Last updated: October 2026
There is no single price for European ecommerce fulfilment, and any provider who quotes one before seeing your orders is guessing. What you actually pay is a stack of fees: a few fixed or set-up costs, storage for your stock, a handling fee for every order picked and packed, delivery to the customer’s door, and returns. For most parcel-based brands, delivery is the biggest of those lines. If you sell into the EU from outside it, import VAT and customs duty sit on top, and they never appear on a fulfilment quote. The honest way to compare providers is to turn every quote into one number: your fully loaded cost per order, worked out on your real order profile. This guide walks through each fee line, the costs that sit outside the quote, what pushes the total up, a worked example you can copy, and the questions to ask a 3PL (third-party logistics provider) before you sign.
The fee lines on a fulfilment quote
Most European fulfilment quotes are built from the same core fee categories, with packaging, technology, account management, minimums and surcharges sometimes listed as extra lines. Providers name and bundle them differently, which is exactly why quotes are hard to compare at first glance.
Set-up and fixed fees
One-off onboarding, connecting your store (Shopify, WooCommerce or Amazon), and sometimes a monthly account fee or minimum monthly spend. Minimums matter most for smaller brands: if your activity falls below the minimum in a quiet month, you pay the minimum anyway.
Inbound receiving
Charged when your stock arrives at the warehouse, usually per pallet, per carton or per hour of labour. Well-prepared deliveries (one SKU per carton, clear labels, an advance notice of what’s coming) are cheaper and faster to receive than mixed, unlabelled ones.
Storage
Usually charged per pallet, shelf or bin location, per week or per month. Slow-moving stock costs money every month it sits. A good provider surfaces that cost clearly so you can decide what to do about it, whether that’s a promotion, a smaller reorder or taking it out of Europe.
Pick, pack and packaging
Typically a fee for the first item in each order plus a smaller fee for every additional item, with packaging materials charged on top or bundled in. Inserts, gift wrap and branded boxes are often priced as extras, so ask.
Delivery
The carrier cost to get each parcel to the customer, which varies by destination country, weight, dimensions and speed. Delivering from a hub to a neighbouring country costs less than delivering to the far side of Europe, which is why where your stock sits shapes this line more than any other.
Returns
Receiving, inspecting and restocking (or disposing of) returned items, plus return postage if you offer free returns. Return rates vary enormously by category, so a fashion brand should model this line far more carefully than a supplements brand.
The costs that sit outside the quote
Regulatory information checked: October 2026. This is an overview, not tax advice for your specific setup. VAT and customs rules change, so confirm the details for your products and markets with a qualified adviser.
A fulfilment quote covers moving your stock and parcels. It doesn’t cover government charges (VAT, customs duty, EU fees) or the carrier and broker charges for clearing goods through customs. Those depend on where you’re based and where your stock sits.
Selling into the EU from outside it (US, UK, China, India, Latin America)
- Import VAT. Goods imported into the EU are generally subject to VAT at the rate of the country where they’re delivered. For eligible consignments worth €150 or less, sellers registered for the Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS) can collect VAT at checkout and report it through a single registration. IOSS is optional, and if you don’t use it, VAT is collected at import instead, often from the customer. Above €150, IOSS isn’t available and the normal import VAT process applies.
- The temporary €3 customs duty. From 1 July 2026 until 1 July 2028, consignments worth €150 or less sold to EU consumers pay a flat €3 customs duty under Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382. It covers IOSS sales and qualifying postal consignments, not only IOSS-registered sellers. It’s charged per product type in the customs declaration, not per parcel or per unit: a parcel with two identical toys, one coat and three identical bottles of shampoo holds three product types, so €9 in duty (European Commission guidance). Above €150, normal duty rates apply based on the goods’ classification, origin and value.
- The €2 Union handling fee. From 1 November 2026, a separate €2 fee applies per product type to goods imported into the EU through distance sales (selling online direct to consumers). Unlike the €3 duty, it isn’t limited to €150 or less, so it applies to higher-value parcels too. On a parcel of €150 or less, both charges can apply.
- Clearance and brokerage fees. Carriers and customs brokers charge for clearing goods, either per parcel or per bulk shipment.
- Holding stock in the EU changes the shape of the bill. Customs formalities, any duty and import VAT are handled when each bulk shipment enters the EU, not on every consumer parcel afterwards. Whether import VAT can be postponed or recovered depends on your VAT registration, who acts as importer of record and the rules of the country of import. Selling from that stock usually means registering for VAT in the country where it’s held, and some EU countries require non-EU businesses to appoint a fiscal representative.
Expanding from one EU country into others
- Destination VAT above €10,000. For a business established in one EU country, a combined €10,000 annual threshold applies to cross-border sales to consumers in other EU countries. Once you pass it, VAT is generally due at each customer’s local rate and can usually be declared through the One-Stop Shop (OSS). The threshold doesn’t apply to businesses established outside the EU.
- VAT margin drift. If you show one flat price across Europe, different VAT rates mean you keep a different net amount in every country. Your margin quietly shrinks in the higher-VAT markets.
- Local VAT registration. Holding stock in a second EU country triggers VAT registration there, alongside OSS rather than instead of it.
A fulfilment quote tells you what it costs to move a parcel, not what it costs to sell in a market, so budget for both.
