Looking for the quick version? See EU product identifiers (PIDs) from 1 November 2026: what to add to your store.
What PIDs are and why they matter
From 1 November 2026, every item you sell to EU consumers from outside the EU must be declared to customs with its product identifiers (PIDs). A PID is an alphanumeric code that identifies one exact product variant. PIDs can be created by e-commerce merchants or assigned by third parties such as manufacturers, governmental or non-profit organisations. Examples of PIDs:
- SKU: an individual identifier assigned by a merchant.
- ISBN (International Standard Book Number): a 13-digit standardised identifier issued by the International ISBN Agency.
- Producer part number: any identifier issued by an auto parts manufacturer and normally publicly available to consumers.
Customs will use PIDs to find parcels holding the same product, to verify the customs value of such products, and to stop non-compliant or unsafe goods at scale, not one parcel at a time.
This manual is based on European Commission guidance and explanations provided by national customs.
Please note: the practical aspects of transferring PIDs depend on your logistics arrangements. The examples given for Shopify, WooCommerce and EAS API customers only relate to data and solutions transferred to EAS for EAS solution purposes, including EAS EU DDP and EAS Swiss Post DDP.
Scope and key dates
The requirement covers goods sold in distance sales to EU consumers (B2C) from outside the EU.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 July 2026 | Voluntary period started: PIDs could be sent with no penalties for missing or wrong data |
| 1 November 2026 | PIDs mandatory; enforcement and penalties apply |
| July 2028 | Wider product data requirements expected with the EU Customs Data Hub for e-commerce |
The three PIDs
Every item needs at least two PIDs: the merchant PID and the manufacturer's non-standardised PID. A standardised PID (such as an EAN) is added whenever one exists.
| PID | Assigned by | Required | Typical example |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-PID: merchant product identifier | Online seller, marketplace or platform | Always | Platform SKU or listing ID customers search for |
| NS-PID: non-standardised manufacturer product identifier | Manufacturer, producer or product supplier | Always | Manufacturer article or model-colour code |
| S-PID: standardised manufacturer product identifier | Manufacturer, producer or product supplier | Only if it exists | EAN-13, UPC, ISBN, etc. |
All PIDs must be:
- Unique: one code per product variant (brand, size, colour, packaging).
- Persistent: unchanged from manufacture through sale and delivery.
- At model level: deliberately using batch- or unit-level codes when a model-level code exists counts as an infringement.
On a multi-seller marketplace, the M-PID can be set by the e-commerce platform and must be the same whichever seller offers the product. If a manufacturer has no NS-PID, it must create one; it may also reuse its EAN as the NS-PID.
Who does what
PIDs travel down the supply chain: the manufacturer and the seller create them, and the declarant sends them to customs.
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer, producer or product supplier | Assigns the NS-PID (and S-PID where one exists) and passes them to every buyer down the chain |
| Online seller, marketplace or platform | Assigns the M-PID, unique across the platform, and passes all PIDs to the declarant |
| Declarant (IOSS holder or anyone able to present the goods to EU national customs) | Declares the PIDs and is legally responsible for their accuracy and completeness |
Because the declarant carries the liability, we must receive complete PIDs from you before goods arrive. If a PID looks wrong, especially an EAN, which is easy to check, the declarant is expected to verify it, if needed against the product itself.
PIDs in the customs declaration
PIDs are used in customs declarations. After 1 November 2026, EU national customs will refuse customs declarations without PIDs. Declarants must be able to receive PID data via the supply chain. Merchants should make sure that at least two PIDs (M-PID and NS-PID) are available via the shop.
Special cases
Some goods get an administrative tolerance; everything else must follow the full rules.
| Goods | Commodity codes (non-exhaustive) | What to declare |
|---|---|---|
| Unprocessed agricultural and perishable goods | Chapters 1 to 15 | The literal text "M-PID" and "NS-PID" may be used as identifiers |
| Hand-made and artisanal goods | 4420 11, 4420 19, 4602, 4802 10 00, 5702 10 00, 5804 30 00, 5805 00 00, selected 7013 codes | Same as above |
| Antiques, collectibles, art, stamps, coins | 9701 to 9706 | Same as above |
| Medical devices (MDR/IVDR) | - | UDI-DI as S-PID; legacy devices until 27 November 2026 may use "32017R0745" or "32017R0746" |
| Medicinal products and OTC pharmaceuticals | - | Product code (GS1 AI 01) as S-PID |
No tolerance applies to:
- Second-hand and refurbished goods: declare the PIDs of the original product.
- Personalised or print-on-demand goods: declare the PIDs of the underlying product (e.g. the blank T-shirt).
Packaged food products sold to end consumers in HS chapters 1 to 15 (for example packaged coffee, chapter 09) can state the literal text "M-PID" for the M-PID and must use "NS-PID" for the NS-PID. A SKU can also be used as the M-PID.
Customer checklist
For each product you ship to EU consumers, send us these fields in your order or product data feed:
- M-PID: your shop or marketplace SKU or listing ID (mandatory).
- NS-PID: the manufacturer's article or model number (mandatory; ask your supplier, or create one if you are the manufacturer).
- S-PID: EAN, UPC or ISBN, or state clearly that none exists.
- Codes are at product-variant level, not batch or serial number.
- Bundles list the PIDs of every product inside. You can enter the PIDs of bundled products separated by commas.
- Second-hand or personalised goods carry the PIDs of the original or blank product.
Declarations with missing or incorrect PIDs can be held or rejected from 1 November 2026, delaying delivery.
Shopify sellers
EAS expects merchants to include PID data in the product's inventory settings, at variant level, in the following fields:
- SKU (Stock Keeping Unit)
- Barcodes (ISBN, UPC, GTIN, etc.)
For the purposes of EAS solutions (EAS Swiss Post DDP and EAS EU DDP), the SKU field will be used as the NS-PID and Barcodes will be used as the S-PID. For the M-PID, EAS will use the individual item identifier created by Shopify. We also expect the Country/Region of origin and Harmonized System (HS) code to be in place.
For how Shopify's Barcodes field works, including adding several barcodes per variant and bulk editing, see Shopify's announcement: Product variants now support multiple barcodes.
WooCommerce sellers
In Products → [product] → Product data → Inventory, fill in:
- SKU
- GTIN, UPC, EAN, or ISBN
For the purposes of EAS solutions (EAS Swiss Post DDP and EAS EU DDP), the SKU field will be used as the NS-PID and the GTIN, UPC, EAN, or ISBN field will be used as the S-PID. For the M-PID, EAS will use the individual item identifier created by WooCommerce. We also expect the country of origin and Harmonized System (HS) code to be in place.
EAS API
The EAS API makes it possible to transfer all three PIDs for the purposes of EAS products. Please refer to the EAS API description for practical application.
Sources
- European Commission, DG TAXUD: The temporary EUR 3 customs duty and the Union handling fee, Guidance for Member States and Trade, version of 5 October 2026, chapter 8.
- EU Customs Reform, European Commission.
This is our current understanding and is subject to change. Questions? Email support@easproject.com.