E-commerce

Shipping new books now costs you at least 3 euros in shipping

Publié le 11 octobre 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)

This minimum price of 3 € applies when the amount of new books present in your order is less than 35 €. However, it does not apply to orders which are subsequently withdrawn in a bookshop or any other book retailer.

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Image 1Crédits: fizkes - stock.adobe.com

An order issued in Official Journal on april 7, 2023, effective october 7, the postage is:

  • at least €3 inclusive of all taxes for any order comprising one or more books and whose purchase value in new books is less than €35 inclusive of all taxes;
  • more than 0 € all taxes included for any order comprising one or more new books and whose purchase value in new books is greater than or equal to 35 € all taxes included.

It is therefore possible for e-commerce sites to apply, as before, a shipping fee of €0.01 when the amount of new books in an order is more than €35.

Where it is necessary to separate the elements of the same order into several separate packages, the shipping cost shall be at least € 3 for each package in which the total value of the new books present is less than € 35.

Please note

if you receive loyalty program benefits from an e-commerce site, you must also pay the minimum €3 shipping fee when the amount of new books in your order is less than €35.

Reminder

in the law of 30 December 2021 aimed at strengthening the book economy and strengthening equity and trust between its stakeholders, it is stated that the book delivery service must be invoiced in compliance with a minimum amount of fees fixed by decree of the ministers responsible for culture and economy, on a proposal from the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Communications, Posts and Distribution of the Press (Arcep).

Between April and May 2022, Arcep organized a public consultation with stakeholders in the sector. The consultation's introductory text stated that: "the explanatory memorandum to the draft law states that the almost free home delivery of books purchased at a distance entails both economic and ecological challenges; and that physical bookstores must face a serious distortion of competition, which must be addressed".

Following this public consultation, Arcep proposed to the Ministers responsible for Culture and the Economy this minimum fee of €3 for shipping costs.

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