What really drives the number
Two brands with the same monthly order volume can receive very different quotes. These are the factors that explain the gap, and the data worth having ready before you ask for prices.
| Cost driver | Why it moves the cost | Bring to the quote |
|---|---|---|
| Order profile | Items per order, weight and box size set your pick, packaging and delivery fees. | Three months of order data |
| Number of SKUs | Cost tends to rise faster than your SKU count: more storage locations, more picking travel, more room for errors. | SKU list with sales velocity |
| Markets served | Delivery rates differ by country, and every new market adds tax and compliance work. | Orders split by country |
| Where stock sits | One central hub keeps things simple; several local hubs cut delivery times and cost but add stock and VAT complexity. | Your delivery-speed targets |
| Returns rate | Every return is handled twice and often shipped twice. | Return rate by product category |
| Seasonality | Peak months need extra space and labour, and carriers often add peak surcharges. | Monthly order history for a full year |
How much each driver matters depends on your products and markets. Treat this as a checklist, not a ranking.
Want your own cost per order worked out?
Where brands get the maths wrong
- Comparing pick fees on their own. The pick fee is the most visible number on a quote and rarely the biggest. A low pick fee can sit alongside dearer delivery rates or a high monthly minimum.
- Missing minimums and peak surcharges. Ask what you’ll pay in your quietest month and your busiest one. Both can look very different from an average month.
- Pricing on averages that aren’t yours. A quote built on “a typical order” may not match your mix of countries, weights and multi-item baskets. Give every provider the same real order export so you’re comparing like with like.
An illustrative example
Here’s how the lines add up for a hypothetical US skincare brand holding stock in one European hub. Every figure below is a made-up round number to show the arithmetic. They are not Trackveo prices or market rates.
Fully loaded cost per order = (fixed fees + receiving + storage + pick and pack + packaging + delivery + returns handling + surcharges) ÷ orders shipped
Hypothetical month: 1,000 orders, 1.5 items per order, 40 SKUs
- Pick and pack: €2,250. €2.00 for the first item in 1,000 orders, plus €0.50 for each of the 500 extra items.
- Packaging: €400. €0.40 per order.
- Storage: €200. 10 pallets at €20 a month.
- Delivery: €6,000. An average of €6.00 per parcel across the brand’s mix of countries.
- Returns handling: €200. 5% of orders returned, at €4.00 each for the warehouse to receive and restock. This excludes the postage to get returns back to the warehouse.
- Monthly account fee: €250.
- Total: €9,300, or €9.30 per order. Not included: inbound freight, import VAT, customs duty and EU fees, return postage and one-off set-up costs.
In this example, delivery is about 65% of the monthly bill, while pick and pack, the fee brands often compare first, is about 24%.
How to compare quotes properly
Before you put two quotes side by side, check each one against these questions.
- Can you turn the quote into one cost per order, using your real order data?
- Does it state any minimum monthly charge and peak-season surcharges?
- Are inbound receiving, packaging and returns priced, not left blank?
- Are delivery rates given per country and per weight band?
- Does it say who handles import VAT, duty and IOSS, or OSS and local VAT if you’re EU-based?
- Is it clear what happens to the price as your SKU count or volume grows?
Mostly no: the quote isn’t comparable yet. Send the questions back before you judge it on price.
Mostly yes: you can compare like with like. Put each quote’s cost per order side by side, then weigh service and coverage.
A mix: ask the provider to fill the gaps in writing, so nothing turns up for the first time on your first invoice.
Where Trackveo fits
Trackveo is asset-light: we don’t own warehouses, we manage a vetted network of warehouse and carrier partners across every European market. That means we can price your fulfilment around your actual order profile and markets, rather than around one building we need to fill. We’ll model a fully loaded cost per order using your actual products, order profile and destination markets, and flag the tax and compliance questions to confirm with your tax or customs adviser.
We’ll also be honest when the numbers don’t add up yet. If you’re only sending a handful of orders a month into Europe, shipping from home may still be the cheaper option, and we’ll tell you so.
FAQ
How much does ecommerce fulfilment cost per order in Europe?
There’s no honest single figure, because it depends on your order profile, SKU count, markets and where your stock is held. The useful number is your fully loaded cost per order: your total monthly fulfilment bill, including fixed fees, storage, pick and pack, delivery, returns and surcharges, divided by the number of orders shipped. Ask every provider to calculate it from your real order data.
Why is delivery usually the biggest part of the cost?
Picking and packing an order takes a few minutes of labour, but delivery covers a carrier moving a parcel across one or more countries to a single doorstep. Rates vary by destination, weight and speed, so where your stock sits relative to your customers has a large effect on this line.
Is it cheaper to use one European warehouse or several?
It depends on your volume and where your customers are. One central hub keeps stock and VAT simple; several local hubs can cut delivery cost and time, but split your stock and add VAT registrations. Many brands start with one hub and add a second once a market is large enough to justify it.
Do I pay import VAT and duty on top of fulfilment fees?
Usually yes, when goods enter the EU from outside it, although how they’re paid depends on your setup. Import VAT is due at the destination country’s rate; until 1 July 2028, consignments of €150 or less also pay a temporary €3 customs duty per product type, and normal duty rules apply above €150. From 1 November 2026, a separate €2 EU handling fee per product type applies to distance sales of any value. These charges, plus carrier or broker clearance fees, sit outside your fulfilment quote.
Do European 3PLs charge minimum monthly fees?
Many do, either as a minimum spend or a fixed account fee. It’s worth asking upfront, because a minimum that’s irrelevant at your current volume can be the biggest cost in a quiet month.
Tell us your markets, volumes and products, and we’ll give you an honest, fully loaded figure, even if that answer is that you don’t need us yet.