By Operator One Editorial, 5 October 2026
To sell on Kaufland Germany, a brand registers as a trader in the Kaufland Seller Portal, pays a monthly fee from €39.95 plus VAT and a commission of 7% to 16% per sale, lists products in German with an EAN, and stores a valid LUCID packaging number before any offer can go live on kaufland.de. Kaufland.de is the original and largest Kaufland storefront: in June 2026 Kaufland reported up to 32 million visitors a month and more than 15,000 merchants offering over 45 million products there. This guide covers what is specific to Germany; the mechanics shared by all eight storefronts are in our Kaufland Global Marketplace guide.
Key takeaways
- Kaufland.de grew out of real.de, which the Schwarz Group took over in October 2020 and moved to kaufland.de on 14 April 2021.
- In June 2026 Kaufland reported up to 32 million monthly visitors, 15,000+ merchants and 45 million+ products on kaufland.de.
- Electronics is about a quarter of Kaufland's German marketplace revenue; commission is 7% for consumer electronics and 13% for most other categories (2 September 2026).
- Kaufland.de requires a valid LUCID packaging number to sell, and since 1 July 2023 has hidden electrical offers without a valid WEEE number.
- Since 12 August 2026, producers without a German establishment must appoint a German authorised representative for packaging.
- German VAT is 19% (7% reduced); Kaufland accepts an OSS number or a German VAT ID.
- Kaufland extends Kaufland.de delivery windows by one day for orders on the 9 nationwide German holidays it lists for 2026.
Kaufland Germany at a glance
| Item | Kaufland Germany |
|---|---|
| Domain | kaufland.de (real.de redirects here) |
| Live as kaufland.de | 14 April 2021 |
| Size | Up to 32 million visitors a month, 15,000+ merchants, 45 million+ products (June 2026) |
| Currency | Euro |
| Language | German for product data, customer service and legal texts |
| Commission | 7% to 16% by category, on the gross price including delivery; media 13% plus €0.70 per item |
| Monthly fee | €39.95 (Basic) or €59.95 (Plus) plus VAT, one fee for all Kaufland storefronts |
| Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS) | Yes: GLS labels from a German pick-up or drop-off point, up to 40 kg |
| VAT | 19% standard, 7% reduced; OSS number or German VAT ID |
| EPR schemes | Packaging: LUCID (VerpackDG and PPWR). Electrical equipment: stiftung ear (ElektroG). Batteries: stiftung ear (BattDG) |
| EPR numbers Kaufland checks | LUCID, WEEE and battery registration numbers |
Sources: Kaufland conditions page (updated 2 September 2026), Kaufland press releases of 9 April 2021 and 11 June 2026, Kaufland Seller University and KSS documentation. As of October 2026.
Kaufland.de grew out of real.de
Kaufland.de is the former real.de marketplace. The Schwarz Group, Kaufland's parent, announced on 1 October 2020 that it was taking over real.de from the SCP Group, and Kaufland integrated the marketplace into kaufland.de on 14 April 2021. At the switch, Kaufland said the German marketplace had around 7,000 merchants and more than 25 million items in over 5,000 product categories. On 5 October 2026, real.de still redirected to kaufland.de.
The merchant base has more than doubled since. In its release of 11 June 2026, Kaufland said more than 15,000 international merchants offer over 45 million products on kaufland.de, that up to 32 million people visit the German marketplace every month, and that it gained more than 1.3 million new customers between January and April 2026. Kaufland's seller site puts its brand awareness in Germany at 97%.
Electronics is the anchor category on Kaufland.de. Kaufland says electronics accounts for about a quarter of its German marketplace revenue, and in June 2026 it reported year-on-year sales growth of about 60% for desktop PCs, 32% for laptops and almost 30% for mobile phones. The mix matters for margins: Kaufland.de charges 7% on computers and consumer electronics but 13% on accessories such as cables and headphones.
How Kaufland.de compares with Amazon.de and OTTO
Kaufland.de competes in Germany with Amazon.de and OTTO, the Otto Group's platform. In Amazon's 2025 annual report, Germany is its largest separately reported country market after the United States, ahead of the UK and Japan. The table shows each company's own latest figure, not a ranking.
| Marketplace | Latest published figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon.de | $45.9 billion net sales attributed to Germany (all Amazon businesses), up from $40.9 billion | Calendar year 2025 |
| OTTO (otto.de) | About €7.5 billion GMV (+6%), 12.6 million active customers, over 19 million items | Financial year 2025/26 |
| Kaufland.de | Up to 32 million visitors a month, 15,000+ merchants, 45 million+ products | June 2026 |
Sources: Amazon.com Form 10-K for 2025, Otto Group results release of 28 May 2026, Kaufland press release of 11 June 2026. As of October 2026.
