By ParcelPilot
28 Sep 2026
New EU Product Identifier requirements: check your product data before 1 November 2026
If you ship goods to customers in the European Union, there is an important customs change approaching that may require some preparation to your product data.
From 1 November 2026, new Product Identifier (PID) requirements will be enforced for relevant B2C goods imported into the EU customs territory. Missing or incomplete product identifiers could cause problems with customs clearance.
Action required before 1 November 2026
If you ship B2C orders into the EU, start reviewing your product data now. ParcelPilot can help identify Items where required product identifier information is still missing.
ParcelPilot is being updated to help both fulfilment operators and their clients identify where information is missing before the deadline.
What is changing?
For affected shipments, customs information will need to include three types of product identifier:
Merchant Product Identifier
Your own unique reference for the product. For most businesses, this will be the SKU or product code already used in your ecommerce, ERP or inventory system.
Manufacturer Product Identifier
The manufacturer's or supplier's own unique reference for the product. This might also be described as an MPN, manufacturer SKU, model number, part number or style number.
Standard Product Identifier
A globally recognised identifier such as a GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN. This is required where one exists for the product.
These are separate pieces of information. For example, a barcode or EAN does not replace the manufacturer's own product reference.
Does this affect every EU shipment?
No.
The new PID requirement is aimed at B2C imports into the EU customs territory. B2B imports to VAT-registered recipients in the destination country are treated differently under the current guidance.
This means it is increasingly important to have accurate information not only about your products, but also about whether customers are businesses or consumers and, where relevant, their VAT details.
B2B doesn't automatically mean there's nothing to do
Simply identifying an order as B2B isn't enough on its own. Recipient VAT information may also be needed to determine whether the B2B exception applies.
ParcelPilot can now help identify orders that appear to require PID information and those where the available information needs further review.
What should you do now?
You don't need to wait until November.
We recommend reviewing your product catalogue now and making sure the information you hold is as complete as possible.
In particular, check that products have:
- a SKU or Merchant Product ID;
- a Manufacturer Product ID;
- a GTIN, EAN, UPC, ISBN or other recognised Standard Product ID where one exists;
- an accurate HS Code;
- a Country of Manufacture/Origin;
- a useful Customs Description.
Not all of these fields form part of the three PID requirements, but maintaining good customs data alongside the identifiers will help support accurate international shipping and customs documentation.
Where should I add the information?
Where possible, maintain product information in the system where your product catalogue originates.
Many ecommerce platforms already provide fields for information such as SKU, barcode/GTIN, HS Code and Country of Origin. If ParcelPilot's integration supports those fields, the information can be brought into ParcelPilot when product data is imported or synchronised.
Our recommended workflow
1. Update the product in your ecommerce platform
2. Save the changes
3. Reimport or synchronise the product in ParcelPilot
4. Check what information is still missing
5. Complete any remaining information directly in ParcelPilot
This avoids maintaining the same information separately in multiple systems.
Exactly which information can be imported automatically depends on your ecommerce platform, its configuration and the ParcelPilot integration.
What if my ecommerce platform doesn't contain all the information?
That's fine.
Some information — particularly a Manufacturer Product ID — may not have an appropriate standard field in your ecommerce platform or may not currently be supplied to ParcelPilot by the integration.
Any remaining information can be added directly to the Item in ParcelPilot.
For larger catalogues, ParcelPilot also provides Item export/import tools so product information can be reviewed and updated in bulk.
Don't enter made-up data just to complete a field
If you don't know a Manufacturer Product ID, check with the manufacturer or supplier. If a product genuinely has no standard GTIN, EAN, UPC or similar identifier, ParcelPilot allows that to be recorded separately rather than entering a false identifier such as "N/A".
How ParcelPilot will help
We've introduced additional product and customer information specifically to make this easier to manage.
On your Items, ParcelPilot can assess EU B2C PID readiness and identify products where required identifier information is still missing.
EU B2C PID: Ready
The Item contains the product identifiers ParcelPilot expects for EU PID purposes.
EU B2C PID: Needs Data
One or more required product identifiers are missing or unresolved. ParcelPilot will identify what needs attention.
ParcelPilot keeps this separate from broader Product Data completeness, because information such as HS Code, Country of Origin and Customs Description remains important even though it isn't one of the three Product Identifiers.
Warnings on orders and shipments
For relevant EU orders, ParcelPilot can also display an advisory assessment on the Order and again when you Create Shipment.
For example, you may see:
EU PID: Needs Data
This order appears to require EU product identifiers. One or more Items need product data.
Or:
EU PID: Needs Review
This order is classified as B2B, but sufficient recipient VAT information isn't currently available to determine whether the B2B exception applies.
These warnings are currently advisory
They are designed to help you identify and correct missing information. ParcelPilot does not currently prevent a shipment from being created because of an EU PID warning.
B2B, B2C or a mixture of both?
Tenant owners and clients should also review how their orders are classified.
ParcelPilot now allows a client to be configured as:
B2B only
Orders are normally sent to business customers.
B2C only
Orders are normally sent to consumers.
Mixed B2B / B2C
The client handles both types of order, so ParcelPilot uses the individual customer or order information where available.
Where individual Customer or ecommerce order information provides a more specific classification, ParcelPilot can use that information too.
If you're a B2B business, don't simply assume there's nothing to do. B2B classification alone isn't sufficient for ParcelPilot to determine that the PID requirement doesn't apply. Recipient VAT information may also be needed.
Start reviewing your data now
The enforcement date is 1 November 2026. The best time to identify gaps is before they affect a shipment that is ready to leave the warehouse.
A sensible approach is to:
- Review your Client settings in ParcelPilot and make sure B2B only, B2C only or Mixed B2B/B2C is appropriate.
- Check your Items and look for products marked EU B2C PID – Needs Data.
- Where possible, add missing information to your ecommerce platform first, save it and reimport or synchronise the product.
- Complete any remaining fields directly in ParcelPilot or use the Item export/import tools for bulk updates.
- Pay particular attention to products you regularly ship to EU customers.
Starting now gives you time to obtain Manufacturer Product IDs or other information from suppliers where you don't already hold it.
Need help?
ParcelPilot's help guides explain each of the new fields, what information should be entered and how the B2B/B2C settings work.
You can also use Ask AI Help from within ParcelPilot. If an Item says Needs Data or an Order says Needs Review, ask why. ParcelPilot can use the information for the Item or Order you're viewing to explain what needs attention.
Don't wait until 1 November.
Review your EU shipping data now, fill the gaps you can, and give yourself time to obtain any product information you don't currently hold.
Want to see ParcelPilot in action?
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