EU shipping in November: what UK retailers should prepare now

Start with your product references and a test order. This practical refresher separates the confirmed 1 November product-data requirement from the handling fee whose amount is still unconfirmed.

The short version

Prepare your product data now. Product identifiers become mandatory on 1 November 2026 for qualifying online sales imported into the EU. The requirement is not limited to IOSS or parcels worth €150 or less.

Keep the handling fee separate. Official authorities are working towards 1 November, but the amount is still unconfirmed in the sources checked on 14 September. It is separate from the €3 customs duty already applying to qualifying low-value imports. Do not invent a fee for your quotations.

Which product references do I need?

Your selling reference — M-PID

The identifier used by your shop or marketplace for that product.

The manufacturer’s reference — NS-PID

The reference assigned by the manufacturer, producer or product supplier.

A recognised identifier, if one exists — S-PID

For example, an EAN or ISBN. Where none exists, the declarant uses Y081; you do not need to buy a barcode solely for this rule.

These are product references, not parcel tracking numbers or replacement commodity codes. See the full guide for declaration codes and special cases.

A manageable plan for your business

1. Choose one person to coordinate it. Give them access to the people managing the product catalogue, suppliers and shipping system. Avoid leaving the task between departments.
2. Start with five different products. Include a size or colour variation and something sold through a marketplace. Make a short list of the references you have and the gaps to resolve. Then work through the rest of the catalogue.
3. Ask suppliers about the gaps. Send the exact product and variant, rather than asking for “all your codes”. Record who will respond and when.
4. Arrange an end-to-end test. Follow a sample order from your shop to the shipping system and the business submitting the customs declaration. Ask to see the values actually received, not just confirmation that a field exists.
5. Make it part of adding stock. Check new products as they arrive, so a completed catalogue does not become incomplete again.

This is a suggested work plan, not a separate legal timetable. Aim to leave time for fixes before November. Voluntary PID submission has been available since 1 July.

Check your shipping setup before November

Having the references in your catalogue is only half the job. They also need to reach the business completing your customs declaration. Use these practical checks alongside the work plan above.

• Ask about your provider’s own deadline. Confirm when it will start requiring the fields for your service, allowing for parcels travelling to the EU before 1 November. An earlier shipping-system deadline is not a different EU legal start date. Do not assume every provider follows the same timetable.
• Check every way you create a shipment. Your shipping website, desktop software, marketplace connection or API integration may need different changes. Ask your software provider whether an update or new field mapping is needed, who will make it and when you can test it. A field in a spreadsheet is not enough if it is lost before customs receives the data.
• Confirm the invoice arrangements. Ask whether your provider also needs the identifiers on the commercial invoice, particularly if you upload your own document. If it does, make sure the invoice and electronic shipment data agree. Invoice instructions can depend on the provider and process; this is not a claim that every carrier uses the same invoice rules.

What if I sell personalised or second-hand goods?

Do not assume those products are exempt. The Commission’s guidance gives the original product’s identifier as the reference for second-hand goods, and the underlying textile’s identifier for clothing personalised with a name or logo. Check the full product identifier guide and section 3.5.7 of the official guidance for the applicable special cases.

A message you can send to your shipping provider

We are preparing for the EU product identifier requirement from 1 November. Which fields should we use for M-PID, NS-PID and S-PID, and how do we indicate that no standardised identifier exists? What is your operational deadline for our service, do we need a software or integration update, and should the identifiers also appear on our own commercial invoice? Can we test several products and receive confirmation of the data passed to the customs declarant? Please also confirm how you will notify us of the final handling-fee amount and collection arrangements.

What still needs confirmation?

The Council’s 3 September announcement says the Commission will set the handling-fee level before collection starts. French Customs reported draft acts under negotiation on 7 September, with adoption expected on 21 September. An expected adoption date is not confirmation that those acts have been adopted.

For now, establish who handles customs and how any confirmed charge would reach your business. The handling-fee article explains the position in more detail. Existing VAT, customs and product-compliance checks still matter.

Your first task

Pick one EU order and ask: “Can the person clearing this parcel identify every product from the references we send?” If not, you have a useful starting point—not a reason to wait until October.

Official sources checked

• EU Regulation 2026/1022: product identifier definitions and data requirements ↗
• European Commission guidance, section 3.5: timing and practical PID rules ↗
• Council: customs reform and handling-fee next steps ↗
• French Customs: draft handling-fee acts ↗
• Dutch Customs: amount not yet known; separate from the €3 duty ↗