How to choose a fulfillment partner in Europe: 12 questions to ask

How do you choose a 3PL in Europe without having to move your stock again six months later? Moving stock between warehouses costs time and money, so it pays to ask the right questions before you sign. Below are the 12 questions we would ask any fulfillment partner in Europe, including us, what a good answer sounds like, and a checklist table to compare offers side by side.

Why the choice matters more in Europe

Selling across the EU is not one market. Customers in Romania and Bulgaria still pay cash on delivery for a large share of orders, shoppers in Poland and Czechia expect a parcel locker, and in Germany fast home delivery is simply expected. An EU fulfillment partner that is strong in one country can be weak in the next. That is why "cheapest price per order" is a poor starting point. Start with how your customers buy, then check whether the partner can serve them.

One detail that is easy to miss: VAT and registration rules depend on the country and your sales volume. You do not necessarily need a company in every country you sell to, but check the rules with your accountant before you open a new market. The UK is a separate case after Brexit, so ask any partner how they handle customs for UK orders.

Before you talk to a 3PL: your own numbers

Prepare a few numbers before you contact anyone. With them, every offer is calculated on your business, not on a sample order:

• Orders per month, both in a normal month and in your busiest one (Black Friday, Christmas).
• Items per order. An order with 1 item and an order with 10 items take very different work.
• Weight and size of a typical parcel.
• Countries you sell to, or want to, and the share of orders from each.
• Share of cash on delivery orders per country.
• Return rate, including unclaimed COD parcels.
• Number of products and your store platform (Shopify, WooCommerce or other).

Fulfillment pricing depends on exactly these things, so a serious partner will ask for them before quoting. If someone sends you a price without asking anything, it is unlikely to be the price you pay three months later. If you are not sure outsourcing fulfillment fits your stage yet, see who fulfillment is for.

12 questions to ask before you choose a 3PL in Europe

1. Where are your warehouses, and how fast do parcels reach my customers?

A good partner names the exact cities, not just "Central Europe", and gives real delivery times to your top three countries: numbers per route, not a map with arrows.

How we answer: BigArena has 8 warehouses in 7 countries: Plovdiv and Sofia (Bulgaria), Kostolné Kračany (Slovakia), Oradea (Romania), Šimanovci (Serbia) and Katerini (Greece) are running, Valencia (Spain) and Albania open soon. Every warehouse ships to the whole of Europe. From Slovakia, parcels reach customers in Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, Hungary and Slovenia in 1 working day. See all our warehouses and delivery times.

2. Which warehouse ships each order, and who decides?

If you keep stock in more than one warehouse, ask how the shipping warehouse is chosen for each order. It affects both delivery time and shipping cost. The rule should be clear and under your control, for example per destination country, rather than decided by the warehouse parcel by parcel.

How we answer: you choose which warehouse ships the orders for each destination country. You also decide how many warehouses to keep stock in.

3. Which couriers can my customers choose from?

Some customers want a parcel locker, others a home delivery, others a pickup point. If the 3PL works with one carrier only, you lose sales at checkout.

How we answer: we work with 40+ couriers across Europe, including GLS, DHL, DPD, InPost, Packeta, Speedy, Sameday and ACS. You add the couriers you want to your store, and the end customer picks the one they prefer. See our couriers.

4. Do you handle cash on delivery, in which countries, and how often do you pay out?

In Southeast and Central Europe, cash on delivery is still a large part of e-commerce. Check in which countries the partner collects COD, how the money is reconciled, in which currency you are paid, how often the money reaches you and whether the partner charges a collection fee.

How we answer: we handle cash on delivery in 24 countries. We charge no COD collection fee, only the courier's, if any. You choose the payout frequency in the panel, from monthly up to daily (Romania up to twice a week). More in our guide to cash on delivery in Europe.

5. What is the cut-off time for same-day dispatch?

"Fast shipping" means little without a cut-off time. Find out until what hour an order still leaves the warehouse the same day, and what happens on peak days like Black Friday.

How we answer: orders received by 14:00 are packed and dispatched the same day.

6. How accurate is your picking, and how do you prove what went into a parcel?

Sooner or later a customer will say an item was missing. Without proof, you refund. What matters is the evidence the partner keeps for each order and how quickly you can get it. Ask about picking accuracy too: what share of orders leaves without an error, and how that is measured.

How we answer: our picking accuracy is 100%. We record video of 96% of orders during packing. The camera starts when the order is scanned at the packing station, and every order passes through 3 people before the parcel is closed. See how it works on our video verification page.

