How to sell to customers in Germany

How people pay online

• In 2025, PayPal took 28.7% of German online retail turnover, invoice (Rechnungskauf) 26.1%, direct debit 14.4%, credit and debit cards 13.7%, instalments 4.7% and prepayment 3.5%. 1
• The Bundesbank found PayPal has a market share of around 86% among e-payment methods in Germany. 2
• Apple Pay was 1.3% and Amazon Pay 0.6% of German online retail turnover in 2025. 1

Taking payments from abroad

• PayPal through Stripe is only open to Stripe accounts in a list of European countries (including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland, the UK, Switzerland and Norway); sellers based elsewhere, such as the US, must connect their own PayPal account instead. 3
• Stripe offers Klarna to shoppers in Germany, but only businesses based in the EEA, the UK or Switzerland can use it cross-border; a Stripe account in another country (for example the US or Australia) can only take Klarna from customers in its own country. 4
• SOFORT was discontinued on 31 March 2025; Stripe recommends Klarna's 'Pay in full' option as the closest replacement for German bank payments. 5
• In Germany, Klarna on Stripe supports Pay later (pay in 30 days, €0.10 to €10,000), Pay in 3 and financing up to 36 months. 4

Import tax and duty on parcels

• Orders of up to €150 shipped to Germany from outside the EU can go through the EU Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS), which lets the seller collect VAT at checkout and file one monthly VAT return in a single EU country. 6
• From 1 July 2026 the EU charges a temporary €3 customs duty on parcels worth up to €150 imported from outside the EU, per item by tariff classification (3 T-shirts and a watch = €6), declared and paid by the seller or importer. 7
• The standard VAT rate in Germany is 19%. 8

Where to reach buyers

• YouTube's ad reach in Germany was 64.7 million people in late 2025, equal to 77.1% of the population. 9
• Instagram's ad reach in Germany was 31.3 million in late 2025 (37.2% of the population); Facebook's was 22.8 million. 9
• TikTok reached 23.7 million adults (18+) with ads in Germany in late 2025, Snapchat 23.0 million and Pinterest 22.7 million. 9

Marketplaces

• OTTO, a gated marketplace, had more than 6,500 marketplace partners and 11.7 million customers over the past year; as of February 2026 only Germany-based sellers with a German VAT ID could join, and it was preparing to admit sellers from other European countries. 10

Common questions

1. How do people in Germany pay online?

   In 2025, PayPal took 28.7% of German online retail turnover, invoice (Rechnungskauf) 26.1%, direct debit 14.4%, credit and debit cards 13.7%, instalments 4.7% and prepayment 3.5%. More on payments

2. Can a business outside Germany accept the payment methods people there use?

   PayPal through Stripe is only open to Stripe accounts in a list of European countries (including Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ireland, the UK, Switzerland and Norway); sellers based elsewhere, such as the US, must connect their own PayPal account instead. More on taking payments

3. Do customers in Germany pay import tax or duty on goods bought from abroad?

   Orders of up to €150 shipped to Germany from outside the EU can go through the EU Import One-Stop Shop (IOSS), which lets the seller collect VAT at checkout and file one monthly VAT return in a single EU country. More on import tax

4. Where should a business advertise to reach buyers in Germany?

   YouTube's ad reach in Germany was 64.7 million people in late 2025, equal to 77.1% of the population. More on ads

5. Which online marketplaces are biggest in Germany?

   OTTO, a gated marketplace, had more than 6,500 marketplace partners and 11.7 million customers over the past year; as of February 2026 only Germany-based sellers with a German VAT ID could join, and it was preparing to admit sellers from other European countries. More on marketplaces