Quick answer: A vape retailer intake file should record the exact product and variant, supplier and invoice trail, packaging and warning evidence, nicotine and liquid claims, battery and refill format, included components, market-status source, authenticity check, disposal or take-back route, open questions, decision and recheck date. The file does not prove that a product is safe, genuine, authorised everywhere or compliant forever. It creates a dated evidence trail so buyers can pause, reject or escalate a SKU before it reaches the shelf.
Evidence disclosure: This is an operational evidence template, not legal advice or a certification scheme. Requirements differ by market, product and business role and can change. Use current regulator guidance and qualified local advice where needed. A notification, authorisation, duty record, security code or supplier invoice answers only its own question.
Download the VapeRisk retailer intake CSV template. The file contains field headings only and no customer or supplier data. Store completed records within your own approved privacy, access and retention system.
What the intake file is for
Vape listings change quickly. Similar names can refer to different devices, pod-only packs can omit a required charging component, packaging can change, and a brand may have a product-specific market record that does not extend to its whole catalogue. An intake file slows the buying decision down long enough to separate identity, claims and evidence.
The file also gives product, compliance, warehouse and store teams one shared record. It should show what was checked, when it was checked, which official page was used, what remains unknown and who approved or rejected the SKU. It should not turn missing evidence into an assumption.
The minimum retailer intake record
| Evidence group | Fields to record | Why it matters | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact identity | Manufacturer, brand, model, variant, flavour, barcode, batch or lot, pack photos | Rules, recalls, notifications and instructions can be product-specific | A familiar brand name does not prove the exact unit is genuine or marketable |
| Supplier trail | Legal supplier name, contact, invoice, purchase date, quantity, delivery record | Creates traceability and a route for questions, returns and escalation | An invoice does not prove authorisation, safety or authenticity |
| Product format | Pod, tank or reservoir, refill route, charging device, included parts, battery claim | Prevents pod-only, kit and refill-format confusion | A connector that fits does not prove compatibility |
| Label and claim record | Nicotine statement, liquid volume, puff claim, warnings, modes, recycling marks | Preserves exactly what the pack and brand claimed at intake | A printed claim is not a measured result |
| Market-status check | Official source URL, exact entry or decision, checked date, reviewer | Shows which market record was checked for which exact product | One market’s record does not transfer to another market or certify safety |
| Authenticity check | Official verification URL, result, seller record, code state, photos | Separates official-domain verification from lookalike tools | A successful code check does not prove regulatory status or product condition |
| Operational route | Storage, damaged-product isolation, returns, disposal or take-back, staff owner | Makes the shelf decision usable after purchase | A consumer disposal page may not authorise a business collection programme |
| Decision and recheck | Approve, hold, reject, open questions, next date, evidence changes | Prevents silent approval and stale files | An approval is not permanent |
Keep six evidence questions separate
- Is this the exact product? Match model, variant, flavour, nicotine statement, packaging and included components.
- Is the supply trail documented? Keep the supplier’s legal identity, invoice and contact route.
- What is the product claiming? Record puff, liquid, battery, mode, refill, screen and performance language as claims.
- What is the current market-status evidence? Record the official page, exact entry and checked date for the target market.
- What authenticity evidence exists? Use the official brand domain and preserve the verification result without treating it as a universal pass.
- What happens when the unit is damaged, returned or discarded? Record the route before the first unit is sold.
2026 US, UK, Germany and France evidence matrix
| Market | Current evidence field | Source-led intake action | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | FDA product-specific marketing status | Check the current FDA authorised ENDS list and record the exact product, source date and result | FDA says authorisation does not mean the product is safe or “FDA approved”; it does not prove authenticity |
| United States | Unauthorised, counterfeit or misdeclared-product risk | Keep identity, packaging, supplier, child-resistant packaging and fire-hazard questions in the intake record | Enforcement guidance does not prove that a particular unit is counterfeit or subject to a specific action |
| United Kingdom | Supply-chain and duty evidence | Record the business role, relevant approvals or records, proportionate checks, open risks and recheck date | Duty or stamp evidence does not prove product safety, authenticity or notification status |
| United Kingdom | Battery, disposal and take-back route | Record storage, returns and the current take-back/disposal workflow before sale | A government awareness campaign is not a complete business compliance code |
| Germany | BVL notified-product list | Check the current downloadable list for the exact notified product and keep the lookup date | Notification is not endorsement, safety certification, authenticity proof or authorisation in another country |
| Germany | Disposable-vape take-back | Record the store’s route in light of the July 2026 explanation published by Verbraucherzentrale | Verify the controlling legal text and business-specific application before stating a legal conclusion |
| France | Product and notification context | Use Anses to record current product, component, notification and risk-context sources | Anses context does not prove that a SKU is compliant, safe, genuine or suitable for sale |
US intake: authorisation is product-specific
FDA’s current authorised ENDS list, content current May 5, 2026, states that 45 e-cigarettes are authorised and are the only e-cigarettes that may be lawfully sold in the United States. The same page says authorisation does not mean a product is safe or FDA approved. Record the exact entry and checked date; do not extend one decision to another flavour, device or brand family.
