| 🇪🇺 This guide applies to merchants shipping B2C orders into the European Union. From 1 November 2026, EU distance-sales shipments must carry product identifier data under Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382.
From 1 November 2026, EU B2C distance sales need three product identifiers or they're at risk of being held at customs.
If you use Swap's shipping integration, we will pass this data through to your shipments, provided you supply accurate and complete product identifiers to us. You just need to prepare the data and upload it into Swap.
The three identifiers you'll need to provide
Identifier | What it is | Where it comes from |
Merchant Product ID | Your own SKU or internal product code. | You should already have these. Ensure all active products have SKUs. |
Manufacturer Product ID | The code your manufacturer assigned to the product, not your own SKU. | If you design and have your own product manufactured, you count as the manufacturer and can assign this code yourself — though where your factory already uses its own code, prefer that. If you sell third-party manufactured stock, this is a different code and needs to come from the manufacturer: check the product's swing tag or label, its packaging, or your supplier invoice or spec sheet. |
Standardised Product ID | Your product's barcode (GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN), only where one exists. | If your product has a barcode on its packaging, that's the value. If it doesn't — for example handmade, made-to-order or very new products — leave it empty in your catalogue and we'll declare the formal "no standardised identifier exists" code to customs on your behalf. |
Finding your Manufacturer Product ID
This is the identifier most merchants don't already hold, and the one most likely to hold up your catalogue. It's the code the people who actually made the product use internally — not your SKU, and not the barcode.
It usually already exists under a different name. Depending on your category, you may know it as:
Your category | Usually called | Example |
Apparel and accessories | Style code, article number | TXP-4471-NVY |
Footwear | Model or last code | FW26-RUN-0118 |
Beauty, supplements, wellness | Item code, formula code | CM-SER-15ML-0342 |
Homeware and furniture | Article number | ART.9920-OAK |
Electronics | MPN (manufacturer part number) | WH-1000XM5/B |
Books and print | Internal title code | HARV-2026-114 |
Where to look, in order:
- Your purchase orders — it's usually the code you order against
- Supplier invoices and line sheets
- Tech packs or product spec sheets
- The product itself — swing tag, care label, or the model number printed on the box
There's no set format. No fixed length, no check digit, no central registry. It just has to be the code your manufacturer genuinely uses, and it has to identify that exact product.
How to add your codes in Compliance Hub
Once you have your codes ready, you add them in Compliance Hub, not Shopify.
Open the EU Customs card in Compliance Hub and select Manage product codes. From there you have two options:
- Use my SKU as the code — one click copies your own SKU into the manufacturer code field across your whole catalogue. Only use this if you design and manufacture your own products, where your SKU and manufacturer code are genuinely the same thing. It will tell you how many existing codes it would replace before it runs, so you can confirm first.
- Download the spreadsheet — it comes pre-filled with the codes we already hold, so the blank rows are exactly the products still missing one. Fill in the blanks and upload it back.
The card shows how many of your products still need a manufacturer code, and that number drops as codes land.
Your Merchant Product ID (SKU) and Standardised Product ID (barcode) are read automatically from your Shopify catalogue, at the variant level. If either is missing or incorrect, fix it directly in Shopify rather than in Compliance Hub — these two aren't something you upload to us.
All three identifiers apply per variant, not per product. A t-shirt in three sizes and two colours is one product but six variants, and each variant can have its own codes.
What you need to do, and by when
- Now: confirm your SKU coverage is complete across your product catalogue.
- Before 1 November: identify any products where you don't already hold the manufacturer's code, and reach out to those manufacturers or suppliers to get it. This is the step most likely to take time — start now.
- From 1 November 2026: mandatory. Manufacturer and merchant product IDs required on all EU B2C shipments of €150 or less. The standardised ID (barcode) is required wherever your product has one.
How this reaches the carrier
If you use Swap's shipping integration, we will pass this data through to your shipments, provided you supply accurate and complete product identifiers to us. You just need to prepare the data for us to use and upload it into Swap.
If you don't provide this data
The Commission has confirmed that effective enforcement starts on 1 November 2026. The no-penalty concession applies only to the voluntary period running from 1 July to 31 October — there is no published grace period beyond that date. Carriers are planning for strict enforcement from day one. Treat missing or incomplete data as a real risk of delay, not a formality, and prioritise the steps above accordingly.
Swap will use the product identifier data you provide in your shipments, but we cannot guarantee customs clearance or shipment outcomes. Delays, holds, or rejections resulting from missing, incomplete, or inaccurate product identifier data are the responsibility of the merchant providing that data.
Any gaps in product data are your responsibility to resolve, and Swap is not liable for customs delays or rejections resulting from missing or inaccurate identifier data.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes to help you prepare for the EU's new product identifier requirements under Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382. It does not constitute customs, tax, or legal advice. You remain responsible for the accuracy of the product data you provide, and we recommend confirming how these requirements apply to your specific products with your own customs broker, tax advisor, or legal counsel.