"Danger, Will Robinson!" - New EU Product Identifiers Coming November 1, 2026 May Interfere With International eBay Sales!
Summary: 1786davycrockett highlighted concerns about new EU Product Identifier requirements effective November 1, 2026, which may complicate the process for American eBay sellers. The main issues discussed include the lack of clarity from eBay and the potential for complications in listing items, especially vintage ones. Participants like adamcartwright and 44012 expressed frustration, considering discontinuing EU sales. Others, like malau365, provided detailed information on how to comply with the new regulations. There was widespread concern about eBay's role in assisting sellers, with some hoping for more automated solutions to handle the complexities of the identifiers.
I've just looked over the new specifications for the upcoming mandatory European Union Product Identifiers requirements coming up November 1, 2026 -- and, although there are only three new major requirements, that information may not be listed on many of the items that American eBay sellers may be showing on their listings -- and the EU does not seem to be distinguishing between either new or used items, and eBay has not provided any clarification on how they may be assisting us, other than suggesting that sellers should just comply on their own.
So it appears that one of the best functions of the eBay International Shipping (EIS) program -- protecting eBay sellers once the sold items have been confirmed "delivered" at the EIS shipping hub -- may become defunct as of November 1, 2026 -- unless eBay sellers do all the product research for each and every item which they list -- without eBay's assistance.
Guess I'll stop selling to the EU as of November 1.
See below -- https://passportglobal.com/blog/eu-product-identifiers-pid-guide-2026/
steady2304
·6 days agoI don't see much problem with these rules as I sell in the Toys & Hobbies categories. Mostly 1:43 cars, WWII 1:72 planes & tanks and 1:1100 warships. Most all of them have MPN numbers and UPC codes.
With my listings the M-PID would be: The eBay item number
The NS-PID would be the: MPN number
And the S-PID would be the UPC number
Most of these are found on the toys or boxes they are displayed in, and it they aren't there, then the NS-PID would be a short description of the item and the S-PID would be Y018
I already have MPN and UPC listed for all my items that have them. eBay should supply the M-PID number from the Order Details Page.
It's a little extra work but nothing insurmountable.
I have bigger problems with eBay banning a lot of the Toys & Hobbies categories from EIS even when they have the correct markings for safety. (The broad brush approach)
shire123
·5 days ago@steady2304 Hopefully, your summary here will help a lot of people. The only question I have left is will the EU accept your suggestions? For the M-PID will the item number as displayed on the label be acceptable?
Also, unless you have lots of sales to the EU, this whole issue is kind of blown out of proportion. If the required data is not present then EU buyers just won't see the listings. The rest of the world will.
Unless you need to have the EU see your listing you don't have to do anything.
funfactorychannel
·5 days agoYou assume those UPC are valid. I have barbies with upc were valid and eBay let me list it, just this year the same UPC when i did a relist are no longer valid.
1786davycrockett
OP4 days ago@funfactorychannel
UPC and ISBN codes are not infinite, and were never intended to last forever, as they were originally intended only as temporary for the purposes of accounting and inventory for the manufacturer and retailer -- not for reselling purposes by individuals unrelated to the original production and retail sale of the product.
UPC and ISBN codes are regularly removed from store shelves when the products stop selling, or are removed for safety reasons, or are being entirely revised or remodeled.
A few months later, those same UPC and ISBN codes will be re-used by the manufacturer all over again, and usually for an entirely different item or product line.
shire123
·6 days agoEven if you use EIS looks like you must update your listing to include the required codes or else your items will not be visible to EU buyers.
"Please keep your listings updated and provide any manufacturer or standardized Product IDs where available so your inventory remains visible to EU buyers if you use eBay International Shipping (eIS"
The above quote is copied directly from the ebay announcement.
gurlcat
·6 days ago"where available" -I don't see any of these item specifics available in the categories I sell.
That doesn't mean I should remove EW countries from the list of ones who can buy my items. If eBay just won't show them my listings, there's nothing I can do about it but pound sand I guess.
shire123
·6 days ago · Edited@gurlcat Per malau's note the code for vintage "old lady's jewelry" Y081. And it goes in the SKU box????
