Key points
- The scope of the PID requirements is explained in section 8.2 of the European Commission’s guidance (PDF).
- Match each product with the identifiers used by the seller and manufacturer.
- Confirm how to send the identifiers through your selected shipping service before dispatch.
A description such as "T-shirt" or "headphones" does not identify a specific product. Product identifiers, or PIDs, help customs connect an imported item with the product offered by the seller and made by the manufacturer.
What changes on 1 November 2026?
The European Commission's guidance updated on 5 October 2026 says mandatory PID reporting starts on 1 November 2026 for relevant distance-sale imports in consignments with an intrinsic value of no more than EUR 150. It mainly concerns business-to-consumer sales; ordinary B2B flows are generally outside this requirement.
Which identifiers should you prepare?
- The merchant product identifier used by the online shop or marketplace.
- The non-standardised manufacturer product identifier.
- The standardised manufacturer product identifier, where one exists.
For a marketplace sale, check the platform's product identifier rather than assuming your internal stock code is sufficient. PIDs do not replace the customs commodity code.
Prepare the data before dispatch
Match each catalogue entry with its manufacturer information. Ask the supplier for missing codes and check that the details pass correctly from your shop to the shipping system.
Carrier systems may use different field names. FedEx provides its own instructions for supplying product identifiers; those interface instructions should not be assumed to apply to every carrier.
For shipments booked through Topparcel, have the product information ready before booking and confirm how it should be supplied for the selected service. A missing identifier is easier to resolve while the goods are still with you.
