HELPFUL ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Many questions about ECLASS have been asked before. We place great value on formulating clear and comprehensible answers.
How do I get ECLASS?
ECLASS Releases and language versions can be easily obtained through the download portal. On the download portal, you’ll also find a price list and information on ECLASS terms and conditions.

When is a company required to have an ECLASS license? / How much does ECLASS cost?
Not every company that wants to use the ECLASS Standard needs to purchase a license.
Find out more in the ECLASS Terms of Use.
Here you can find an overview of prices for ECLASS licenses, as well as for membership in the ECLASS organization.
The price categories are based on company size, depending on the number of employees.
How is the Concordance License different from the Single License?
A Single License includes license rights for a single ECLASS Release in all available languages and all release formats. This type of license makes sense if you only need a single ECLASS Release.
A Concordance License includes all previously published releases as well as all releases published during the Concordance term, all available languages, as well as all available update files. This type of license makes sense if you need more than one ECLASS Release.
What are the advantages of a membership?
In addition to the major “hard” benefits a membership gives you, the primary advantages include above all the direct exchange with other members, the access to information in advance of market rivals, and the opportunity to influence the future direction of the ECLASS association and the ECLASS Standard.
The “hard” benefits are in essence the free downloads of the ECLASS Standard, including update files showing correspondences between the various versions.
How soon can ECLASS be used?
We make your ECLASS download available as soon as you’ve purchased a license through the ECLASS-DownloadPortal and the invoice has been paid.
You can begin implementation immediately after the download, or contract out for the process using an IT Service Provider from our network.
How do I use ECLASS? / How can I integrate ECLASS into my system?
For implementation of ECLASS, we recommend one of our authorized ECLASS Service Providers.
The degree of complexity associated with ECLASS implementation depends on numerous factors that can vary strongly from user to user. For example, these include the quality of the existing master data, the number of products (for catalogs, procurement or sales), product complexity, the number of language versions needed, and so on. In addition, the opportunities offered by ERP systems play a role here, as does the fundamental question of what is intended to be accomplished with ECLASS, and what approach will be taken as a result. The deeper ECLASS is to be integrated in internal or cross-company processes, the greater will be the complexity, but the greater too will be the expected return on investment.
What languages is ECLASS available in?
You can find an overview of all available language versions here. If you don’t find a particular language version for an already-purchased release please contact us. We can generate the language version for you.
Is there a mapping table available for translating between ECLASS and the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC)?
Thanks to a previous EU project in which the ECLASS team took part, there is a mapping mechanism available that includes ECLASS version 6.0.1, UNSPSC 11, GPC 30062008 and CPV 2008. This mapping table can be downloaded here.
Who can I contact if there are problems?
You can contact us at any time.
We’d be happy to answer your questions by phone or by mail.
You can always find someone to talk to in our head office in Cologne:
ECLASS Head Office
Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft Köln Consult GmbH
Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 21
D - 50668 Cologne
Phone: +49 (0)221 4 98 18 11
info(at)eclass.de
Find more questions and answers in the ECLASS-Wiki.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? WE’D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER!
Feel free to contact us at any time. We’ll gladly answer your questions by phone or email.
In our Head Office in Cologne will always be someone available to you.
ECLASS Head Office
Cologne Institute for Economic Research
(P.O. Box) Postfach 10 19 42 / 50459 Cologne
(Street Address) Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 21 / 50668 Cologne
Phone: +49 221 4981-811
info( at )eclass.de