I think you can see that this change does affect eIS a lot.
gurlcat
·6 days ago · EditedNo SKU box, or anything remotely similar. Don't take my word for it; here's a blank Vintage Necklace listing creation page. I know UPC will not accept a code like Y081; it requires a lot more characters than that, and numbers only.
https://www.ebay.com/lstng?draftId=5362484874413&mode=AddItem
And by the way, I did not say this isn't going to affect EIS. I said there is no reason to go excluding EU countries because of it. Huge difference. But I'm still not convinced any changes will be huge or lasting. No way eBay would just let such a huge revenue loss to happen because sellers don't know what to do.
When Country of Origin became a requiremement, they just started popping countries (usually U.S. but not always) into that field, even on pre-existing listings. It was kind of irritating but also hilarious, how far they'd go to keep sales going.
shire123
·6 days ago@gurlcat It sure would be nice for ebay to let us know where those codes are supposed to go. Maybe by Nov 1???
12345jamesstamps
·6 days agoWasn't there a time when there were no eBay shipping labels?
Sellers just went to the post office and shipped an item...not even inserting invoices.
Sellers still do this.
I don't see the big deal really.
I have sold barbie dolls doing it the old fashion way of using the post office postage and not inserting invoices....never losing an item in the mail.
gurlcat
·6 days agoI don't understand what the fuss is about. I take the "no news from eBay about what to do" as good news, and see no reason to think that the old rule that as long as a package reaches the Illinois hub you're golden ... will no longer apply.
@1786davycrockett have you never had an EIS package rejected for forwarding before? It's no biggie whatsoever; eBay handles it by refunding the buyer from their own revenues, and sells the item to a 3rd party liquidator (who then sells the item on eBay, using your photos, title and description). If new EU laws will tighten restrictions on imports, I see no reason for sellers to bother learning the details unless/until eBay requires us to, like putting new Required IS's on the listing creation pages, for whatever categories apply.
EIS was so thoroughly designed to be "international selling for dummies" that basically eBay buys our items from us, to "resell" to either the foreign buyer or the domestic liquidator. Now I would assume the liquidators get a discount of some amount, so eBay would have an incentive to avoid as many non-forwardables as possible, and if these new restrictions are likely to increase non-forwardables, then I'm sure THEY (eBay) are scrambling to come up with solutions, but that doesn't mean we need to. Certainly the LAST thing we would need to do is go and remove whole countries (let alone a whole continent) from our whole stores, and all categories therein. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bath water!
@44012 You mentioned the Country of Origin -that's a good example of what I'm talking about. They made it clear we needed to start including that as a Required IS, but it didn't mean we needed to exclude any countries from our 'ship to' list. -If the Origin country is problematic for whichever country a would-be buyer is in, then eBay simply doesn't show the item to those buyers! If that's the worst thing that can happen, then excluding whole countries is not only redundant; it would potentially deprive you of sales that could get forwarded just fine (or if not, then only an eBay-issued buyer refund, nothing taken from you, and no account strikes of any kind).
And until I see something from eBay stating otherwise, I'm going to let these new restrictions be eBay's problem as well.
norskmediashop
·6 days ago · EditedI understand what your saying as a whole, and I think your right. But the worry here is the potential loss of sales and revenue when Europe was always a good market through EIS, its been successful for us anyway. ..And the way all this is sounding so far, if you do not provide all these crazy numbers which is completely impossible by the way, then all those potential buyers will be blocked from finding, viewing, and purchasing which is just absolutely bad business. I would think ebay would do something to not have this happen eu rules or not. Will see, something could change for the better by Nov, it reads somewhat left open as if they are still working on it etc. Your take and explanation of it all certainly is a little more positive and breaks it down better so thank you for that.
gurlcat
·6 days ago · EditedI actually get a lot more sales to China than all European countries combined, but yeah I get what you're saying -it sucks that we don't yet know how to keep our items visible to EU buyers. But if eBay is lagging to create the appropriate IS's for it, then I would assume they are going to let non-forwardable listings continue to show and sell, and just bracing to 'eat' a lot of liquidation losses until they can get their ducks in a row.
