Commission

There are 2 types of commission: fixed commission and variable commission.

• Fixed commission: A fixed amount per item. The fixed amount depends on the type of item and the selling price (including VAT).
• Variable commission: A fixed percentage of the selling price. We calculate the commission on the selling price (including VAT). This percentage depends on the type of item and, in some cases, also on the selling price.

The table below shows the commission rates, excluding VAT, per category. Please note: the amounts and percentages in the table are only an estimate. Want to know exactly how much commission you pay for your specific item? Go to the 'Articles' section in your seller account and enter the item and selling price to see the correct commission amount.

For some items, a lower commission temporarily applies. You receive this discount if you use a competitive selling price that matches the set price point.

This applies to items with a price promotion, as well as promotions or times when low market prices are expected. The lower commission makes it easier to reduce your price.

A competitive price often leads to more visibility and more sales.
If your price is equal to or lower than the indicated price point, we automatically apply the commission discount.

Curious which items are currently eligible for a commission discount? Check your eligible items for a commission discount in your seller account.

The 'Kitchen Merchandise' category has a variable commission between 5% and 12.5%. And a fixed commission amount between €0 and €0.85.

Suppose you sell a pasta machine for €206.50. This item has a variable commission percentage of 6% and a fixed commission amount of €0.85. This makes the variable commission €12.39 (6% of 206.50). 12.39 + 0.85 = €13.24 total commission (excluding VAT).

Is your company located in the Netherlands? Then you pay 21% VAT on the commission bol charges you. This VAT will be shown on your sales invoice.

Is your company located outside the EU? Then we will charge the commission without VAT on your sales invoice. Before including our commission in your VAT return, check if there are local VAT rules you need to comply with.

If your company is located in another EU country (e.g., Belgium), make sure you provide bol with your foreign VAT number so that we can charge the commission without VAT. You must then declare this commission yourself in your own VAT return via the so-called 'VAT reverse-charge mechanism'.

We use the commission you pay to improve our platform and services. You also benefit from this:

• Customer reach: We reach more than 14 million consumers and bol is visited more than 100 million times every month. These numbers continue to increase.
• Findability: We invest a lot of time, attention, and money in search engine optimization. This means your items are found faster and more often.
• Visibility and promotion: Throughout the year, we have campaigns around various themes, ensuring customers can easily find us for all special occasions.
• Innovation: We constantly add new features and innovations to our platform, because a good customer journey leads to good sales figures.
• Insight and convenience: We measure and share all kinds of data. We also provide you with easy insight into your sales performance and figures via your seller account. This helps you to continuously improve your offer.
• Economies of scale: Together with all other selling partners, you benefit from economies of scale, for example in the areas of shipping, logistics, and automation.
• Financial settlement: Paying via bol is easy and fast for customers, but also for partners because we handle the payment processing. Moreover, the risk of non-paying customers is ours!
• Personal contact: Do you have questions or would you like advice? Our partner specialists have answers to (almost) all your questions and are happy to speak to you personally in your own language.

Here you can read how to retrieve information about commission rates and discounts from the bol API. Do you already have an API link via an intermediary? Please contact this party and they will help you further.

On this page, discover what bol can do for you, how it works, and how to get off to a flying start!