Guide · Etsy & Amazon

Packaging EPR for Etsy and Amazon sellers selling to Germany

If Amazon, Etsy or another marketplace asks for your LUCID number, or has blocked your listings in Germany, here is why, and what to do in order.

Facts checked: 28 October 2026

Based outside Germany? Representative first, then LUCID

Since 12 August 2026, companies without an establishment in Germany that sell directly to end users there must appoint an authorised representative in Germany before their first sale. The LUCID registration form asks you to select them: without a representative, you can't complete the registration.

Not law yet. On 20 October 2026 the European Parliament voted 616 to 9 to postpone this obligation until 2035 for small businesses established in the EU (fewer than 50 staff, under €10 million turnover). The Council also supports an exemption. Until it is adopted and published in the Official Journal, the obligation applies.

Council press release, 21 October 2026

Official ZSVR page We help you with this step: ask us

Why the marketplace asks

German packaging law makes marketplaces check that sellers shipping packaged goods to German customers are registered in LUCID. If the marketplace can't match a valid registration to your seller account, it must stop your offers. It isn't the marketplace being difficult. It's avoiding its own liability.

The block usually has one of three causes:

You never registered. Common with sellers who assumed the marketplace or a fulfilment service “handled it”.
Your data doesn't match. The company name, address or VAT number in LUCID differs from your seller account.
You relied on someone else's number, for example a print-on-demand provider's. If you are the producer, the registration must be in your own name.

What to do, in order

Based abroad? Find an authorised representative first. Since 12 August 2026 you need one to finish the LUCID registration. See authorised representative.
Register in LUCID with the same company data as in your seller account.
License your packaging with a dual system (via your representative, if you have one).
Report your quantities in LUCID, matching the dual-system contract.
Enter your LUCID number in the marketplace's EPR / compliance section for packaging in Germany.

If the marketplace rejects your number, look for a mismatch between LUCID and your seller account first. Fix the data; don't create a second registration.

Etsy, Amazon, Shopify: is it different?

The legal duty is the same: it sits with the producer, usually you. What differs is where you enter the number. Marketplaces ask for it in their compliance settings; your own Shopify store has no such check, but the duty still applies.

How long does it take?

It depends on whether your company data is ready, how quickly your representative and dual system confirm, and how long the marketplace takes to validate. We'll give you an estimate for your case after a first check, not a promise.

Questions

Does Etsy or Amazon register me in LUCID?

No. The marketplace checks your registration; it doesn't register you. Registration is your duty as the producer.

I use FBA. Am I still the producer?

Usually yes. The seller who places the packaged goods on the German market is the producer. If you're unsure about your setup, ask us to check.

Do I need a LUCID number for my own Shopify shop too?

Yes, if you ship packaged goods to customers in Germany. The duty doesn't depend on the sales channel.

Sources

Not sure where you stand?

Tell us what you sell and where you ship. We'll tell you what applies, even when the answer is "nothing".

Ask us to check