We can't control what they display on their website, but we dang sure have no reason to go and remove the EU from our ship-to lists, when we're not the ones who'd suffer any consequences for accidentally selling prohibited (or at least "insufficiently characterized") items to EU citizens.
norskmediashop
·6 days ago · EditedBut I read it as EU buyers will be blocked from finding viewing and purchasing all together if those ridiculous numbers are not part of the listing, is that not how the rest of you read it? Hopefully it will be more like your stating, but if it cuts off buying all together that would be the issue.
gurlcat
·6 days agoForgive me if I'm misunderstanding, but are you saying it would behoove us to learn about these numbers and applying them (somewhere? on listings) whether or not eBay is prompting us to? I don't think that would work, because imagine what a tiny fraction of sellers would be doing that, and with the vast majority not doing it, then I think EU eBay would just not show US eBay listing to EU buyers, period, the whole website.
And of course that would be problematic, just as much so as if you remove EU countries from your ship-to list, absolutely it would suck! All I'm trying to say is there is nothing sellers need to do yet, because it's all out of our hands. It's good we know what's possibly coming but no action to take yet. Kind of like how it's good to know how to use the oxygen masks on an airplane in the event of sudden pressure loss, but no point wearing body armor for a crash because you'd be in a thousand little pieces anyway.
norskmediashop
·6 days ago · EditedNo I completely agree with you, sorry for any misunderstanding. I am not changing or adding anything either for this. Its just ebays announcement reads as if those numbers aren't included in the listing then eu buyers will no longer be able to buy. That was my concern and how I read it. What your saying makes total sense. I too would not try to even do this its just impossible anyway. Will see how it all plays out come Novemeber, its just really getting frustrating every day more and more complications and right on top of the holiday season and shipping rate increases, its becoming unmanageable to sustain.
gurlcat
·6 days agoWhoa, wait a minute .... "eBay's announcement reads as if ..."
What eBay announcement?
44012
·6 days agoHonestly, for most of us anyways, (I am totally assuming here) the dollar amounts are low enough that it probably won't matter, at least for me anyway.
shire123
·6 days ago@gurlcat Please read the ebay announcement pinned at the top of the board. Even if you use EIS you must supply to appropriate code or EU buyers will not even see the listing.
At least that's how I interpret that announcement as that is in black and white.
gurlcat
·6 days agoSo do you know the code for used old lady jewelry? I kinda doubt there is one.
shire123
·6 days ago · EditedTake a look at the message in this thread from malau365. I think it summarizes what codes to use as well as anything.
Since I don't send outside the US I am not going to trouble myself with the issue.
shire123
·6 days agoThe code maybe does work in the MPN box. (at least a draft listing did accept it). Also at the end for the specifics section there is a box to add a "custom specific". Just guessing here that maybe that would suffice????????
Again ebay needs to give some direction here.
gurlcat
·6 days agoYup, THAT'S when to wake me up, LOL. When eBay either provides a real guide for everyone, or figures out how to rig it all themselves. Because I know they will not just trust us to do it right, LOL. They want the money just as much as we do.
studiodeflores
·1 week agoDoes anyone know where S-PID and NS-PID would even be entered? I don't have these fields on my listing page. Ebay says to keep this information updated but I don't see where. (LOL)
44012
·6 days agoMy guess is for sellers to add new "specific" fields for these new specifics.
Otherwise, they really need to add some fields!
stainlessenginecovers
·1 week agoSeems EIS will just 'eliminate' selling/listing items to these countries....just like they did for France and Germany (due to 'recycling licensing being required?)
egarth1
·1 week agoLet me see if I understand this correctly. For sellers of vintage items (with no existing NS-PID's or S-PID's) to sell to the EU, we need to update our listings with 3 bits of information: M-PID; NS-PID and S-PID.
M-PID: Will be provided automatically by eBay using our eBay listing ID. This requires no additional changes on our end
NS-PID: This just needs to be a unique/descriptive identifier. Based on my research... this needs to be 70 characters or less. For most vintage items... I'm wondering if this could just be a shortened version of the 80 character eBay Title. Based on mine... if I removed spaces from all my titles, it would probably work on most of them. It strikes me that this would be a pretty easy process with some spreadsheet formulas, even on the close to 100,000 items in our store
S-PID: Because this doesn't exist for vintage items, the correct entry would be: Y018
I'd be very interested in feedback as to whether I'm understanding this correctly. If so... it looks like I'll need to spend some time in a spreadsheet, and upload the edits through the report section... but it should be doable in a short period of time. Then, I could modify my listing template spreadsheet to include those fields for future listings.