German shoppers buy online more than the EU average: in Eurostat's 2025 survey, 81.4% of people aged 16 to 74 in Germany had bought online in the previous 12 months, against 73.6% across the EU. See our guide to selling on Amazon Germany; we also have a guide to selling on OTTO Market.
Fees on Kaufland.de
On Kaufland.de, commission runs from 7% to 16% of the gross sales price including delivery charges, plus VAT, as of 2 September 2026: 7% for computers and consumer electronics, 10% for tools and perfume, 13% for most categories (media adds €0.70 per item), 14% for garden, kitchen, clothing and footwear, and 16% for jewellery. Kaufland.de shares this rate card with the Austrian, Czech, Slovak, French, Italian and Dutch storefronts; only Kaufland.pl is lower, at 4% to 12%.
The monthly fee is €39.95 (Basic) or €59.95 (Plus) plus VAT, and one fee covers every storefront. One advertising perk is German-only: according to Kaufland's Sponsored Product Ads help page (June 2026), the €30 monthly ad credit in its Performance Coach programme can currently be used only on Kaufland.de.
German VAT on Kaufland.de
Sales on Kaufland.de carry German VAT at 19%, or 7% for reduced-rate goods such as certain food and books, under section 12 of the German VAT Act. Kaufland asks EU sellers for either an OSS number or a German VAT ID for the Kaufland.de channel; non-EU sellers always need a German tax registration.
Where the stock sits decides the registration. A seller in another EU country shipping to German consumers can declare German VAT through the One-Stop Shop at home. Storing stock in Germany, for example for KSS pick-ups, can require a German VAT registration, because sales from German stock to German customers are domestic supplies outside the OSS.
Germany assigns foreign businesses to a central tax office by home country. Under the German VAT jurisdiction ordinance (UStZustV), Dutch businesses register with the Finanzamt Kleve, Austrian and Italian businesses with the Finanzamt München, and French businesses with the Finanzamt Offenburg.
Kaufland validates every VAT ID in the EU's VIES system and with a qualified check at Germany's Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) that compares your legal notice with your tax registration; if validation fails, the storefront's offers are hidden. Kaufland also reports seller data to the BZSt under Germany's Platform Tax Transparency Act (PStTG), in force since 1 January 2023.
German EPR: what Kaufland.de checks
Kaufland.de checks registration numbers for all three German EPR streams, so a missing number blocks or hides offers.
- Packaging: According to Kaufland's EPR guidelines, a valid LUCID registration number is a prerequisite for registering and selling on Kaufland.de, and sellers must also join a dual system. Since 12 August 2026, German packaging law is the EU Packaging Regulation (PPWR) plus the Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG), which replaced the VerpackG. Producers without a German establishment that ship directly to German consumers must now appoint a German authorised representative, but must still register in LUCID themselves.
- Electrical and electronic equipment: Since 1 July 2023, Kaufland has checked the stiftung ear WEEE registration number of every seller of electrical and electronic equipment on Kaufland.de and hides offers without a valid number. Since 1 January 2022, sellers of electrical goods on Kaufland.de must offer customers free take-back of old appliances.
- Batteries: Since 18 August 2025, Kaufland has required a battery registration number for each country where you sell batteries, Germany included, and the battery recycling fee must be shown separately from the product price. Germany's Batterierecht-Durchführungsgesetz (BattDG) replaced the BattG on 7 October 2025.
Registrations are national and per stream. A LUCID number does not cover Austria or any other country, and a registration elsewhere does not cover Germany. Our Germany EPR guide covers deadlines, fines and authorised representatives in detail.
Shipping to German customers
On Kaufland.de the seller ships every order: Fulfilment by Kaufland ended on 28 February 2025, and Kaufland now offers Kaufland Shipment Solutions (KSS), which sells GLS labels. KSS suits sellers with German stock: parcels must be collected in Germany or dropped at a German GLS point, with a standard size of 120 x 80 x 60 cm, a 40 kg maximum and no hazardous goods.
- Holidays: Kaufland extends Kaufland.de delivery windows by one day for orders received on a nationwide German public holiday. It lists 9 for 2026; regional holidays do not count.
