Jurisdiction: European Union + national packaging-EPR layer. Zalando Partner Program and Connected Retail. Last fact-checked August 25, 2026.
If Zalando shows Pending or Error for packaging EPR, start with the public national registry—not a new registration purchase. Choose the supplier type that matches your supply chain, copy the registered legal name and identifiers exactly, remove extra spaces, complete every confirmation, and resubmit only after the source record is correct and publicly visible.
Zalando packaging EPR verification: the fast answer
Open Settings → Business profile in zDirect. New or expanding partners select Submit your EPR details; live partners open the EPR details widget and choose Manage. Work country by country, select packaging, choose whether you produce or import the goods, buy from suppliers in that market, or use both models, then submit the exact registry data. Zalando automatically compares the information with official registries and reports Pending, Approved, or Error.
Approval is not guaranteed. An Approved status means the submitted details passed Zalando’s current registry check. It does not certify full legal compliance, cure incorrect national records, or promise that every offer will remain active. Platform verification, EU law, and national EPR duties are related but separate.
What Zalando verifies—and what it does not
| Layer | What it controls | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| National registry | The legal entity, packaging registration, identifier, category and country-specific record | That Zalando has matched the record to your account |
| zDirect verification | The data submitted to Zalando and its match against the official registry | That every reporting, fee, representation or packaging duty is complete |
| EU and national law | Who is a producer, where registration is required, and which ongoing duties apply | That a marketplace will approve a particular account or offer |
Regulation (EU) 2025/40, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), applies from August 12, 2026. Article 44 uses Member State producer registers, so there is no single packaging-EPR number for the whole EU. Article 45(4) requires covered online platforms to obtain registration information and producer self-certification before allowing relevant producers to use their services.
Article 45(3) currently also contains an authorised-representative obligation for certain cross-border producers. The Commission’s COM(2025) 982 proposal would suspend part of that rule for a period, but the proposal remains in the legislative process as of this review. It has not changed the law. See the separate guide to authorised representatives for EPR before appointing or omitting one.
What Zalando says will happen in 2027
Zalando says a valid packaging-EPR number becomes mandatory once the collection feature is live and that, from January 1, 2027, assortment will be blocked if the required EPR details are not provided. That is a stated Zalando platform deadline. It does not replace earlier national obligations that may already apply.
Prepare market by market. A number for Germany does not cover France, Spain, or another Member State, and the same company can face different registry fields and representation arrangements in different countries. Use the packaging EPR country-by-country guide to map the national layer.
Current packaging-EPR availability in zDirect
As of August 25, 2026, Zalando explicitly says packaging-EPR submission became available on August 12 for Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden. Germany, France, and Spain were already available.
Check the live widget before acting. Zalando’s broader country tables include registry information for additional markets, but its PPWR guidance says details for other countries and timelines will follow. A field appearing in a reference table is not enough to prove that packaging submission is live in every account today.
How to submit packaging EPR details in zDirect
- Open the EPR task. Go to Settings, Business profile. Choose Submit your EPR details if you are onboarding or expanding, or EPR details → Manage if you are already live.
- Select the market and packaging category. Complete each country separately. Mark a category Not applicable only when that is accurate for the products and market.
- Choose the correct supplier type. The fields change depending on whether you produce or import, buy from local suppliers, or use both models.
- Copy the official record exactly. Use the registered legal name and the requested EPR, company, commercial-register, VAT or tax identifiers. Zalando warns that these fields are sensitive to spaces.
- Complete the confirmation boxes. Missing confirmations can cause an Error even when the number itself is correct.
- Select Save & continue. Zalando then sends the data through its registry-verification flow.
- Monitor the status. Save the submission time and a screenshot. Do not treat Pending as a rejection.
- Correct at the source if necessary. If the public registry record is wrong, update it or work with the responsible registry, PRO or representative before resubmitting the same inconsistent data.
Choose the supplier type that matches the supply chain
| Your situation in the destination market | What zDirect asks for | Evidence to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| You produce the goods or import them from outside that market | Your own applicable packaging-EPR details | Registry record, legal name, identifiers, packaging category, PRO/system and representation details where required |
| You buy only from supplier(s) established in that market | The applicable EPR details for each supplier | Supplier legal name, registry identifier, company or tax ID, and proof that the record covers the relevant packaging |
| You use both models | Your details plus the relevant supplier details | A SKU-to-supply-chain map connecting each product to the correct registered entity |
The supplier selector is an operational route inside zDirect; it is not a legal ruling about who the producer is. If the brand, importer, account holder, and supplier are different entities, document the relationships instead of forcing one name into every field.
