EU product identifiers from 1 November: what M-PID, NS-PID and S-PID are, and how Teleship helps you
Antoine Mosneron Dupin
October 17, 2026
From 1 November 2026, every B2C parcel entering the EU must identify each item it contains with product identifiers. Carriers and shipping platforms have spent the last few weeks warning sellers to fix their catalogues before the deadline. If you ship with Teleship, most of that work is already done for you.
Deadline
1 November 2026, all B2C parcels into the EU
What's required
Three identifiers on every item line, not once per parcel
If they're missing
The line can be held, rejected or returned
With Teleship
Added automatically to every label. Nothing to switch on
1. What changes on 1 November
The EU removed its €150 duty-free threshold on 1 July. The second phase of the reform starts on 1 November: customs declarations for B2C shipments into the EU must carry product identification data, called PIDs, for every item line, not just once per parcel.
M-PID
Merchant product ID
The code you use to identify the product, such as your SKU.
Required
NS-PID
Non-standard (manufacturer) ID
The manufacturer's own reference: part number, style code or model number (MPN).
Required
S-PID
Standard product ID
An internationally recognised barcode: GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN.
Whenever the product has one
Orbit Ceramic Mug, Blue
HS 6912.00 · Qty 2 · Origin GB
2. Why a blank field is a real risk
Many shipping tools still let you leave these fields empty. EU customs won't. Customs have warned that item lines with missing or invalid identifiers can be held, rejected or returned once the rule is in force, and every delay lands on your customer.
Line data also costs money now. Since July each distinct HS6 line on a low-value parcel attracts the flat €3 duty, and from 1 November a €2 customs handling fee applies per line item too. Clean, accurate lines are the cheapest and fastest way through customs.
3. What Teleship does for you
Nothing needs to be switched on. It runs on every label you create, whether you work in the Teleship app, through our Shopify or WooCommerce integrations, or directly against our API.
- 1
We read the identifiers you already have
Your catalogue is the first source. From Shopify we take the SKU, the variant barcodes (including the new NS-PID barcode type) and any MPN field. From WooCommerce we take the SKU, the built-in GTIN/UPC/EAN/ISBN field and the MPN. Catalogue data is only copied onto a line when we are certain it is the same product: the same variant, or a SKU no other product shares.
- 2
We check that barcodes are real
A barcode is only used as the S-PID if it is a valid GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN with a correct check digit.
- 3
We fill the gaps so no line ships blank
If a product has no manufacturer reference, we fall back to your barcode, then to your SKU. If a variant has no SKU at all, we generate a stable reference from your product ID. With no barcode, the S-PID is left empty and we will file the exemption code declaration.
- 4
We send them to the carrier and print them on the paperwork
The identifiers travel with each item line in the electronic data we send to EU, in the format required. Values that are too long are shortened to fit carrier limits rather than dropped. All three also appear on every line of your commercial invoice.
- 5
Your parcel never stop
A missing identifier never blocks a label. If one line cannot be resolved, only that line is affected, and our team is alerted so we can follow up with you before it becomes a customs problem.
4. Where to set PIDs in Shopify and WooCommerce
Our fallbacks are a safety net. The cleanest declarations, and the fastest clearance, come from real data in your catalogue. Here is exactly where each identifier goes on your platform.
Shopify
Shopify added native EU customs fields in October 2026. Each identifier lives on the product variant.
M-PIDSKU
- Products › open the product › click the variant
- Inventory › SKU: give every variant its own, unique SKU
S-PIDBarcode (GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN)
- Variant › Barcodes › enter the number from the packaging
- Set the barcode type to GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN, not Custom
NS-PIDManufacturer code
- Variant › Barcodes › Add barcode
- Enter the model, part or style code and set the type to NS-PID
- Keep your retail barcode first: sales channels read the first one
No barcode?Declare it instead
- Variant › Shipping › More details
- EU customs declaration › turn on Has no standardized identifier
- Only for items with no GTIN at all, such as handmade goods
Updating hundreds of variants? Use Products › Export, fill the columns, then Import, or select products and choose Bulk edit.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce has native SKU and GTIN fields (version 9.2 or later). There is no native field for the manufacturer code.
M-PIDSKU
- Products › edit product › Product data › Inventory › SKU
- Variable product: Product data › Variations › open each variation › SKU
S-PIDGTIN, UPC, EAN or ISBN
- Simple product: Product data › Inventory › GTIN, UPC, EAN, or ISBN
- Variable product: fill the same field inside each variation
NS-PIDManufacturer part number (MPN)
- Add it as a product attribute named MPN (Products › Attributes), or as a custom field
- If a feed or SEO plugin already adds an MPN field, use that one
- Tell us which field you use and we will map it
No barcode?Leave the GTIN field empty
- Teleship files the no-barcode declaration (Y081) for you
- SKU and MPN still go on the line
Updating many products? Products › Export to CSV, fill the SKU, GTIN and MPN columns, then Import with Update existing products ticked.
5. For developers: send your own identifiers
If you integrate with the Teleship API and already hold PIDs in your own system, send them per commodity. Values you provide always take priority over anything we would look up or generate. All three fields are optional strings; leave any out and we resolve it with the rules above.
"commodities": [
{
"sku": "MUG-ORBIT-BLU",
"compliance": {
"euPid": {
"pidMerchantId": "MUG-ORBIT-BLU",
"pidManufacturerId": "OB-3301-B",
"pidStandardId": "5012345678900"
}
}
}
]6. Questions merchants ask
Do I need to switch anything on?
No. PID handling runs on every Teleship label, whether you ship from the Teleship app, the Shopify or WooCommerce integrations, ShipStation or the API.
My products have no barcode. Is that a problem?
No. The S-PID is only required when a barcode exists. We leave it empty and tell the carrier so explicitly; the M-PID and NS-PID still go on the line.
I make my own products. What is my NS-PID?
Your own model or style code. If you have none, we fall back to your barcode and then your SKU, so the line is never blank, but a real model code gives the cleanest declaration.
Can I send my own PIDs?
Yes, through the API (see below). Values you send always take priority over anything we would look up or generate.
7. What's next in EU customs
1 July 2026
€150 duty-free threshold removed; flat €3 duty per HS6 line on low-value B2C parcels.
1 November 2026
Product identifiers mandatory on B2C declarations, and the new €2 customs handling fee per line item starts.
30 December 2026
EU Deforestation Regulation: in-scope goods need a due-diligence reference.
January 2027
New checks that the IOSS number on a declaration is authorised by the seller.
We are tracking each of these with our carrier partners and will share how Teleship handles them ahead of each date.
Want us to check your catalogue?
We will review your product data with you and confirm your EU shipments are ready for 1 November. Or write to hello@teleship.com.