The Digital Product Passport Throughout the Customer Journey

Before the Purchase, After the Purchase, and in Omnichannel

How DPP data connects product detail pages, QR codes, apps, brick-and-mortar retail, repair, and recycling

The Digital Product Passport doesn’t just change what information companies must provide about their products. It also changes when, where, and how this information becomes available to customers.

In e-commerce, the focus is often on the moment leading up to the purchase: product page, images, description, price, variants, shopping cart, and checkout. But the customer journey doesn’t end with the order. It often begins long before the first visit to the store and continues after the purchase through use, service, repair, resale, or recycling.

This is exactly where the Digital Product Passport realizes its full potential. It makes product information accessible throughout the entire lifecycle: in the online store, in brick-and-mortar retail, via QR codes on products or packaging, in apps, and after the purchase for maintenance, repair, or disposal. The existing asioso article on the DPP in e-commerce therefore describes the Product Passport as a cross-channel element that connects digital and physical touchpoints.

From the Product Data Sheet to the Digital Product Experience

For a long time, product information was primarily functional. Its purpose was to explain what a product is, what features it has, and why it should be purchased. In many online stores, this information is still limited to images, technical specifications, variants, availability, and brief descriptions.

The Digital Product Passport broadens this perspective. It makes product information more comprehensive, structured, and usable over the long term. In addition to traditional product data, it can also provide information on materials, origin, production locations, certifications, repair options, care instructions, lifespan, and recycling options.

This makes the Product Passport more than just a source of information. It becomes part of the customer experience.

A good DPP concept therefore doesn’t just answer the question:
What data do we need to provide?

Above all, it answers the question:
What information does each target audience need at each stage of the customer journey?

Before the purchase

Building Trust and Providing Guidance

Before making a purchase, customers are in a decision-making phase. They compare products, evaluate alternatives, read reviews, look for evidence, and want to be sure they’re making the right choice. Transparency is a crucial factor, especially for higher-priced, sustainable, or complex products that require explanation.

This is where the Digital Product Passport can make an impact directly on the product detail page. DPP-relevant information can help reduce uncertainty and build trust. This includes, for example:

• Material composition
• Origin of Raw Materials
• Country or location of production
• Certificates and seals of approval
• CO₂-Information
• Recycling Rates
• Energy consumption
• Repairability
• Care Instructions
• Lifespan Information

The advantage: Sustainability isn’t limited to general statements. It becomes more concrete, verifiable, and easier to compare. The introductory article on asioso describes exactly this shift: The DPP makes sustainability measurable and visible, thereby transforming it from a marketing promise into verifiable information.

For e-commerce, this means that product detail pages will no longer be solely sales-oriented but will become more information-oriented. They must not only present products in an attractive way but also build trust.

Product Detail Pages as a Key DPP Touchpoint

The product detail page is one of the most important touchpoints in an online store. This is often where the decision is made to turn interest into a purchase. That’s why it’s a natural place to display DPP information.

However, it’s important to note that not all information should appear unfiltered on the product page. A Digital Product Passport can contain a great deal of data. If this data is presented in an unstructured way, it can quickly overwhelm users rather than guide them.

A clear content structure is better. For example:

• a concise sustainability section with the key messages
• expandable sections with details on materials, origin, and certifications
• Icons or labels for quick orientation
• Downloads for technical documents and certifications
• Link to the complete Digital Product Passport
• Information on maintenance, repair, and recycling
• Easy-to-understand explanatory text instead of purely technical data fields

This way, the product detail page isn’t overloaded, but rather enhanced. Customers receive more information exactly where it is relevant to their purchasing decision.

The Digital Product Passport thus becomes a conversion driver: The more readily relevant information is available, the more confident the purchasing decision becomes. asioso describes transparent product information in e-commerce as a way to reduce shopping cart abandonment, lower the burden of customer service, minimize uncertainty, and strengthen trust in the brand and product.

During the Purchase

Creating confidence in the decision-making process

The DPP can also provide support during the purchasing process. Especially for products with variants, configurations, or complex features, it helps make differences easier to understand.

An example: Customers choose between different materials, sizes, colors, or technical specifications. DPP data can show which variant is made of which material, what care it requires, what lifespan can be expected, or what repair options are available.

This aspect is particularly relevant in B2B commerce, where technical specifications, standards, documents, certificates, and conditions of use often play a central role. A digital product passport can provide such information in a structured manner and be directly integrated into configuration, quotation, or approval processes.

This makes the product passport not only an information tool for end customers, but also a resource for purchasing, sales, and consulting.

