EU product identifiers for Shopify: a practical checklist

Shipping from outside the EU to EU consumers?

Prepare the identifiers for goods sold through distance sales of imported goods. The requirement applies from 1 November 2026; voluntary reporting started on 1 July 2026. The identifier provisions cover the H1, H6 and H7 declaration datasets, so this is not simply a checklist for orders below €150.

Sources: Regulation (EU) 2026/1022, Article 2(3) and Annex, point 2; European Commission overview.

This guide is a starting point for your data review. Confirm your goods, destination and declaration arrangements with your carrier, customs representative or adviser. It does not assess your particular shipment.

What are M-PID, NS-PID and S-PID?

M-PIDYour merchant identifier

The seller’s, marketplace’s or platform’s product reference. Usually your SKU.

NS-PIDManufacturer or supplier identifier

A reference assigned by the manufacturer, producer or product supplier outside a recognized international standard. Often a part or model number.

S-PIDStandard identifier, when one exists

A manufacturer, producer or supplier reference based on a recognized international standard, such as a GTIN, EAN or ISBN.

Definitions: Regulation (EU) 2026/1022, Article 1, points 57–60.

A populated SKU field is only a starting point. The guidance expects identifiers to distinguish the actual variant and remain stable. A merchant reference should also let customers identify and retrieve the offer. An arbitrary internal code is not automatically adequate.

Read Commission guidance, sections 3.5.3–3.5.4.

FROM YOUR CATALOG TO YOUR CARRIER

Six checks to work through.

Use this as a working checklist. Tick a step when you have reviewed it; ticking a box is not a compliance assessment. Your ticks stay on this page only and are not saved or sent anywhere.

1. 01Identify the goods and shipping paths to review.Make a working list of products sent from outside the EU to EU consumers. Include each sales channel, shipping platform and carrier. Ask your customs representative which declaration route is used for each path.
2. 02Check your merchant identifiers against the products.Compare each reference with the actual product and variant in your catalog. Look for blank values, reused references and mismatched sizes or colors. Keep a record of what you checked and who confirmed it.
3. 03Recover the manufacturer or supplier reference.Start with purchase orders, supplier catalogs, packaging and existing product records. Ask upstream when the reference is unclear or missing. Keep the original reference and the evidence together; do not invent a manufacturer’s identifier.
4. 04Record a standardized identifier where one exists.Compare the product, packaging and supplier record. Check that the number belongs to the right variant. Where none exists, confirm the current reporting approach with your declarant rather than inserting a made-up barcode.
5. 05Confirm HS and origin data separately.Treat these as separate review tasks. An identifier does not establish a tariff classification or country of origin. Keep supporting records and seek appropriate advice where the product facts or classification remain uncertain.
6. 06Check the path to the electronic declaration.Ask where each identifier should be stored, which field the shipping platform reads, and how the carrier receives it. Run a representative test and inspect the resulting data with the receiving provider. Record the path, date, limitations and result.

For the classification and origin review in step five, follow theShopify HS code and country of origin checklist.

When a detail is missing.

Who assigns a missing NS-PID?

Ask the manufacturer, producer or product supplier to confirm the reference. Where no NS-PID exists, the guidance expects that party to assign one. The merchant’s own SKU and the manufacturer’s reference are different roles; copying one into the other field does not establish that both are correct.

Does every product need a barcode or S-PID?

The S-PID is conditional on its existence. Its absence does not remove the NS-PID requirement. The guidance describes an absence-reporting mechanism; ask your declarant how their system implements it.

Handmade or other special goods?

There is no universal handmade exemption. Section 3.5.7 sets out administrative tolerances tied to specific commodity coverage and conditions. Check the actual table and your classification before relying on one.

Sources: Commission guidance, section 3.5.4 and section 3.5.7. Carrier-specific declaration codes are intentionally outside this guide.

Present in your catalog.
Received by your carrier.

Those are two different checks. Saving a field in Shopify is one step. Checking it reaches your carrier is another.

For each shipping path, keep a simple record of the source field, receiving field, provider confirmation, test evidence and review date. Repeat the check when you change a platform, carrier or mapping. A sample label alone may not show all the electronic data being transmitted.

GO TO THE SOURCE

Keep the official text close.

• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1022

  Corrected act dated 30 April 2026; consolidated text dated 1 July 2026. Review Article 1, Article 2(3) and the Annex.

• European Commission customs guidance, section 3.5 (PDF)

  Operational explanation and specific circumstances, pages 24–32. Guidance can change; check the current document before relying on an exception.

• European Commission: guidance and legal text on low-value imports

  Context for the import changes and their different application dates.

These sources were reviewed on 20 September 2026. The linked consolidated text is a documentation aid; the authentic legal text is published in the Official Journal. The review date does not update automatically.