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Amazon EFN - The Amazon European Fulfilment Network

  • Writer: Cindy Jackson
    Cindy Jackson
  • Feb 2, 2022
  • 3 min read

Updated: Nov 14

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*Part of the Mrs Prime Classics series – early seller experiences, revisited and refreshed for 2025. *First published February 2022. Updated for the new Mrs Prime site, November 2025.*

EFN is Back - But Is It Worth It?

When Amazon announced that the European Fulfilment Network (EFN) was back, I was genuinely excited. I started selling in late 2020, right after Brexit hit, so I’d never experienced EFN in its original, easy form.


Back then, seasoned sellers talked about how simple it had been - just connect and sell. No endless VAT paperwork, no extra hoops to jump through. But when Brexit arrived, all that changed overnight.


For small sellers, the alternatives like Pan-European FBA or IOSS (Import One Stop Shop) were too complicated - full of extra VAT rules, compliance headaches, and admin no one wanted to deal with. So, when EFN finally returned, it sounded like good news... but things weren’t quite as simple as Amazon made it sound.


What You Need to Know Before Turning EFN Back On

After watching Nevermind the Buy Box with Natalie Cromie and Matthew Wright, here are the main takeaways that every seller should consider before reactivating EFN:

  1. Expect higher prices. You may need to increase prices by up to 50% to stay profitable after fees.

  2. VAT applies to everyone. Even if you’re not VAT registered, Amazon collects VAT for each European country - meaning you’ll need to factor this into your margins.

  3. A “responsible person” is required. Every product listed in Europe must have one. If you’re listing a new item, you’ll need to add these details yourself.

  4. Compliance will get trickier. The UK and EU have diverging regulations on things like food, toys, and packaging. Expect more product compliance checks and admin over time.

  5. VAT registration thresholds matter. If your sales in a single EU country exceed its VAT threshold, you’ll need to register for VAT there. Current thresholds (as of 2025):

    • France - €35,000

    • Germany - €100,000

    • Spain - €35,000

    • Italy - €35,000


Should You Reactivate EFN?

Personally, I’m still on the fence. I’m not VAT registered, and for some products, the margin hit is too high to justify cross-border sales right now.


There are also unanswered questions like:

  • What happens when you get a return from a European customer?

  • If you sell bundles, do you need a “responsible person” for each item in the pack?


These are worth checking before you dive in.


Tools That Help

To decide whether EFN made sense for my business, I used:

  • Buy Bot Pro for profit calculations. Their team has updated the software to include EFN fee support, making margin checks far easier.

  • Profit Protector Pro as my repricer, allowing me to set different pricing strategies for each European marketplace.


Together, they’ve helped me model whether my products can stay profitable after EFN fees.


Watch and Learn

If you want to dig deeper, watch the EFN discussion episode on Nevermind the Buy Box (Secret Wealth YouTube Channel):🎥 Watch on YouTube

And if you’d like to share your own EFN or Pan-European experiences, join the Mrs Prime Facebook Group - we’re always sharing real experiences and updates.


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TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)

What’s a TL;DR?It’s a quick-read summary for busy sellers and voice-search users - a short recap that gives you the essentials in a few lines.


Summary:EFN is back, but it’s not as simple as before. Expect higher fees, built-in VAT deductions (even if you’re not registered), and more compliance admin. Check your margins carefully using tools like Buy Bot Pro and Profit Protector Pro, and consider VAT thresholds before enabling EFN on your account.



FAQs

Q: Is EFN worth using again?

A: It depends on your products and margins. For higher-ticket or lightweight goods, EFN can still work well - but the fees and VAT handling can make smaller items unprofitable.

Q: Do I need to be VAT registered to use EFN?

A: No, but Amazon will still collect VAT for each EU country where your listings appear. You must build that into your pricing.

Q: What if I sell bundles?

A: Each individual product in a bundle must meet compliance rules and may require its own “responsible person” if not already listed.



Tools and Resources Mentioned



Note (November 2025): This post reflects experiences and data from early 2022. Always check the latest EFN fees, VAT thresholds, and compliance guidance within Amazon Seller Central before activating cross-border sales.



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