Prepare a product-by-product handover for a low-value online purchase going to France: seller and manufacturer identifiers, supporting photos, missing-data questions and the final check with the customs declarant.
If the carrier asks for a product identifier, send a record for each actual product rather than just the parcel number. Start with the seller’s product reference, ask for the manufacturer’s reference, and keep photos showing which goods those references describe. The customs declarant must confirm which identifiers and declaration fields apply to your shipment.
Policy checked: 11 November 2026. This guide concerns low-value online purchases sent to a private buyer in metropolitan France. It helps you prepare information before dispatch; it is not an application for a French registration number.
First, ask whether this shipment falls within the PID requirement
The European Commission’s October guidance, section 8 places the requirement from 1 November 2026 on imported distance-sale consignments with an intrinsic value of €150 or less. Ordinary B2B flows are, in principle, outside that scope.
Give the carrier the actual purchase and transport arrangement. A Taobao retail order, a French company’s 1688 purchase, a private gift and goods forwarded under a separately arranged contract should not automatically receive the same treatment. Ask: “Who will file the declaration, which procedure will you use, and does this transaction need PID data?” Do not split or undervalue an order to fit a preferred procedure.
Keep the three types separate
The product references come from different parts of the supply chain. They are not three new numbers for the recipient to invent. French Customs’ BOD 7712, product identifier section distinguishes them as follows:
| Reference to request | Where to ask | Declaration code |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant product identifier, M-PID | Online seller, marketplace or platform | C127 |
| Non-standardised manufacturer product identifier, NS-PID | Manufacturer, producer or product supplier | C128 |
| Standardised manufacturer product identifier, S-PID, if one exists | Manufacturer or supplier; check the packaging too | C129 |
For a shipment within the requirement, M-PID and NS-PID must be provided. If no S-PID exists, the declarant uses the applicable Y081 absence code. Missing information is not proof that no identifier exists: ask the supplier first. Y081 does not replace the other two references.
Build one handover row for each product you actually ordered
Use a small spreadsheet or a clear message with these fields. This is a working record, not an official customs form:
- Product: plain description, material or function, brand where applicable, exact model and selected variant.
- Purchase evidence: product link, seller name, order line, quantity, actual paid value and currency.
- Identifiers: M-PID, NS-PID and S-PID if available, each labelled by type and with the seller or manufacturer’s confirmation.
- Physical check: photo of the product and readable packaging or model label; note any difference from the order.
- Warehouse match: the received package record and which items will go into the final shipment.
- Unresolved question: what is missing, who will answer, and whether dispatch is on hold.
For Taobao or Pinduoduo, save the chosen colour, size or specification as well as the listing. A page offering several variants does not tell the carrier what you bought. For 1688, ask the supplier to connect its model reference to the manufacturer’s reference; a quotation line headed “accessories” is too vague. Preserve the original references rather than shortening or padding them to look like another code.
Check the goods before removing their packaging
Ask for readable label photos before authorising repacking. Match the model, variant and quantity against your handover record. If the seller substituted another model, resolve that mismatch while a domestic return or exchange may still be possible. Confirm the seller’s actual return conditions; do not assume a fixed return window.
Keep product information available when removing retail boxes. An international tracking number, warehouse receipt or HS proposal should not be used as a product identifier merely because it is handy. PID concerns product identity; an HS code concerns tariff classification, which must also match the goods.
If several parcels will be combined, first use the France warehouse consolidation checklist to confirm the final packing decision. Add each product’s references to the final item list rather than treating the outer carton as one product.
A complete PID row does not settle tax or product permission
Check the budget separately. French Customs’ current small-parcel explanation describes the temporary €3 duty per item category for qualifying distance sales of €150 or less from 1 July 2026, plus the €2 handling fee per item category from 1 November 2026. The latter is not confined to low-value consignments. Neither is simply a charge per cardboard box.
VAT is separate: the standard metropolitan French rate is 20%, with reduced rates for qualifying goods. When VAT is due on import, the base can include goods value, transport and duty; ask for the actual calculation and any carrier service fee. A low-value procedure or a completed PID field does not make the shipment tax-free.
Likewise, PID is not a safety certificate, CE assessment or import authorisation. Before buying electronics, toys, cosmetics, food or other regulated goods, ask the carrier or appropriate specialist which product documents and importer or responsible-person requirements apply. French Customs lists prohibited and restricted goods, including prohibited counterfeits and categories needing specific checks. Batteries, liquids and powders also need separate confirmation for the proposed transport channel.
Send the record, then wait for the missing answers
A useful message is:
Please review the attached product list for this shipment to France. Confirm the declaration procedure and whether PID reporting applies. For each product, please identify any missing merchant or manufacturer reference and confirm how the references will be entered. Please flag inconsistent product photos, descriptions or values before we authorise dispatch.
Proceed only when the named declarant has accepted the data pack and any product or transport questions are resolved. If the answer is just “send any number”, request clarification. Do not make up references to fill a mandatory field.
YDA Express can help organise China-side purchase records, agreed label photos, received-package information and questions to the seller or logistics provider. Check the available purchasing and forwarding services against what this order needs. YDA cannot create a manufacturer’s identity for a product, issue regulatory approval or guarantee customs acceptance.
Rules, declaration systems and available routes can change. Recheck the goods before purchase, compare the received items after arrival, and confirm the effective French requirements with the declarant again before final dispatch. If essential data remain missing, keep the shipment on hold.
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