Pending, Approved and Error: what each status means
| Status | Meaning | Best next action |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | The information is waiting to be validated against the registry | Confirm the public record is visible, retain the submission timestamp, and avoid repeated identical submissions |
| Approved | The submitted information matched the registry in Zalando’s current check | Verify the relevant market and assortment, then retain evidence of the approved state |
| Error | The submission is incomplete or does not match the registry | Read the error email, compare every field and confirmation, correct the source record if needed, and resubmit |
Why packaging EPR verification fails
Mismatch 1
Identity mismatch
The legal name in zDirect differs from the public registry because of a trading name, punctuation, company suffix, representative name or outdated record.
Mismatch 2
Wrong identifier
An EPR number, commercial-register number, VAT or tax ID belongs to another entity, market, category or format.
Mismatch 3
Wrong supplier branch
The account submits its own number when Zalando expects a local supplier record, or omits one of several suppliers in a mixed model.
Mismatch 4
Formatting or confirmation error
Extra spaces, copied labels, blank fields or an unchecked confirmation prevent an otherwise valid record from matching.
A newly issued record may also need time to become public. Germany’s ZSVR says the LUCID public register is updated once a day, so a marketplace check immediately after registration can fail before the entry is visible. That is a German example, not a universal EU waiting period.
Country-specific fields: two examples
Germany: Zalando’s guide identifies the LUCID registration number, VAT or tax ID, company or representative name, and a confirmation of packaging-system participation. The LUCID number is a German national record; do not reuse it as an EU-wide number.
France: Zalando identifies the commercial or SIRET number, EPR registration number or UIN, and legal-entity name. All values must match the French registry record.
Other countries use their own registries and field combinations. Confirm the live market instructions before changing company data or buying a service.
Pre-submission evidence checklist
- Every Zalando country where the affected products are sold or planned
- Confirmation that packaging submission is live in the account
- Producer-versus-supplier decision for each country
- Correct national registry and packaging category
- Exact public legal-entity name
- Exact EPR or registration number
- Company, commercial-register, VAT or tax identifier requested by zDirect
- Supplier details and SKU mapping when applicable
- PRO, system-participation or representative evidence where required
- All required confirmation boxes
- Public visibility of a newly issued or corrected record
- Submission timestamp, screenshot and any Error email
- Post-approval check of the affected market and assortment
Should you fix it yourself or use a provider?
A straightforward formatting mismatch can usually be corrected without buying a new registration. Paid help becomes more useful when the legal producer is unclear, several countries are involved, a local PRO or authorised representative is required, the registry record itself needs correction, or the Error persists after every field matches the public source.
Before paying, ask which legal entity and markets the service covers, whether government and PRO fees are included, who handles representation, what evidence you receive, which renewals and reporting duties remain yours, and what support is included if Zalando still returns Error.
Want the registration and verification work handled?
Compare providers by country coverage, representation, registry correction, ongoing reporting, fee transparency and post-submission support. No provider can guarantee Zalando approval.
Commercial status: This page contains no affiliate referral links.
If the registry details are already correct but the assortment remains restricted, use the Zalando EPR reactivation checklist to document the account, affected offers and escalation evidence.
Frequently asked questions
What does Zalando check for packaging EPR?
Zalando collects country-specific packaging-EPR and company information in zDirect and automatically compares it with official registry records. The requested fields depend on the market and supplier type.
Why is my Zalando packaging EPR status Pending?
Pending means the registry validation is not complete. Confirm that the public record is visible, keep the submission timestamp and follow the live zDirect guidance. Do not treat Pending as an Error or resubmit unchanged data repeatedly.
How do I fix a Zalando packaging EPR Error?
Compare the EPR number, legal name, company or tax identifiers, spacing, supplier type and confirmation boxes with the official public registry. If the source record is wrong, correct it before resubmitting.
Does Approved mean my business is fully PPWR-compliant?
No. Approved means the submitted details passed Zalando’s current check. National reporting, fees, system participation, representation, packaging and other legal duties can still apply.
Is there one packaging-EPR number for the whole EU?
No. PPWR uses Member State producer registers. A business may need different registrations and identifiers in each country where it qualifies as a producer.
Can I use my supplier’s EPR number?
Sometimes. zDirect has a branch for goods bought from supplier(s) established in the destination market. You must provide the applicable supplier details and ensure the record covers the relevant packaging and supply chain. A supplier number is not automatically valid for every SKU or country.
Do I need an authorised representative?
It depends on where the producer is established, the destination market and the current national implementation. Article 45(3) remains current law as of this review. A proposal to suspend part of it is still pending and should not be treated as enacted.
What happens if I do not submit packaging-EPR details?
Zalando says the number is mandatory once collection is live and that assortment will be blocked from January 1, 2027 if the required details are not provided. Earlier national obligations may already apply.
Sources and last reviewed
Last fact-checked: August 25, 2026.
Browse the Zalando compliance hub, and read how XrdaGrid verifies marketplace and regulatory claims.
XrdaGrid provides general information, not legal advice, and does not guarantee marketplace approval. Requirements vary by country, legal entity, supply chain and account. Verify the live national registry, current zDirect instructions and applicable professional advice before filing or purchasing a service.