7. How does my online store connect, do stock levels sync, and what does it cost?

Orders should flow into the warehouse automatically, and stock levels should flow back to your store so you never sell what is not on the shelf. Ask which platforms are supported, who does the setup, how long it takes and whether it is charged.

How we answer: we connect Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop, OpenCart and custom stores via API. Integration of your online store is free, takes about half an hour and needs nothing installed in your store. See all integrations.

8. Do you track batches and expiry dates?

If you sell cosmetics, supplements or food, ask whether the warehouse records the batch and expiry date of each unit and ships the shortest-dated stock first. If your products need cold storage, ask which warehouse exactly has a cold room, not just whether there "is one". If you do not need any of this, do not pay for it.

9. How do you handle returns, and how many days does it take?

A returned parcel is money sitting in a box. Ask how many days it takes for returned stock to be back on sale, whether every parcel is opened and every item checked, and what you see in the panel: reason, condition, what is resellable and what is defective.

How we answer: we process returns in 1-4 working days, usually 2.

10. How quickly can we start?

Ask how long it takes from the moment your stock arrives to the first order shipped, and what you need to prepare. Ask for a step-by-step plan with dates, especially if you are moving stock from another 3PL.

How we answer: getting started usually takes 2 to 8 days. See how getting started works.

11. What exactly is in the price, and what does the contract say?

Fulfillment pricing is never one number. A good offer lists every line item in writing: storage, pick and pack, packaging, courier rates, the COD fee, returns handling and the monthly fee. Then compare offers line by line on your real order profile, not on a single sample order. At BigArena there is no COD collection fee from us, only the courier's, if any.

In the contract, check the notice period, what you pay in a month with no orders, and how you get your stock out if you decide to leave. These are far easier to agree before you sign than after.

12. Who will I talk to when something goes wrong, and how fast will they reply?

A ticket system is fine for routine questions. When a big shipment arrives damaged or a courier loses parcels in peak season, you want a person who knows your account. Ask how quickly they reply during working hours. The partner's track record matters too: how many clients, how many shipments, how many years.

How we answer: every client gets a personal account manager, and replies come within 1-2 hours. Since 2019 we have handled more than 20 million shipments for 700+ client companies.

3PL checklist: compare offers side by side

Copy the table and fill in one column per partner. If an answer on any row is "we'll see" or missing, ask again, in writing.

Red flags to watch for

• Delivery times given only as "2-5 days" for all of Europe, with no per-country numbers.
• One courier for every country, with no choice for the end customer.
• A price list that leaves out packaging, returns or the COD fee.
• A price given without any questions about your volume, countries or return rate.
• No proof of packing when a customer complains.
• No clear time frame for processing returns.
• No named contact person, only a support inbox.

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask a 3PL before signing?

Ask where the warehouses are and what the delivery times are per country, which couriers they work with, where they collect cash on delivery and how often they pay out, the cut-off time for same-day dispatch, how they prove what went into a parcel, how your store connects, how fast returns are processed, when you can start, what is in the price and who handles problems.

What should be on a 3PL checklist?

The same line items for every offer: storage, pick and pack, packaging, courier rates, COD fee, returns and the monthly fee, calculated on your real monthly numbers. Add delivery times per country, the cut-off time, returns processing time, start time, notice period and reply time.

How do I find a 3PL in Europe?

Start from the countries you sell to, or want to, and look for partners with warehouses and couriers there. Ask at least three of them for an offer and give all of them the same numbers. If you can, see the warehouse in person or on video, and talk to at least one of their clients in your industry.

How much does a fulfillment service cost in Europe?

There is no single price. It depends on parcel weight and size, destination countries, your return rate, the number of items per order and any manual handling such as labelling or folding cartons. That is why serious partners price after an individual quote. This is also how we work at BigArena.

Is one fulfillment partner enough for all of Europe?

For most online stores one partner with several warehouses is simpler: one contract, one panel, one invoice. A second partner makes sense only if you need a country your main partner does not cover well.

How long does it take to switch to a new 3PL?

It depends on the number of products and how fast stock can be moved. Ask the partner for a step-by-step plan with dates before you sign. At BigArena, getting started usually takes 2 to 8 days.

Can a 3PL handle cash on delivery across Europe?

Yes, if it works with local couriers in those countries. Ask which countries exactly, how often collected money is paid out, in which currency and whether there is a collection fee. BigArena handles cash on delivery in 24 countries with no collection fee from us, only the courier's, if any.

When does it make sense to outsource fulfillment?

Usually when packing starts to take more of your time than selling, when you want to sell in new countries without your own warehouse there, or when errors and delays start costing you customers. Work out what each shipped order costs you today, including your own time, and compare that with the offers.