EU Customs Reform - Product Identifiers (PID)

Overview

As part of the EU’s new customs requirements for e-commerce imports, Product Identifiers (PIDs) will become mandatory from 1 November 2026 for distance sales of goods imported into the EU. The requirement is intended to give customs authorities more precise product-level information, improving traceability and supporting checks relating to product safety, regulatory compliance, prohibitions and restrictions. A general product description alone will no longer be sufficient. Product identifier information will need to be captured accurately by the seller, marketplace or platform and transmitted through the customs declaration process.

What is changing

Global-e is the declarant on your EU orders. We submit these identifiers to customs on your behalf and display them on the Commercial Invoice and Customer Receipt.

Timeline

Date	What happens
1 July 2026	Voluntary period — you can start sending identifiers now and test the flow
1 November 2026	Mandatory. All EU-27 B2C orders must carry the identifiers

Complete setup well before November so there is time to find and fix gaps in your catalogue data.

Why it matters

EU customs is moving away from free-text product descriptions towards structured identifiers that can be matched automatically against a recognised product. The aim is to identify undervalued, misdescribed or unsafe goods before they enter the EU. An item that arrives without usable identifiers becomes a candidate for customs hold, inspection or rejection — delayed deliveries and a poor experience for your customers.

Does this apply to me?

Yes, if you ship consumer (B2C or B2B2C) orders to any of the 27 EU member states through Global-e.


Applies to	All B2C orders to EU-27 destinations
Order value	Any value — there is no minimum threshold
Fulfilment model	Both Global-e Logistics and PWYOL (your own label)
Does not apply to	Non-EU destinations

The three identifiers

Identifier	What it is
M-PID — Merchant Product Identifier	Your own product code — your SKU
S-PID — Standardised Product Identifier	The product’s barcode — GTIN, EAN or UPC
NS-PID — Non-Standardised Product Identifier	The manufacturer’s product code, model name, or supplier reference

Platform setup guides

Platform	Guide
Shopify	EU Product Identifiers — Shopify
PrestaShop	EU Product Identifiers — PrestaShop
WooCommerce	EU Product Identifiers — WooCommerce
BigCommerce	EU Product Identifiers — BigCommerce
Centra	EU Product Identifiers — Centra
Magento 2 Lite	EU Product Identifiers — Magento 2 Lite
Magento 2 Full	EU Product Identifiers — Magento 2
Shopware 6	EU Product Identifiers — Shopware 6
Hybris	EU Product Identifiers — SAP Hybris
SFCC	EU Product Identifiers — Salesforce B2C Commerce (SFCC)
Wix	Contact your Global-e CSM. Setup for Wix is handled per merchant. Contact your Global-e Customer Success Manager for the current approach and requirements.
Global-e Module (1.0, 2.0)	EU Product Identifiers — Global-e Module 2.0
ShopLine	Contact your Global-e CSM. Setup for ShopLine is handled per merchant. Contact your Global-e Customer Success Manager for the current approach and requirements.

​Overview

​What is changing

​Timeline

​Why it matters

​Does this apply to me?

​The three identifiers

​Platform setup guides