Selling to the EU: 2 Rules You Need to Know

Selling to European backers isn’t just about shipping—it’s about navigating international trade. There are two areas you need to think about when selling goods to EU customers:

1. You, the seller, must be properly registered.

That means taking care of a few formal steps before you ship. While there are a few regulations involved, for most crowdfunding creators the two main hurdles are maintaining a VAT ID with quarterly filings and having a postal point of contact within the EU. We have a separate page about VAT for crowdfunding creators. Skip this part, and things can go sideways quickly.

2. Your product must meet EU regulations.

“Accidental contraband” is real! 
If you skip the formal requirements, don’t be surprised if your shipment ends up somewhere you didn’t intend.

This includes rules around safety, labeling, recycling, and more—even if you’re just sending a limited batch of card games. The good news? We can help. We handle much of the heavy lifting when it comes to identifying and meeting these requirements, so you’re not left to figure it out alone.

Don’t Skip Step One!

Trying to send compliant products without being a compliant seller is a recipe for chaos: lost packages, surprise returns, or worse. When a package brings paperwork, penalties, or processing fees with it, EU customers are often well within their rights to turn it away.

That’s why we can only offer fulfillment and shipment for campaigns that are properly registered. We know other shipping companies ask fewer questions—and coincidentally, some of them continually charge hefty admin fees to every single backer you ship to instead of telling you what to fix. We think that’s unfair to everyone involved.

But If you’re properly set up—or ready to get there—we’re here to help. We can do some of the heavy lifting—from acting as your postal contact to guiding you through relevant regulations. It’s what we do.

Retail Model: How It Works

Here’s the easier route: Instead of selling directly to customers—where you carry the full legal burden—you can sell your product to a properly registered EU retailer (like us).

That one shift makes all the difference: the retailer then becomes both he importer of record and the finale seller to the cosnumer, taking on the responsibility: from VAT to shipping, product handling, and customer support.

Since we run an online store, we’re already registered to sell across the EU. We know the rules and make sure everything we put on our shelves is up to spec—so your backers get a smooth experience, and you stay out of the legal tangle. Want to know what this looks like in practice? Click here to learn more.

This isn’t a workaround—it’s how the system is built. When a registered EU retailer makes the final sale, responsibility shifts. That’s not cutting corners. That’s retail done right.

Let’s make sure your goods don’t get stuck. Let’s do this the right way.

A Friendly Reminder

Selling to another country isn’t a right—it’s a privilege. Just because someone paid you from abroad doesn’t mean your product will be welcomed at the border. Most platforms don’t check for international compliance—but customs officers absolutely do.

Let’s make sure your goods don’t get stuck. Let’s do this the right way.