Key takeaways
- PIDs are customs data. You need them on B2C shipments into the EU worth €150 or less from November 1, 2026.
- DPPs are digital product records. They arrive category by category, starting with certain batteries on February 18, 2027.
- PID work is your DPP head start. The SKUs, supplier codes and barcodes you organize now are the foundation for DPPs later.
PIDs and Digital Product Passports are two different EU rules.
EU Product Identifiers are customs data you need on low-value B2C orders (€150 or less) from November 1, 2026. Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are product records that arrive category by category, starting with batteries in February 2027.
Both rules are about identifying individual products, and both land within months of each other. That makes them easy to confuse. They have different legal bases, different scopes and different deadlines.
The short version: PIDs are what you need to fix now. DPPs are what’s coming next. And the catalog work you do for PIDs is the foundation you’ll build DPPs on later.
If you haven’t started on PIDs yet, begin with our EU Product Identifiers (PID) guide. This article explains how DPPs differ and when they’ll matter to you.
This article explains how DPPs differ and when they’ll matter to you.
PID vs. DPP at a glance
In short: a PID tells customs which product is in the parcel. A DPP tells everyone what’s in the product and how to repair or recycle it.
What is a PID? (A quick recap)
A Product Identifier is a set of codes that tells EU customs exactly which product is inside a shipment. From November 1, 2026, B2C distance sales into the EU need them for consignments worth €150 or less, the same shipments that pay the €3 flat duty.
There are three:
- M-PID (Merchant PID): your own SKU or listing ID.
- NS-PID (Non-Standardised Manufacturer PID): your supplier’s part or model number.
- S-PID (Standardised Manufacturer PID): the retail barcode, such as a GTIN, UPC, EAN or ISBN, if one exists.
PIDs are pure data. They don’t add a label to your product or a page to your website. They end up on the customs declaration, not on your packaging or website.
For the full breakdown, including what to do when a product has no barcode, see our complete PID guide.
What is a Digital Product Passport?
A Digital Product Passport is a digital record that travels with a product for its whole life. The European Commission describes it as a container for information that supports a product’s sustainability, circularity and legal compliance.
Depending on the product group, a DPP can cover a product’s safety, origin, materials, repairability, environmental performance, reuse and recycling. Consumers, repairers, recyclers and authorities each see the parts relevant to them.
Three pieces make it work:
- A data carrier on the product. Usually a QR code, which links the physical item to its passport.
- The passport data itself. The brand or a DPP service provider stores it, not the EU.
- The EU DPP Registry. A central index run by the Commission, which went live on July 20, 2026. It stores each product’s unique identifier and registration data, not the full passport.
The legal basis is the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). But ESPR itself doesn’t require a passport for any specific product. Each product group needs its own rule first, either an ESPR delegated act or separate legislation such as the Batteries Regulation.
When do DPPs apply?
Batteries are first, on February 18, 2027. Every other product group follows on its own schedule, and for most of them the EU hasn’t written the rules yet.
The dates below come from the Commission’s indicative DPP timeline. For ESPR product groups, the date is when the Commission adopts the rule. Merchants then get a transition period of at least 18 months before it applies.
The battery passport covers larger batteries only, so headphones, smartwatches and other products with small built-in batteries aren’t in scope. For textiles and apparel, the earliest the EU could require a passport is around 2029, once the Commission adopts the rule and the transition period runs out.
These dates are indicative and can move. Check the Commission’s timeline before planning around a specific date.
How PIDs and DPPs connect
They’re separate systems, but both end up at the same place: the EU border.
For PIDs, customs reads the three codes on the import declaration. For DPPs, ESPR sets up a different check. Once a DPP rule covers a product group, anyone importing it must give customs the product’s unique registration identifier. Under Article 13 of ESPR, customs can release the product only after confirming that this identifier and the product’s commodity code match the EU registry.
That makes the commodity code, the same HS-based classification you already declare, the bridge between the two. Over time, the Commission will connect the registry to the EU’s customs systems so these checks can run automatically.
What the two systems don’t share is the identifier itself. A PID is not a DPP, and declaring your PIDs doesn’t create or register a passport. Each product group’s rule will set which identifiers a passport must use.