- Parcel lockers: Kaufland.de supports out-of-home delivery with DHL, GLS and DPD. A DHL Packstation takes parcels up to 75 x 60 x 40 cm and 31.5 kg. DHL cannot carry these parcels from another EU country into Germany, so a seller shipping from the Netherlands or Poland has to use GLS or DPD for locker deliveries.
- Returns: Kaufland's return label programme requires your own DHL returns contract and a German return address, and automated DPD returns only work to German addresses.
Our Kaufland fulfilment options guide gives the wider picture.
German legal texts on Kaufland.de
Kaufland.de needs its own set of legal texts under German law: general terms and conditions, cancellation policy, privacy policy and legal notice, all in German. German consumers have a 14-day withdrawal period under section 355 of the German Civil Code, which matches Kaufland's default return period of 14 days, and under Kaufland's seller terms the seller pays return shipping when the returned item costs more than €40. Kaufland can translate legal texts and copy them to other storefronts, but a German text is not automatically valid elsewhere, even in Austria.
What is the same on every Kaufland storefront
One Seller Portal account and one monthly fee cover all eight live Kaufland storefronts, and onboarding (trader status, an EAN for every product, identity verification) is identical. Service standards are shared: tickets answered within 48 hours, at least 80% of shipments trackable, late or early deliveries each at no more than 10%. The Kaufland Global Marketplace guide linked above covers onboarding and fees, and our Kaufland advertising guide covers ads.
How to start selling on Kaufland Germany
- Register for German EPR first. Register in LUCID and join a dual system, register electrical equipment and batteries with stiftung ear where relevant, and appoint a German authorised representative if you have no German establishment.
- Choose your German VAT route. Use your OSS number when you ship from another EU country, or register for a German VAT ID with the tax office responsible for your home country if you will hold stock in Germany.
- Open the Seller Portal account. Register as a trader, pass the identity check and store your VAT, LUCID, WEEE and battery numbers.
- Set up German shipping. Create a shipping group for Germany with transport times in working days, decide on KSS labels and add an EU returns address.
- Publish German listings and legal texts. Upload German product data matched by EAN, add German-law legal texts for Kaufland.de and set your Kaufland.de prices.
- Go live and track the German KPIs. Publish the Kaufland.de channel and answer tickets within 48 hours, including around German public holidays.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kaufland.de the same marketplace as real.de?
Yes. The Schwarz Group took over the real.de marketplace from the SCP Group in October 2020, and Kaufland moved it to kaufland.de on 14 April 2021; real.de now redirects to kaufland.de.
Do I need a LUCID number to sell on Kaufland.de?
Yes. A valid LUCID packaging number is a prerequisite for selling on Kaufland.de, and Kaufland also checks WEEE numbers for electrical goods and battery registration numbers.
Do I need a German VAT number to sell on Kaufland.de?
EU sellers can give Kaufland an OSS number instead of a German VAT ID, but storing stock in Germany can require a German VAT registration. Non-EU sellers always need a German tax registration for Kaufland.de.
How big is Kaufland.de compared with Amazon.de and OTTO?
Kaufland reported up to 32 million monthly visitors and more than 15,000 merchants on its German marketplace in June 2026. Amazon attributed $45.9 billion of 2025 net sales to Germany and OTTO reported about €7.5 billion GMV for 2025/26; the metrics differ, so there is no like-for-like ranking.
Can I use Kaufland's GLS labels to ship to German customers?
Yes, if you ship from Germany. Kaufland Shipment Solutions sells GLS labels for parcels up to 40 kg sent from a German address to Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia or the Czech Republic.
How Operator One sells on Kaufland Germany for brands
Operator One acts as the legal seller, the Merchant of Record, on Kaufland.de: the brand supplies the products and receives the revenue, while Operator One runs the account, lists in German, invoices customers and answers tickets. Brands consign stock, and Operator One ships Kaufland orders from its own fulfilment centres in Germany and the Netherlands. Operator One carries the seller's obligations, including VAT: it files OSS plus local registrations where it holds stock. EPR registrations are per country and per stream and do not transfer between companies, and Operator One arranges a local authorised representative in markets that require one. CE marking and the Declaration of Conformity stay with the manufacturer. Kaufland Germany is one of 100+ marketplaces in 28 countries Operator One sells on (Kaufland Germany marketplace page).
To find out whether your range fits Kaufland.de, talk to Operator One.