I don't like any extra work... but if that's all there is to it, it's certainly better than losing out on the entire European marketplace.
rotorbum
·1 week agoI agree! we pay so much in fee's, back in 1999 it was one final value fee now min 2% promoted fee's Insertion final value ect., for what AI torture. they should Automaticlly assist and fix or I am Retiring. All my item's are 60-100 plus years old
malau365
·1 week agoBonjour,
If this can help :
The S-PID builds on existing standards such as GTIN, EAN, UPC, and ISBN
These identifiers became optional on July 1, 2026 (test period) and will become mandatory on November 1, 2026, for B2C shipments valued at €150 or less
The customs code associated with the NS-PID is C128, and the one for the S-PID is C129.
An item that is more than 50 years old has never had an EAN/GTIN/ISBN (the EAN has only existed since the 1970s). You must actively declare the exception code Y081 (“no standardized manufacturer identifier exists”)—often entered as “NO” in the S-PID field when submitting to carriers
A field left blank is treated as incomplete data and results in the rejection of the declaration, not as the observed absence of a barcode
For the NS-PID: you can (must) assign it yourself
The NS-PID does not require any specific format. The rule is clear: if no manufacturer identifier exists, an identifier must be assigned
. In practice, for an older object:
• Create a consistent internal reference, e.g., ANTI-MOB-1920-BUF or VINT-1954-CER-001.
• The Commission also allows the reuse of an existing S-PID as an NS-PID when appropriate
• Since the goal is traceability, a documented reference (provenance, period, type) fulfills the intended purpose.
S-PID: No barcode exists → enter Y081 (exception: “not standardized”)
NS-PID: Since the manufacturer can no longer be identified, you must assign a non-standardized identifier yourself
For example: VINT-1965-BRASS-LAMP. No specific format is required
M-PID: Your own reference (SKU, product sheet code).
I wish you all the best
44012
·1 week agoI wish this could get pinned so that it doesn't get lost......this is such good info.
I wonder:
Will ebay at the hub be filling this out?
Will ebay add some fields for specifics or do we use what we have if we have to do this ourselves?
Honestly, for the amount of business I have going through eis I am not sure it is worth it for me to modify my listings. But that is just me. Now if ebay were to fill this in on their side when it got to the hub well then that would be so much easier.
1786davycrockett
OP1 week ago@44012
Earlier this week, I began a thread, directing requesting more information from the "blues," regarding how eBay would handle non-compliant shipments received at the eBay EIS shipping hub.
So far, only crickets from eBay.
1786davycrockett
OP1 week ago@malau365
That seems like a LOT of extra work to do for over 4000 items!
If necessary, I'll just drop sales to the EU.
malau365
·1 week agoTo be on the safe side, all your shipments (item + shipping costs) totaling less than $160, as well as items produced before 1977, do not require these specific codes.
Simply note the exemptions on the invoice and the customs declaration
1786davycrockett
OP1 week ago@malau365
Since many (most of us?) use eBay International Shipping (EIS) for our international shipments, filling out all those forms has become the responsibility of eBay -- but eBay has not yet provided sellers with any additional information regarding these 11/1/26 EU restrictions, except for this recent statement : "Please keep your listings updated and provide any manufacturer or standardized Product IDs where available so your inventory remains visible to EU buyers if you use eBay International Shipping (eIS)." -- which basically sounds as if eBay is throwing all that additional work back on the seller.
Without any further information from eBay, I'll be shutting down my EU sales within two weeks.
malau365
·6 days agoI've never used eBay's shipping services, so I can't give you any information on that.
robot-hands
·1 week ago · EditedI've had to put a tariff code in two shipments and the process is labyrinthine and not worth my time...I read two paragraphs of that link and my eyes rolled into the back of my skull.
Yeah I don't want anything to do with that to the point where I don't even care to read about it.
If ebay wants that money, and I bet they do, they will figure it out so we don't have to.
shire123
·1 week ago@robot-hands This was an EU mandated process so ebay really has nothing to do with it. With the EU being a bureaucratic mess it is not surprising that the regulations are labyrinthine.
I am certainly glad I don't ship outside the US.
robot-hands
·1 week agoYeah but ebay is in charge of ebay and can automate or simplify any process they choose.
