Cross-Border E-Commerce in the EU: Delivering to Customers via German Shipping Addresses
Reach EU customers flexibly—via domestic shipping to delivery addresses chosen by the customer. You serve international customers through your established domestic shipping network, while the subsequent forwarding is at the buyer’s discretion and responsibility.
Cross-border trade within the European Union offers online retailers significant growth opportunities. At the same time, direct shipping to different EU member states presents organizational and regulatory challenges depending on the business model.
With the model of delivery to a German shipping address specified by the customer, you can utilize a clear, transparent structure: You can continue to serve customers in other EU countries by first delivering the goods to an address in Germany chosen by the customer.
The Current Landscape of Cross-Border E-Commerce
Many retailers based in Germany value the demand from other EU countries. However, shipping goods directly to multiple destination countries often involves complex processes and country-specific regulations.
To keep the administrative burden of direct shipping manageable, many online stores seek clear, structured processes. Delivering goods to customers via a German receiving address can be a pragmatic way to continue making goods available to customers in other EU countries—while any subsequent forwarding is organized by the customer.
Whether and to what extent legal obligations apply to you depends on your business model and the applicable legal requirements. Delivery to a German receiving address specified by the customer and forwarding arranged by the customer do not automatically alter the legal obligations applicable to the merchant. This information does not replace your own review.
The Delivery Model in Detail: Contractual Separation as the Basis
The model is based on a clear separation of two independent contractual relationships:
- The sales contract: This is concluded exclusively between you as the merchant and your customer. An integral part of your service is the delivery of the goods to the German delivery address agreed upon with the customer.
- The Forwarding Agreement: If the customer wishes to have the goods transported to a location outside of Germany, they independently engage a service provider of their choice for this purpose. This agreement is concluded exclusively between the customer and the respective forwarding service provider.
As a merchant, you are neither a party to the forwarding agreement nor do you commission or pay the forwarding service provider. Provided that the German address is specified as the delivery address in the sales contract, delivery will be made to this agreed-upon delivery address.
The German receiving address may be assigned to the customer themselves, to a receiving or forwarding service they have commissioned, or to any other person or entity of their choosing.
A Practical Example: Explained Step by Step
- Order: A customer residing in another EU member state places an order for goods in your online store.
- Address Information: During the ordering process, the customer provides a delivery address in Germany of their choosing. This can be their own address, the address of a person they designate, or a receiving and forwarding service they have commissioned.
- Domestic Shipping: You ship the order as a domestic delivery to the specified German address.
- Forwarding: If the customer wishes to have the goods transported to their destination country, they arrange this independently through the recipient or service provider of their choice in Germany.
- Independence: You are not a contractual partner of the forwarding service provider and do not commission or pay for its services.
Recommendations: What You Should and Should Not Do
What you should do
- Deliver to the agreed-upon address: Ship the goods to the German delivery address specified in the sales contract.
- Provide clear information: When customers inquire, objectively inform them that they can specify a receiving address of their choice for deliveries to Germany.
- Keepaccurate records: Properlydocument the sales contract and proof of domestic delivery (delivery receipt to the German address).
What You Should Avoid
- Do not arrange for forwarding: Do not commission or pay for forwarding, and do not offer it as your own additional service.
- Do not pass off third-party addresses as your own: Never present receiving or forwarding addresses provided by service providers as your own branch, sales, or fulfillment locations.
- Do not make blanket promises of exemption: Do not make any statements to customers suggesting that this model automatically waives legal obligations.
- No rhetoric suggesting circumvention: Always present the model as a logistical option for the customer—not as a tool for circumventing regulations.
DE2EU as a potential receiving and forwarding option for customers
One option that customers can use independently for this purpose is the service provided by DE2EU Logistik (de2eu.com/en/).
DE2EU offers an independent receiving and forwarding service based in Germany. The process is straightforward for the end customer:
- The customer registers independently on de2eu.com/en/ and receives a personal mailbox ID (e.g.,
DE2EU-10482). - When placing an order in your store, the customer provides DE2EU’s German receiving address along with their personal mailbox ID.
- You deliver the shipment as usual to this German address.
- Once the shipment is received, the customer arranges for it to be forwarded to their destination address in another EU country via their DE2EU account. The contract and payment for the forwarding service are handled directly between the customer and DE2EU.
DE2EU is one of several options on the market. As a merchant, you do not enter into a system partnership with DE2EU for this—the customer decides for themselves whether to use this service or another one.
The practical benefits for your online store
- Simple logistics processes: You use your usual domestic shipping processes to fulfill the order.
- Expanded customer base: Customers from other EU countries can shop in your store, even if you don’t offer direct international shipping to that country.
- Clear division of roles: As long as the German address is included in the sales contract as the shipping address, the order will be delivered to that agreed-upon address. The shipment remains a domestic shipment.
Sample text: What you can tell your customers
We’re happy to deliver your order to a delivery address within Germany that you specify. If you reside in another EU country and would like your order forwarded to your home country, you can independently arrange for a receiving or forwarding service (such as DE2EU) to handle this. In this case, please provide the German address provided by your service provider—including your personal ID—as the delivery address.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the sales contract concluded exclusively between the merchant and the customer?
Yes. The sales contract for the goods is concluded solely between you, as the merchant, and the buyer. Under this contract, you agree to deliver the goods to the address in Germany specified by the customer.
Who arranges and pays for the subsequent forwarding?
The forwarding is arranged and paid for exclusively by the customer. To do so, the customer enters into a separate contract with the forwarding service provider of their choice.
As a merchant, are you allowed to list the addresses of forwarding services as your own fulfillment or branch office addresses?
Not simply because it is used as a receiving address. The address of an independent forwarding service is therefore neither a branch office nor your shop’s own warehouse. It serves as the receiving address requested by the customer for domestic shipping.
Does this model automatically exempt you from legal obligations (e.g., EPR, taxes)?
No. Whether and to what extent legal obligations (such as packaging/EPR requirements, tax regulations, or product safety provisions) apply to you as a merchant depends on your specific business model and the applicable legal provisions. The customer’s use of a German shipping address does not automatically exempt you from such obligations.
Does this text constitute legal or tax advice?
No. This text provides general information on logistics processes. It does not replace a legal or tax review of individual cases by qualified professionals.
What role does DE2EU play in this model?
DE2EU (de2eu.com) is a service provider independent of you as a merchant, which customers can use on their own to receive and forward packages. DE2EU is not a contractual partner of the merchant and has no influence on the sales contract between you and your customers.
How to Inform Interested Customers
Would you like to show customers from other EU countries a way to receive your goods? Clearly state on your website or through customer service that delivery to a German address is possible. Customers who do not have their own way to receive packages in Germany can, if interested, independently find out more about and register for services like de2eu.com/en/.
How DE2EU Works for Your Customers
Legal Notice
This text is intended solely for general information purposes and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Whether and to what extent a merchant has obligations under EU law or national law—particularly regarding packaging, EPR, PPWR, taxes, customs, product safety, or related regulations—depends on the specific business model and applicable legal requirements. Delivery to a German shipping address provided by the customer and a forwarding arrangement initiated by the customer do not automatically alter the legal obligations applicable to the merchant. In case of doubt, merchants should seek their own expert legal advice. DE2EU is a receiving and forwarding service that the customer may choose and is not a party to the sales contract between the merchant and the customer; the merchant is not a party to the forwarding agreement between the customer and DE2EU.