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Updated . A plain-English summary of the published rules, not legal advice: your carrier or customs agent has the last word.

Can't buy a Shopify shipping label to the EU? Add the barcode or the declaration

From 1st November 2026, Shopify won't sell a label for a parcel to the EU worth EUR 150 or less while an item in it has no standardized identifier (its barcode) and the declaration "Has no standardized identifier" isn't turned on. Add the barcode where the product has one, and turn the declaration on where it has none.

Which items Shopify stops

Items in parcels to the EU worth EUR 150 or less, with no barcode of the type GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN (a barcode typed Custom counts if it is a valid 8, 12, 13 or 14-digit GTIN), and without the declaration. Shopify fills your own product code with the variant's ID, so that one never stops a label.

Fixing one product

  1. If the product has a barcode, add it to the variant with its type.
  2. If it has none: Products, the product, the Shipping section (Physical product on), More details, then turn on "Has no standardized identifier" under EU customs declaration, and Save.
  3. Or, while buying the label, click "Edit customs declaration" and enter the identifiers there.

Fixing hundreds at once

Shopify's bulk editor can add barcodes and the declaration to many products. PIDReady lists every variant with no barcode, and marking them "Has no barcode" turns on Shopify's declaration for all of them in one go, with a preview first and undo for 30 days. It also checks the barcodes you do have, so a wrong check digit is caught before a label fails.

Common questions

Why can't I buy my EU shipping label in Shopify?

From 1st November 2026, Shopify says that if an item in a parcel worth EUR 150 or less has no standardized identifier (a barcode) and the declaration "Has no standardized identifier" isn't turned on, the label can't be bought until the item is updated.

My product has no barcode. What do I do?

Turn on "Has no standardized identifier" for it: in Products, open the product, and in the Shipping section (Physical product on) click More details, then turn it on under EU customs declaration and save. Only do it when the product truly has no GTIN, EAN, UPC or ISBN: with it on, Shopify sends no barcode even if one is saved. What "no barcode" means for customs

What does Shopify send as my own product code?

Shopify says it uses the variant's ID, so you don't need to add anything. For the maker's code it uses a barcode of the type NS-PID, and without one it falls back to your other barcodes, then the SKU, then the variant ID.

Can I fix it while buying the label?

Yes: on the label page, click "Edit customs declaration" and enter the identifiers for each item. For an item linked to a product, Shopify saves them back to the product.

Are some products exempt?

Shopify says some goods don't need identifiers, such as unprocessed agricultural and perishable goods (HS chapters 01 to 15), some handmade and artisanal goods, antiques, collectibles, works of art, stamps and coins. It decides this from the variant's HS code, and you can't mark a product exempt yourself, so the HS code needs to be right. Finding your HS codes

Does this apply to labels I buy outside Shopify?

Shopify's check is for labels bought in Shopify. For other labels, Shopify asks you to make sure the identifiers still reach your carrier through the method you use today. What to send your carrier

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.

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