How to sell to customers in Netherlands

How people pay online

• iDEAL is the most used online payment method in the Netherlands, at 71% of online purchases, followed by credit cards (8%) and direct debits (5%). 1
• Dutch consumers made 347 million online purchases in 2025, 44.8 million of them from foreign shops (up 9% on 2024), and spent €35.7 billion online. 1
• Smartphones are used for 32% of payments for online purchases in the Netherlands. 1

Taking payments from abroad

• Stripe accounts in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand and across Europe can accept iDEAL | Wero from Dutch customers, in EUR only. 2
• iDEAL has been acquired by Wero: Stripe asks merchants to rebrand to 'iDEAL | Wero' in Q1 2026 and switch to Wero during 2026 and 2027 to keep taking Dutch bank payments. 2
• Sellers not based in the Netherlands must show their company registration number from their home registry on their website to use iDEAL | Wero; iDEAL payments cannot be disputed through the customer's bank. 2
• Stripe offers Klarna to shoppers in the Netherlands, 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. 3

Import tax and duty on parcels

• Orders of up to €150 shipped to the Netherlands 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. 4
• 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. 5
• The standard VAT rate in the Netherlands is 21%. 6

Where to reach buyers

• YouTube's ad reach in the Netherlands was 15.3 million people in late 2025, equal to 83.3% of the population. 7
• Pinterest reached 10.5 million people (56.9%) with ads in the Netherlands in late 2025, Snapchat 8.36 million, Instagram 8.15 million and Facebook 7.50 million. 7
• TikTok reached 6.30 million adults (41.9% of those 18+) with ads in the Netherlands in late 2025; LinkedIn had 14.0 million members there. 7

Marketplaces

• bol says sellers on its platform can reach 13 million potential customers in the Netherlands and Belgium. 8
• bol's standard seller registration is for businesses based in the Netherlands or Belgium, needs a valid VAT number and a bank account in a SEPA country; sellers from elsewhere use bol's separate international partner sign-up. 9

Common questions

1. How do people in Netherlands pay online?

   iDEAL is the most used online payment method in the Netherlands, at 71% of online purchases, followed by credit cards (8%) and direct debits (5%). More on payments

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

   Stripe accounts in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, New Zealand and across Europe can accept iDEAL | Wero from Dutch customers, in EUR only. More on taking payments

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

   Orders of up to €150 shipped to the Netherlands 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 Netherlands?

   YouTube's ad reach in the Netherlands was 15.3 million people in late 2025, equal to 83.3% of the population. More on ads

5. Which online marketplaces are biggest in Netherlands?

   bol says sellers on its platform can reach 13 million potential customers in the Netherlands and Belgium. More on marketplaces