The present invention relates to two-dimensional barcode technologies and provide a method, apparatus, and terminal for encoding and decoding two-dimensional barcodes to extend the upper-layer application scope supported by the two-dimensional barcodes and break through the capacity bottleneck of the two-dimensional barcodes. The method for generating two-dimensional barcodes includes: obtaining upper-layer application data; and encoding the upper-layer application data into two-dimensional barcodes. The two-dimensional barcodes include a splicer area and an information data area. Through the splicer area in the two-dimensional barcodes, the capacity of the upper-layer application data supported by the two-dimensional barcodes is extended.