...and they do as long as it positively effects the revenue stream.
If they see a dramatic dip in overseas sales that they have been so eager to take a cut of...well I'm sure they will figure out something fairly quickly.
shire123
·1 week ago@robot-hands I doubt ebay has much influence over the EU.
robot-hands
·1 week agoSo?
ebay has 100% control over what ebay does and doesn't require the EU to approve or disapprove of automating or simplifying anything.
shire123
·1 week ago@robot-hands But ebay has to comply with EU rules and regulations.
From what I am reading (and from what malau365just posted) to automate something like this would be next to impossible as ebay has no way of knowing what lots of products are coded at. Ebay doesn't know who manufactured what and when. That info has to be supplied by the SELLER.
As you have found out for sellers this is a very hard issue to deal with.
robot-hands
·1 week agoWhen shareholders start putting board members feet to the fire for losing millions in international sales, I bet they start getting real creative.
Tariffs and then this nonsense cannot be good for the hair lines of upper management
gurlcat
·6 days ago"This was an EU mandated process so ebay really has nothing to do with it." "I am certainly glad I don't ship outside the US." @shire123 you've only been missing out on the most Fisher-Price simple and lucrative way to make money on eBay, not saving yourself trouble, because EIS sales are far less trouble than any domestic sale. I've said it before and will again: If I could, I would have nothing but EIS sales.
And the fact that you're not familiar with how it works is why you don't know you're incorrect when you say "eBay has nothing to do with it." -Once an EIS package reaches their hub in Illinois, they are they only entity who has anything to do with what happens next; the seller's job is done, and that's true even if the seller got things wrong in the listing. It's literally eBay's item at that point, and if THEY didn't prevent it getting sold to somewhere it can't go, THEY refund the buyer, and liquidate the item.
shire123
·6 days ago@gurlcat Do you trust ebay to code things correctly? Personally, I don't.
So I still stand with being glad I don't ship outside the US. (LOL).
And I don't miss the potential revenue. I'm plenty busy with the way I do things.
But thanks for the heads up. I will keep your point in mind if needed for the future. (I'm serious there and not sarcastic)
Thanks
gurlcat
·6 days agoIt doesn't matter if eBay screws up any kind of coding or whatever on our listings because (unless they change the policy) we're not responsible for anything wrong with items or listings sold via EIS.
I don't think you get just how bullet-proof it is.
Maybe this will help -talking about how eBay "codes things" -you need to worry about that far MORE with domestic sales. For example, say you get a buyer in rural Arizona and eBay gives them a ridiculously soon estimated delivery date. Then that date passes while the package is still in transit, and the buyer files INR, and you have to deal with it .... maybe you'll be okay, maybe you won't. But with EIS, you don't even have to deal with iNR's. Nor returns. Nor chargebacks. Nor negative feedback.
So yes, I do trust whatever eBay does in terms of coding for international buyers, because there's nothing about that which would affect me.
gurlcat
·6 days agoBy the way, when you say you're glad you don't ship outside the US .... I don't ship outside the US either. eBay does.
shire123
·6 days ago@gurlcat LOL... semantics
gurlcat
·6 days agoIt's really not though. And I'm not just saying that to be argumentative.
Put it this way, any time you ship to a freight forwarder, it's closer to self-shipped international selling than eIS is, because you're still on the hook for threats to your money and account status. And I'm sure you have FF sales all the time. So you do ship outside the U.S. whether you aim to or not.
44012
·1 week agoI'm hoping that we receive more instructions....
I agree I may remove myself also.
I'm still pretty mad about Country of Origin changes made to our listings on our behalf. Which was done most likely due to policy changes.
adamcartwright
·1 week agoYeah, I don't have time for all that.
And maybe not the brains, either.
I'll be out as of 10/31, too.
12345jamesstamps
·1 week agoSelling overseas can be tricky...I don't include invoices and no one ever complains about that in the item.
I use postage from the USPS post office only so it's just a package being sent overseas with ordinary tracking.
A package with an eBay shipping label on it looks and smells like a purchase item...thus a tariff and such.
I have to be honest...nothing really gets lost in shipping...just that there are some dishonest buyers.
Having 'repeat buyers' gets around that.
funfactorychannel
·1 week agoTo top it off eBay still has invalid product identifiers on items that has UPC.