The choice most sellers get wrong
FBB or self-shipping — this is one of the first questions new Bol.com sellers ask themselves. And one where most decisions are made purely on gut feeling.
"FBB is more professional." Or: "Self-shipping is cheaper." Both statements can be true. And both can also be completely wrong — depending on your product, your volume and your margins.
This article gives an honest, numbers-based overview of both options.
What is FBB?
Fulfilment by Bol.com (FBB) means you send your stock to a Bol.com fulfilment centre. Bol.com packs each order, ships it and handles returns. You pay per unit for this service, plus storage costs per cubic metre per week.
Your listing gets the "Bol.com delivers" badge.
What is self-fulfillment?
With self-fulfillment, you store the stock yourself — in a warehouse, office or at home — and ship each order yourself within your promised delivery time. You pay no Bol.com fulfilment fee, but you carry your own shipping costs and labour costs.
Cost structure: FBB vs self-fulfillment
FBB costs (indicative, 2026)
| Product weight | Fulfilment fee per order | |---------------|--------------------------| | < 500g | €1.99 – €2.49 | | 500g – 2kg | €2.49 – €3.49 | | 2kg – 10kg | €3.49 – €5.49 | | > 10kg | Custom |
On top of this: storage costs of approximately €12-18 per cubic metre per week. Slow-moving stock compounds these costs.
Self-fulfillment costs (indicative)
| Component | Cost | |-----------|------| | PostNL standard parcel (up to 2kg) | €4.25 – €5.50 | | Packaging + materials | €0.30 – €0.80 | | Labour time (packing) | €1.50 – €3.00 | | Total per order | €6.05 – €9.30 |
Conclusion: For products up to 2kg, FBB is generally cheaper per order than self-fulfillment — provided your volume is high enough to justify storage costs.
Ranking and Buy Box: does it matter?
FBB advantages for ranking
Bol.com gives FBB products a slight ranking boost in certain categories. The reason: FBB products guarantee consistent delivery times, which Bol.com treats as a quality signal.
The "Bol.com delivers" badge has a measurable positive effect on CTR and conversion. Shoppers recognise the badge and associate it with reliable delivery.
Self-fulfillment and the Buy Box
Self-fulfillment can win the Buy Box — provided your delivery times are consistently fast (1-2 business days) and your seller score stays high. Many successful sellers operate without FBB.
The difference only really matters for products where multiple sellers offer the same item. If you're the only seller of your product, FBB doesn't determine the Buy Box — because there's no competition.
The bottleneck isn't fulfilment — it's your listing
Regardless of whether you use FBB or self-ship: if your listing doesn't rank, you never get to the Buy Box stage. Read why listing quality is the foundation of every fulfilment success before making a fulfilment choice.
When should you choose FBB?
FBB is the better choice when:
- Your product is light and compact (< 2kg, < 40x30x15cm)
- Your volume is high enough to justify storage costs (at least 5-10 orders/week)
- You're in a competitive category where the "Bol.com delivers" badge is a real Buy Box factor
- You can't guarantee consistent delivery times with self-fulfillment (holiday, illness)
- You want operational breathing room and prefer to focus on sourcing and marketing
When should you choose self-fulfillment?
Self-fulfillment is the better choice when:
- Your product is large or heavy (high FBB fee, complex inbound logistics)
- You have low volumes and storage costs would eat into your margins
- Your product is seasonal and you don't want to pay for extended storage
- You sell customised or personalised products not suited for FBB
- You have high margins and want to retain logistical control
Decision matrix
Use this as a quick check:
| Criterion | Points to FBB | Points to Self | |-----------|--------------|----------------| | Product weight | < 2kg | > 2kg | | Volume | > 5 orders/week | < 5 orders/week | | Competition | Multiple sellers | You're the only seller | | Delivery guarantee | Hard to guarantee yourself | Consistently manageable | | Margins | Comfortable | Tight | | Seasonal product | No | Yes |
Does your product score 4+ in the FBB column? Then FBB is probably the right choice.
The step both options require: a strong listing
Whether you choose FBB or self-fulfillment — the listing is the foundation. A weak listing doesn't sell, regardless of how fast you ship or how low your storage costs are.
Before making a fulfilment choice, check your listing health:
A listing health score above 70/100 is the minimum for effective FBB use. If you're below that, invest in your listing first — then in your fulfilment strategy.