FDA’s May 8, 2026 enforcement-priorities guidance adds operational reasons to preserve packaging, identity, supplier and hazard information. The intake decision should say which evidence was checked. It should not label a unit counterfeit from appearance alone.
UK intake: separate product, supply-chain and take-back evidence
HMRC’s Vaping Products Duty and Vaping Duty Stamps force-of-law notice was updated June 26, 2026. It describes due diligence, proportionate checks, risk mitigation and record-keeping in relevant approval and trading contexts. The retailer file should identify the business role and source rather than paste a single duty conclusion onto every SKU.
OPSS’s March 4, 2026 safe-vapes campaign also highlights storage, charging, disposal and retailer take-back. Record the current operational route, but check the business’s actual obligations and local arrangements separately. Consumer guidance alone does not design a compliant collection system.
Keep platform and payment-provider eligibility separate from product status by checking the Shopify vape channel and payments enforcement guide. For the current UK duty rate, stamp timing and retailer workflow, use the UK Vaping Products Duty and duty-stamp guide.
Germany and France: notification is not a product verdict
Germany’s BVL page links a notified e-cigarette product list marked July 2026. A useful record includes the exact product lookup, source file, checked date and unresolved identity differences. A listing does not prove product condition, authenticity or eligibility in another market.
Verbraucherzentrale’s June 2, 2026 explanation says that from July 2026 sales outlets selling disposable vapes must take used devices back free of charge, including outlets such as kiosks, petrol stations and tobacco shops. Treat that as an authoritative consumer-centre explanation and verify the controlling text and business application before publishing a legal conclusion.
France’s Anses overview, published February 4, 2026, provides current context on product components, notification information, nicotine and safety requirements. Use it as a source map, not a SKU approval or health verdict.
Red flags that should pause the SKU
- The supplier cannot identify the exact legal entity, invoice or product variant.
- The product name, nicotine statement, liquid claim or included components differ across pack, listing and official page.
- A pod-only listing omits a required charging device or other component.
- The authenticity page is not on the official brand domain, or the code is invalid, already used or unresolved.
- The market-status evidence belongs to another product, flavour, market or date.
- The unit or pack is damaged, leaking, swollen, unusually hot or altered.
- The business has no documented return, isolation, disposal or take-back route.
Route authenticity questions to How to Spot a Counterfeit Vape, charging symptoms to the charging decision guide, leakage to the leak guide, and heat, swelling, damage or unexpected firing to the battery-safety checklist.
Evidence classes for the file
- Official regulator record: a dated product, rule or guidance source in the relevant market.
- Official manufacturer statement: a product page, manual or verification tool; still a brand claim unless independently verified.
- Supplier record: invoice, contact and logistics evidence; useful for traceability, not a product verdict.
- Independent observation: a disclosed sample, method and date; does not automatically generalise to every unit.
- Unknown: an unresolved field that stays open rather than being converted to a pass.
Sources reviewed
- FDA: Authorised E-Cigarettes and Other ENDS, content current May 5, 2026.
- FDA: 2026 enforcement-priorities guidance, May 8, 2026.
- HMRC: Vaping Products Duty and Duty Stamps notice, updated June 26, 2026.
- OPSS safe-vapes usage and disposal campaign, March 4, 2026.
- BVL: Germany notified e-cigarette product list, July 2026.
- Verbraucherzentrale: disposable-vape take-back explanation, June 2, 2026.
- Anses: Produits du vapotage, February 4, 2026.
VapeRisk may consider evidence-led partnerships with retailer systems, laboratories, distributors, take-back operators and compliance services. No partner can buy a SKU pass, legal conclusion, safety statement, ranking or editorial outcome. See our Sponsorship Standards and partnership formats.
Label capture: Record the exact wording before interpreting any date, batch, nicotine, liquid, warning or market code. Use the VapeRisk label-reading guide to keep traceability fields separate from expiry, authenticity, authorization and product-condition conclusions.
FAQ
What is a vape retailer intake file?
It is a dated evidence record for an exact SKU, covering identity, supplier trail, packaging, claims, product format, market-status source, authenticity, operational routes, decision and recheck date.
Does an FDA authorisation mean a vape is safe or approved?
No. FDA states that marketing authorisation does not mean the product is safe or FDA approved. The decision is product-specific and does not prove authenticity or product condition.
Does a notification-list entry prove a vape is compliant?
No. It proves only that the exact entry appeared in the checked notification source at that time. It does not prove safety, authenticity, packaging compliance, tax status or eligibility in another market.
Is a successful authenticity code enough to stock a vape?
No. It is one evidence field. The retailer still needs product identity, supplier, packaging, market-status and operational records.
How often should the intake file be rechecked?
Set a risk-based date and recheck sooner when a source, rule, supplier, pack, product version or official record changes. Do not assume a 30-, 60- or 90-day interval fits every market and SKU.
What should happen when evidence is missing?
Record it as unknown and hold or escalate the SKU. Missing evidence should not be silently converted into approval.