For business-to-consumer (B2C) parcels being exported into the EU, carriers are required to pass Product Identifiers (PIDs) for each item to EU customs. Clever Shipping Agent Integration now includes these identifiers automatically, both on the Commercial Invoice and in the consignment message that is sent to your Shipping Agent, so you do not need to capture or send them separately.
The identifiers are built from information already held against your items, so in most cases there is nothing new to maintain. This article explains what is sent, where it comes from, and the item data you should keep up to date so that the values are correct.
Note: Product Identifiers are currently available for DPD only. Support for FedEx and Sapient is coming very soon.
Why this matters
Under the EU customs reform, from 1 November 2026 Product Identifiers become mandatory for low-value B2C shipments into the EU. The requirement was first raised for DPD but, per their guidance, it applies to all carriers exporting B2C into the EU. Three identifiers are expected: the seller's own code or SKU, the manufacturer's or supplier's code, and a standard barcode such as an EAN where the product has one.
If your shipments to the EU are exclusively B2B to VAT-registered consignees, this requirement does not apply to you, but the identifiers will still be included where the data is present and will do no harm.
The three identifiers
Clever Shipping Agent Integration provides the three identifiers below for each item. They are derived automatically from the item, so the accuracy of the values depends on how completely your items are set up.
| Merchant Product Identifier (M-PID) | The seller's own code or SKU. This is taken from the item's No. and is always provided. |
| Non-Standardised Manufacturer Product Identifier (NS-PID) | The manufacturer's or supplier's code. This is taken from the item's Vendor Item No.. Where an item has no Vendor Item No., the item's No. is used instead. If the line is for a specific variant, the variant code is appended, for example ITEM001-RED. |
| Standardised Manufacturer Product Identifier (S-PID) | A standard barcode number such as an EAN. This is taken from the item's GTIN. This identifier is only expected where the product has one, so it is left empty in the consignment message when the item has no GTIN, and shows as NO against the line on the Commercial Invoice. |
Where the identifiers appear
You do not need to do anything to send the identifiers. They are included in two places whenever a shipment is consigned.
- In the consignment message sent to your Shipping Agent, as three separate values against each commodity line. The carrier uses these to provide the Product Identifiers to EU customs.
- On the printed Commercial Invoice, where the identifiers are shown against each line next to the item description, labelled M-PID, NS-PID and S-PID.
Maintaining your item data
Because the identifiers are derived from the item, the quality of the data you send depends on your item setup. To make sure the manufacturer and barcode identifiers are accurate, keep the following fields up to date on the "Item Card" screen.
| No. | Used for the Merchant Product Identifier (M-PID). This is your own item number and is always present. |
| Vendor Item No. | Used for the Non-Standardised Manufacturer Product Identifier (NS-PID). Populate this with the manufacturer's or supplier's code for the item so that the correct code is sent rather than falling back to your own item number. |
| GTIN | Used for the Standardised Manufacturer Product Identifier (S-PID). Populate this with the item's standard barcode, such as an EAN, where the product has one. |
For more detail on the other item fields used by Clever Shipping Agent Integration, see Item Fields Required for Shipment Agent Integration.
Note: carriers such as DPD do not validate the content of the Product Identifiers. Formatting or data errors are not checked and can result in shipments being held and marked Return to Customer (RTC), so it is important that your item data is accurate before shipping B2C into the EU.