Getting your products listed on Amazon.de or bol.com as a non-EU brand is one step. Actually getting those products to European consumers quickly and cost-efficiently is another. Once you decide to take the European market seriously, you inevitably hit one central question: how do I organise fulfillment in Europe?
There are two main routes: Amazon FBA Europe or an independent European 3PL (third-party logistics provider). Both work — but for different situations.
📦 Shipping direct-to-consumer from the US or Asia no longer makes economic sense. From 1 July 2026, a fixed customs duty of €3 per package applies to all shipments under €150 from outside the EU. Combined with import VAT, direct cross-border shipping becomes structurally more expensive.
For the full breakdown of that customs change: New EU import rules from 1 July 2026.
Option 1: Amazon FBA Europe
Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) means you ship your products to an Amazon warehouse in Europe in advance. Amazon then handles storage, shipping, returns and customer service for all FBA orders.
Advantages:
- Prime badge — FBA products earn the Prime label on Amazon.de and Amazon.nl, which demonstrably improves conversion rates
- No logistics infrastructure to build — Amazon handles everything on the warehouse side; you ship inventory in and sell
- Reliable delivery times — Amazon's own network delivers within 1–2 days across Germany and surrounding countries
Disadvantages:
- VAT registration in multiple countries — when Amazon moves your inventory across its European fulfilment network (standard with Pan-European FBA), you become liable for VAT in every country where stock is held — typically Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland
- Amazon-only — inventory in FBA is not available for bol.com, your own webshop or other channels
- Higher costs than the US — European FBA fees run 15–25% higher on average than the equivalent in the US
- Limited control over returns — Amazon controls how returns are processed; products are sometimes classified as unsellable without your input
FBA makes the most sense if you're selling exclusively on Amazon and the Prime badge is critical to your category competitiveness.
Option 2: Independent European 3PL
A European 3PL is an independent warehouse in Europe — typically in the Netherlands, Germany or Belgium — that stores your inventory and ships orders from multiple channels.
Advantages:
- Multichannel — from one European warehouse, you can fulfil Amazon, bol.com, Zalando, your own webshop and wholesale partners
- More control — you set the packaging process, return handling and quality checks
- More cost-efficient at volume — at higher order volumes, 3PL rates are typically more competitive than FBA
- One VAT registration — shipping from a single country (e.g. the Netherlands via OSS) means you don't need separate VAT registrations across the EU
- Flexibility — add a new sales channel or switch marketplace without overhauling your supply chain
Disadvantages:
- No Prime badge on Amazon — unless you qualify your 3PL warehouse through Amazon's Seller Fulfilled Prime programme (achievable, but requires preparation)
- More coordination during setup — you need to choose a partner, negotiate contracts and set up integrations with your sales platforms
An independent European 3PL is the better choice if you want to sell across multiple channels, want more control over your operations, or if multichannel growth is central to your strategy.
How to choose
Ask yourself three questions:
- Am I selling exclusively on Amazon, or across other channels too? With multiple channels, a 3PL is almost always more efficient.
- How important is the Prime badge for my product category? In highly competitive Amazon categories, Prime can be a deciding factor.
- What's my volume? At low volumes, FBA is easier to get started with; at higher volumes, a dedicated 3PL becomes more attractive quickly.
Many brands start with FBA to get live on Amazon fast, then move to a hybrid model after a few months: a European warehouse for multichannel orders, with a small FBA stock held for Prime traffic.
What Crossello does for you
Crossello acts as Merchant of Record and handles your European logistics. That means we manage the import into Europe, store your products in our warehouse in the Netherlands, and ship orders to customers on Amazon, bol.com and your own webshop — all from one European location.
No BV, GmbH or European entity needed. No separate VAT registrations per country. No local hires.
3% commission. No hidden fees. Full brand control.
Want to know what this looks like concretely for your product category and volume? Get in touch — we're happy to think it through with you.