Do you need both?
If you sell B2C into the EU, you need PIDs for orders of €150 or less. Whether you need a DPP depends on what you sell, and for most US DTC brands the answer today is “not yet.”
The obligation to create a passport also sits with whoever places the product on the EU market. If a manufacturer or brand partner handles that, they may own the DPP, but you still own your PIDs. If you sell your own branded products, both are likely to land with you.
Why your PID work is your DPP head start
The hardest part of PIDs isn’t the customs rule. It’s getting clean product data out of your catalog and your suppliers. A DPP will build on that same data.
Here’s what carries over:
- Variant-level data. You set PIDs per variant, because each size or color has its own SKU and barcode. DPPs will also need to identify products precisely, so a catalog organized by variant is already in the right shape.
- A working line to your suppliers. The NS-PID is the code most merchants have to chase from their suppliers. A DPP will ask suppliers for much more, such as materials, origin and recycled content. If you’ve already built the habit of getting data from them, the next request is easier.
- Accurate classification. The DPP customs check matches the commodity code against the registry. Getting your HS codes right now pays off twice.
- One source of truth. PIDs force you to keep SKUs, supplier codes and barcodes in one place, connected to your store. That’s the foundation any DPP system will plug into.
None of this means you need to buy DPP software today. The work you’re doing before November 1 is the first step toward the product data the EU will keep asking for.
How Passport can help
The EU is moving from checking parcels to checking product data. PIDs are the first step, and DPPs will follow for more and more product groups.
Right now, the priority is getting your PIDs in place before November 1. If you sell on Shopify, our help center guide shows how to add Product Identifiers to Shopify.
If you’re working out what these EU requirements mean for your catalog, Passport’s Compliance Services team can help you understand what applies to your business. Reach out for guidance.
Authored by Thomas Taggart
VP of Global Trade | Passport
Thomas Taggart is a cross-border commerce leader with more than 20 years of experience in international shipping and regulatory affairs. As the Head of Global Trade, Thomas helps ecommerce brands go global by simplifying international trade, tax, and product compliance issues. Prior to Passport, he brought international shipping solutions to market through multiple roles in UPS’s product development organization.
Frequently asked questions
Is a PID the same as a Digital Product Passport?
No. A PID is a set of three codes on the customs declaration that identifies which product is in a shipment. A DPP is a digital record of the product’s materials, repairability and other information, linked to the product by a QR code. They come from different EU laws and have different deadlines.
If I have PIDs, do I still need a DPP?
Only if a DPP rule covers your product group. Right now that’s limited to certain batteries, from February 18, 2027. Other groups, such as textiles and furniture, will follow once the Commission adopts their rules.
Does my barcode count as a DPP?
No. A barcode can be your S-PID for customs, but a DPP is a separate record that you create and register in the EU registry. A barcode on its own doesn’t do that.
When will DPPs apply to apparel?
The Commission expects to adopt the textiles rule in the second half of 2027. Brands then get at least 18 months to comply, so the earliest the EU could require a passport is around 2029.
Will a missing DPP stop my shipment at customs?
Only for products covered by a DPP rule, once that rule applies. For those products, customs must check the passport’s registration before releasing them. Nothing changes at the border for uncovered products.
Should I start preparing for DPPs now?
The best preparation is finishing your PID work. Clean, variant-level SKUs, supplier codes, barcodes and HS codes are the data a DPP will build on. If you sell e-bikes, e-scooters or other covered batteries, start on the battery passport now.
Official sources
- European Commission, Digital Product Passport: what a DPP is, how the registry works, and the indicative timeline by product group, including the 18-month transition period.
- European Commission, Digital Product Passport for Batteries: scope of the battery passport and the February 18, 2027 start date.
- European Commission, The Digital Product Passport Registry is now live (July 20, 2026).
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 (ESPR): the legal basis for DPPs. Article 13 covers the registry and the customs check on the registration identifier and commodity code.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (Batteries Regulation): the legal basis for the battery passport.
- European Commission, The temporary EUR 3 customs duty and the Union handling fee: Guidance for Member States and Trade (version of October 5, 2026), Section 8.2: scope of the PID requirement (consignments of €150 or less).