brand, pack type and market
Time stamp
Date and time of manufacture

Printed on every unit pack (DataMatrix, QR or DotCode), plus a separate security feature. Cartons, cases and pallets get aggregated codes. Illustration built on the GS1 example GTIN; the code does not identify any product.

How this code is built →
TAX STAMPSN 0001234567

Tax stamp on each unit

Physical stamp
Applied to every pack or bottle, usually by the manufacturer or importer
Serial number + 2D code
Issued by the tax authority; the manufacturer applies it
Check
Inspectors and often consumers scan it to confirm the duty was paid

The stamp is ordered from the authority and activated when it is applied. Schematic drawing.

How this code is built →

Moves to 2D at the checkout

  • 27 Jul 2026Tesco · Test. Testing a single 2D barcode on selected own-brand products that handles both checkout scanning and product information Source ↗
  • 27 Jul 2026Kenvue (Listerine, Johnson's Baby, OGX) · Rollout. QR codes on pack that let shoppers add products to a digital basket (GS1 standard not stated in the source) Source ↗
  • 24 Apr 2026Tesco · Rollout. Whole own-label core sausage range moved from the linear barcode to QR codes (pork sausages, chipolatas, Cumberland, Lincolnshire, sausage meat) Source ↗
  • Apr 2025Tesco · Trial. QR codes powered by GS1 on 12 own-brand meat and produce lines with 10 suppliers in southern England, to improve use-by and batch accuracy and stop sale of out-of-date food Source ↗
  • 2023Ocado Retail · Trial. Unique serialised QR codes from Polytag on its full range of six own-brand fresh milk products; in a digital deposit-return trial over 20,000 bottles were scanned by 3,000+ customers Source ↗
Full 2D tracker →

Frequently asked questions

Is product marking mandatory in United Kingdom?

Yes, for medicines, tobacco or alcohol, depending on the product: UK tobacco track and trace. Other consumer goods are not marked unit by unit.

What is already in force?

20 May 2019: Tobacco track and trace; 1 Oct 2026: Vaping duty stamps on every vaping product.

What code goes on the product?

Unique identifiers on tobacco packs; physical stamps with digital tracking on vapes.

Is aggregation required?

Tobacco: yes.

What changes next?

1 Apr 2027: Vaping stamp regime in full.

Do medicines in Great Britain still need the EU safety features?

No. Great Britain stopped the EU medicines verification after Brexit.

Where can I check the rules?

Start with HMRC / tax-stamps.org: vaping duty stamp. All sources are listed at the end of this page.

Sources

Checked 17 Oct 2026. Seen something outdated? Send a correction.