Shipping on the OTTO marketplace: carriers, delivery times and shipping costs

Allowed carriers

According to OTTO Market's seller FAQ, you ship parcels with DHL, DHL Express, GLS, Hermes, UPS or DPD. Letter post is not allowed; small items can go as a DHL Kleinpaket. Shipping must come from within the EU – shipping from outside the EU is excluded.

Tracking is mandatory

OTTO requires that tracking is always available. Report the tracking number for every order, ideally automatically through your integration – see Connecting to the OTTO marketplace. Missing or late shipment data are among the things that count when sellers are assessed.

Set delivery time through shipping profiles

The delivery time shoppers see on otto.de comes from your shipping profiles: processing time, order cut-off, working days and carrier transit time. We found no fixed value OTTO prescribes. What matters is that your promises are realistic: according to OTTO, delivery promises are one area where the marketplace is stricter than other platforms.

Shipping costs for shoppers

Marketplace sellers set shipping costs per shipping method themselves – many offer free shipping. For bulky goods, the cost is standard shipping plus a freight surcharge; you may use a freight forwarder of your choice, and no return tracking number is needed there. The shipping fees OTTO quotes for its own goods don't automatically apply to marketplace sellers.

Plan for returns too

Shoppers on OTTO have a voluntary 30-day return right. For returns within Germany, Hermes, DHL and GLS are used. How to handle returns is explained in Returns on the OTTO marketplace.

Checklist for your shipping profiles

1. Processing time: choose one you can meet even at peak times.
2. Order cut-off: match it to the carrier's pickup.
3. Working days: take public holidays into account.
4. Transit time: state the carrier's realistic time, not the best case.
5. Bulky goods: create a separate profile with its own transit time.
6. Small items: ship as DHL Kleinpaket instead of letter.

Review your profiles before every peak season: what works in summer is often too tight in November. Promises you can't keep cost reviews and can put your account at risk.

Shipping and visibility

Long delivery times and high shipping costs make an offer less attractive in the list. Whether your product moves forward in search after you change shipping costs or delivery time, you see by measuring its position before and after – more in Measuring rankings after listing changes.

Frequently asked questions