How to start selling on Amazon.de — a complete guide
Why Amazon.de?
Amazon.de is the largest European marketplace and one of the toughest markets — but also one of the most profitable. German buyers shop online readily, regularly and with a high basket value. For companies with a solid product and reliable logistics it is a genuine growth channel.
What to prepare before you start
An Amazon Seller Central Europe account gives access to all EU markets from a single dashboard. You need:
- A registered business
- A German VAT number (or use the OSS scheme)
- A EUR bank account or a Payoneer/Wise account
- Identity documents for the account owner
VAT in Germany
Since 1 July 2021 the OSS (One Stop Shop) scheme applies. If your sales to Germany exceed €10,000 per year, you must register for German VAT or settle through OSS. No registration means account suspension risk and tax backlogs.
Practical tip: If you plan to use FBA in Germany (Amazon.de warehouse), German VAT is mandatory — OSS is not enough.
Logistics: FBA vs FBM
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) — you send stock to an Amazon warehouse in Germany and they fulfil orders. Higher fulfilment costs, but a stronger Buy Box and the Prime badge.
FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) — you ship yourself from your home country. Lower costs at low volume, but a harder Buy Box win and no Prime.
For most categories — if margin allows — FBA delivers better sales results.
Content localization
Descriptions, titles and bullet points must be in German — written by a native speaker or translated with proofreading. Automatic translation through DeepL is a minimum; it does not replace keyword and shopping-culture editing.
German buyers are precise: they read descriptions, check specifications and compare. Content quality directly affects conversion and the return rate.
First PPC campaigns
Start with Sponsored Products on manual targeting — pick 15–30 German keywords and launch with a test budget. After 4–6 weeks you have data to optimize ACoS.
Do not copy campaigns from your home marketplace — keywords, prices and competition differ.
Most common mistakes
- No German VAT registration before launching FBA
- Home-language descriptions or automatic translations without editing
- Prices set too high without analyzing local competition
- No customer service in German (required by Amazon)
- Too little inventory at launch — Amazon penalizes out-of-stock