# How much does a Digital Product Passport cost?

> Why 'price per passport' is the wrong metric, and what to budget for instead.

## Key takeaways

- Most cost sits in data collection and integration, not hosting.

- Budget for the product's lifetime, not just launch.

- Insist on export and continuity terms.

## Cost categories

| Category | Includes |

| --- | --- |

| Regulatory interpretation | Scoping, legal review |

| Upstream data | Supplier onboarding, data remediation, evidence |

| Integration | ERP, PLM, PIM connectors |

| Identity & carriers | GS1 membership, serialisation, labels, tags |

| Platform | Hosting, security, access management, volume charges |

| Lifetime operation | Updates, backups, assurance, migration |

## SME perspective

CIRPASS's SME cost-benefit study highlights regulatory interpretation and upstream data collection as the dominant burdens for smaller businesses. Starting with a light, model-level passport on an existing toolset keeps early costs low.

## Sources

- [CIRPASS SME cost-benefit study](https://cirpassproject.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/CIRPASS-A-study-on-DPP-costs-and-benefits-for-SMEs-v1.0-1.pdf)