E-commerce in France

France is the EU's second largest country. Of its more than 68 million inhabitants, more than 80% shop online. The French e-commerce market is one of the largest in Europe. French consumers expect fast delivery and communicate mainly in French. Read here what you need to consider if you want to conquer the French market with your webshop.

Product requirements

If your products comply with EU legislation, you are allowed to sell them in France. Do check whether product requirements (in Dutch) in France are the same as in the Netherlands, as France has additional requirements for dietary supplements, food, and medicines. In some cases, special labelling requirements may apply.

French rules and legislation

If you sell products to French customers, you have to abide by French laws and regulations. They may differ from the laws and regulations you are used to in the Netherlands. For example, France has stricter regulations for packaging and recyling:

Packaging

With the anti-waste law AGEC (in French), France aims to increase the proportion of recycled packaging compared to disposable packaging. 

Recycling

Recycling rules in France are based on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). In French, this is called Responsabilité Élargie du Producteur (REP). Are you the first in the chain to market products in France? For example, packaged electrical and electronic appliances or products containing batteries. If so, as a ‘Producteur’ you are responsible for managing these products throughout their lifetime. 

RVO has information on how to comply with French packaging and recycling regulations (in Dutch).

Apply for a local domain name

The French domain name administrator Afnic assigns domain names with a .fr extension. Individuals and EU companies without a French branch can also apply for a .fr domain name through an authorised registrar, which will submit your application to Afnic. Afnic has a directory of authorised registrars including Dutch companies. You can search the overview by name or country. Make sure your website and your general terms and conditions fits with local laws and regulations.

Your French customers

Tailor your online shop to the French market. French customers prefer French-language websites, so have your site translated or checked by a native speaker. If you offer French-speaking customer service, make sure to mention this as a Unique Selling Point.

Apply for a .fr extension for your online shop. Research shows that 90% of the French population trusts online shops with a local extension, which means they will be more likely to buy something.

The main search channel (in Dutch) for reaching a French audience is Google. Make sure to check the most important keywords for your business and product and use them – in French – in your website content. You can also advertise via Google and Instagram Shopping (in Dutch).

Marketplaces

If you are not ready to open your own French webshop, you can offer your products on a marketplace. As a provider on this platform, you will make contact with French customers.

French consumers also like to shop on online marketplaces. Many marketplaces require you to have French customer service. For this, you need employees who speak French. Popular marketplaces in France are:

• Cdiscount
• Veepee
• Amazon

E-commerce trust marks

Trade association Fevad has its own trust mark (in French), which is part of the Ecommerce Europe trust marks network. The trust marks of Chamber Trust (in French) and Afnor Certification are also common in France. In addition to these trust marks, France also has a large number of industry and product-specific quality labels.

Payment methods

Make sure that your online shop offers French payment methods. French people prefer paying via PayPal or by credit or debit card. The most widely used card for online payments is Carte Bancaire. Formerly some of these cards were called Carte Bleue and many French people still use that name.

VAT on distance sales in France

If your online shop sells products to French consumers, the 'destination country principle' applies. This rule also applies to entrepreneurs who are not subject to VAT and to legal entities that are not entrepreneurs, which means that you have to charge French VAT to French consumers. More information on French VAT rates and those of other member states can be found in the European Commission’s Taxes in Europe database. The French term for VAT is Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée or TVA.

There are 2 ways to file French VAT returns:

1. Apply for a French VAT number and file local VAT returns in France.
2. Sign your company up for the Union scheme under the One-Stop-Shop system of the Dutch Tax Administration, who will then pass on the VAT to France.

If your total sales to French consumers and your other intra-EU consumer sales remain below the €10,000 threshold, you are allowed to continue to charge Dutch VAT as a Dutch online shop.

Read more about VAT and international business.

Key figures

Online sales in France continue to grow. French e-commerce turnover was 159.9 billion euros in 2023. An increase of 10.5% compared to 2022. Online product sales were down 1.8%. Online services were up 20%. The French e-commerce market continues to grow slowly:

• 8.5% growth in 2020
• 15.1% growth in 2021
• 13.8% growth in 2022
• 10.5% growth in 2023

French e-commerce umbrella organisation Fevad has reports and press releases on the e-commerce market in France. These reports are available in French and English.