What to send your carrier from 1st November 2026
Whatever the carrier, you send the same five values for each product: your SKU (M-PID), the manufacturer's reference (NS-PID), the barcode (S-PID) or the no-barcode exception, the HS code and the country of origin. Carriers differ in how they ask. As of 2nd November 2026, FedEx has a guide with a header for each identifier, UPS says where each of its tools takes them, Royal Mail Click & Drop asks for a SKU and a manufacturer ID for each item, and DHL Express takes them in the shipment data. Shipmondo took them through its API when we last looked (25th September 2026).
What each carrier has published
| Carrier | What it has published | What to send |
|---|---|---|
| FedEx | An EU guide (information as of 30th October 2026) with a header for each identifier. It asks for NO where there is no barcode and says never to leave the field blank. In FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com the identifiers go in the shipping screens, the Ship API takes them, and on your own commercial invoice they go at the end of the item description. The installed FedEx Ship Manager, Ship Manager Server and Unified Specification Exchange support them from March 2027; until then they go on the commercial invoice or packing list. | M-PID, NS-PID and S-PID for each product, NO for a product with no barcode, and the shipper's and recipient's email and contact details (mandatory in FedEx Ship Manager from 21st November 2026). |
| UPS | Says three product identifiers are required for each line item as of 1st November 2026. Ship API integrations should send them; the latest WorldShip has the fields; with Upload My Form the commercial invoice must carry them, with each type noted on every line; UPS.com and CampusShip show the fields when you complete the commercial invoice. | The three identifiers for each line item, in the field or the invoice line of the UPS tool you use. |
| DHL Express | Its page of 13th October 2026 says the identifiers go in the electronic shipment data when the shipment is created. | Ask your account manager or your shipping platform how it wants them. |
| Royal Mail Click & Drop | From 1st November 2026, every item to an EU country declared as E-Commerce Goods needs a Product SKU and a Non-standardised Manufacturer ID. The standardised manufacturer ID is optional. | The SKU (M-PID) and the maker's reference (NS-PID) for each item, and the barcode where there is one. |
| Shipmondo | Took the three identifiers through its API when last read (25th September 2026). | The three identifiers for each product, in the API call. |
Check with your carrier: this is changing quickly.
The five values every carrier needs
| Value | Customs data element | In Shopify | When there is none |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-PID | C127 | The variant's SKU | Give the variant its own SKU. |
| NS-PID | C128 | A barcode of the type NS-PID after the product barcode, or the metafield custom.ns_pid when there is no product barcode | Ask the supplier. If you make the product, your own reference. |
| S-PID | C129 | The variant's barcode (EAN, UPC or ISBN) | The exception code Y081 (the word NO for FedEx). |
| HS code | Not a product identifier | The HS code field of the variant | Ask the supplier or look it up. |
| Country of origin | Not a product identifier | The country of origin field of the variant | Ask the supplier. |
The files PIDReady downloads
- FedEx file: the columns SKU, Description, M-PID, NS-PID, S-PID (NO when there is no barcode), HS Code and Country of Origin, one row per variant.
- Universal file for any other carrier or shipping app: product, variant, variant_id, sku, m_pid, ns_pid, s_pid, s_pid_type, s_pid_exception, hs_code, country_of_origin, vendor, product_type, status, issues.
More on the FedEx layout: FedEx and the EU product identifiers.
Before you ship
- Fill the five values on every variant you send to the EU.
- Ask your carrier or shipping platform where it wants them: its API, the commercial invoice or an upload file.
- Download the file your carrier needs, or copy the values into its form.
Common questions
Do I send the identifiers myself, or does the carrier look them up?
Your carrier, postal operator or customs agent files the declaration, but it can only use what you give it. It will ask you for the identifiers, the HS code and the country of origin of each product.
What do I send when a product has no barcode?
In the customs declaration the S-PID is replaced by the exception code Y081. As of 2nd November 2026, FedEx's EU guide asks for the word NO in its S-PID column and says never to leave the field blank. Check with your carrier how it wants it marked. Read about the Y081 exception
Which carrier files does PIDReady make?
Two: a file laid out as FedEx's EU guide shows, and a universal file with every code in a column of its own, for any other carrier or shipping app.
Does Royal Mail Click & Drop ask for the identifiers?
As of 2nd November 2026, Royal Mail Click & Drop asks for a Product SKU and a Non-standardised Manufacturer ID for every item to an EU country declared as E-Commerce Goods; the standardised manufacturer ID is optional. Check Royal Mail's own pages for what it asks now.
Will this change?
Yes, quickly. The table below is what FedEx, UPS, DHL Express and Royal Mail had published on 2nd November 2026, and what Shipmondo had published on 25th September 2026. Check with yours before you ship.
Check your catalogue
PIDReady is a Shopify app that checks every variant for the three identifiers, the HS code and the country of origin, helps you fill the gaps one by one or in bulk, and downloads a file for your carrier. The free plan does every fix, for any size of store.
Questions about the rule, app or no app? Email support@pidready.com: we reply within one working day.
More guides
Sources
- FedEx, EU product identifier guide (information as of 30th October 2026)
- FedEx, EU customs changes
- UPS, Adapting to EU de minimis changes
- DHL Express, prepare for the EU's new product identifier (13th October 2026)
- Royal Mail, EU Trade Insights
- Royal Mail Click & Drop, adding customs information when applying postage
- Dutch Customs, including product identifiers in your e-commerce declaration
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1022 of 30th April 2026 (EUR-Lex). It was published in the Official Journal on 1st July 2026 with 30th June in its title; the Official Journal's corrigendum of 3rd July 2026 corrected that date to 30th April.
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2152 of 21st September 2026 (EUR-Lex): the Union handling fee is EUR 2 per item. Published in the Official Journal on 22nd October 2026; it applies from 1st November 2026.
- European Commission, guidance on the temporary EUR 3 customs duty and the Union handling fee, version of 5th October 2026