After the purchase

Product information remains relevant

From a business perspective, many commerce processes end with checkout or delivery. From the customer’s perspective, however, the actual usage phase begins after that.

After the purchase, new questions arise:

How is the product used correctly?
How is it maintained?
What replacement parts are available?
How long is the warranty valid?
Can the product be repaired?
How is it disposed of or recycled?
Where can I find documents, manuals, or certificates?

The Digital Product Passport can make this information permanently available. This makes it a service touchpoint after the purchase.

A particularly useful place for this is the customer account. There, purchased products can be linked to their DPP information. Customers can then find not only their invoice or order history, but also product-specific information on use, care, service, replacement parts, or recycling.

This not only improves the customer experience; it can also reduce the workload on customer service, since important information doesn’t have to be requested from scratch every time.

QR Codes

The Bridge Between Physical Products and Digital Services

One of the most important ways to access the Digital Product Passport is via the QR code. It can be placed on the product, the packaging, the label, the user manual, or at the point of sale. The QR code takes users directly to the relevant product information.

This is particularly valuable because the QR code bridges the physical and digital worlds.

In brick-and-mortar stores, a customer can scan a product and access additional information that doesn’t fit on the shelf. At home, a buyer can use the QR code to find care instructions, replacement parts, or repair manuals. At the end of the product’s useful life, recycling information or return options can be provided.

The asioso article on DPP in e-commerce cites QR codes, NFC tags, and direct store integrations as possible ways to access information such as materials, origin, repairability, and CO₂-Fußfootprint or recycling frecapability.

This creates a new touchpoint for retailers that is not tied to the store. The product itself becomes the gateway to a digital service experience.

Apps and Digital Services

DPP as Part of a Long-Term Customer Experience

In addition to product pages and QR codes, apps can also play an important role. Especially for durable goods, technical devices, furniture, textiles, machinery, or spare parts processes, an app can be a useful complement to the Digital Product Passport.

For example, an app can:

• save purchased products
• View care and maintenance instructions
• Display reminders for service intervals
• Recommend replacement parts
• Submit repair requests
• Provide recycling or return information
• Make documents and certificates permanently available
• Communicate product updates or recall information

This ensures that the DPP is not just used once at the time of purchase. It accompanies the product throughout its entire lifecycle.

For companies, this creates an opportunity to stay in touch with customers even after the purchase. The Digital Product Passport can thus become part of a long-term customer retention strategy.

Brick-and-Mortar Retail

More Information at the Point of Sale

The Digital Product Passport isn’t just an issue for online stores. It can fill an important gap, especially in brick-and-mortar retail.

In stores, space is limited. Only a small amount of information can be displayed on labels, packaging, or shelf tags. At the same time, customers increasingly want to know more about products: Where does it come from? What is it made of? How sustainable is it? How should it be cared for? Can it be repaired?

A QR code or NFC tag can make this information accessible directly at the point of sale. This adds a digital layer of information to brick-and-mortar retail.

This is particularly valuable for omnichannel strategies. Customers can research products in-store and then buy them online later—or vice versa. The key is that the information remains consistent. The asioso article on the DPP in e-commerce emphasizes exactly this point: The Product Passport works across all channels and supports omnichannel strategies by making product information available in the online store, in brick-and-mortar stores, via QR codes, in apps, and after purchase.

Repair

From Buying New to Extending Product Lifespan

An important added value of the Digital Product Passport lies in repairability. When information on replacement parts, repair instructions, components, or service options is available digitally, products can be used for longer.

This is not only relevant from a sustainability perspective. It also improves the service experience.

Instead of spending a long time searching for instructions or the right replacement parts, customers can access the correct information directly via the product passport. Service teams can more quickly identify which product, variant, or component is involved. Partners or repair shops can access technical information if it has been made available to them.

This makes the DPP a practical tool for after-sales processes.

For companies, this can enable new services: repair bookings, spare parts sales, maintenance contracts, warranty extensions, or take-back programs. The Digital Product Passport thus becomes not only a legal requirement to provide information, but also a starting point for new service offerings.

Recycling and Take-Back

Information at the End of the Product Life Cycle

The Digital Product Passport also plays an important role at the end of the product life cycle. When products are to be disposed of, recycled, returned, or reused, reliable information is crucial.

What materials does the product contain?
Which components can be reused?
Which parts must be disposed of separately?
Are there any take-back programs?
What recycling options are available?

This information can serve as a guide for consumers. For recycling partners, retailers, or manufacturers, it can make processes more efficient.

In this way, the DPP supports the transition from a linear product model to a more circular value chain. Product information is used not only for sales, but also for use, repair, reuse, and disposal.