Questions & Answers
Frequent questions for your 3PL partner in Berlin
When you outsource your fulfillment, questions come up — about costs, processes, shipping and storage. You need the answers before the first call.
Here we answer the questions that shop operators and B2B clients ask us most often. The answers come out of our daily work at the Berlin site — since 2005.
Your team at Media Impuls
Topics
Working with a 3PL, getting started & onboarding
When a 3PL partner pays off, what it takes on, and how soon the first parcel goes out.
When is it worth working with a 3PL provider?
A 3PL (third-party logistics) provider is worth it when orders can no longer be shipped on time, when staff for kitting are missing, or when storage capacity reaches its limit. For young companies, too, a reliable shipping partner is decisive for being able to focus on growth. Media Impuls has provided tailored fulfillment from Berlin to mid-sized companies since 2005.
What does a full-service 3PL from Berlin do?
A full-service 3PL takes on storage, picking, packing, shipping, returns management and kitting — the entire logistics process behind an online shop or a B2B business. Media Impuls has provided these services from Berlin since 2005 and develops an individual solution for every client, from e-commerce shipping to event kitting.
Does a fulfillment provider also offer inbound customer service for end customers?
Yes. On request, Media Impuls provides flexible inbound solutions for end-customer support. Volumes and requirements are agreed in a personal first call, so that the service fits your shop concept exactly.
How quickly can I start with fulfillment from Berlin?
The onboarding period depends on your product range and volume. As a rule, shipping can begin 5 to 10 days after the first delivery of goods to the Berlin site. You get an individual estimate in a personal call with the team at Media Impuls.
How soon does shipping start after the contract is signed?
Once the goods have been delivered, a 3PL can usually begin shipping within 5 to 10 days. The exact time depends on the quantity and complexity of the products to be stored. Media Impuls coordinates goods receiving at the Berlin site and confirms the shipping start date with the client.
How do I switch from my current fulfillment provider to Berlin?
A switch follows the same steps as any onboarding: your goods are delivered to the warehouse in Berlin, the stock is checked against the delivery note on receiving, and your shop is then connected to the customer portal. As a rule, shipping can start 5 to 10 days after the first delivery of goods. Media Impuls agrees the delivery date with you in advance, so that it fits the end of your current arrangement.
Costs, quote & contract
How a quote comes together, which blocks the costs are made up of, and how the terms are set.
What does fulfillment cost for my online shop?
There are no flat rates in fulfillment, because storage and shipping depend heavily on the product range, the volume and the shipping destinations. Media Impuls provides every enquirer with a non-binding, individual quote that breaks down service fees, storage costs per pallet space and shipping costs transparently.
What information is needed for a fulfillment quote?
The following details make a quote precise: type and number of products, average order size, any special packaging requirements, B2B or B2C business model, target markets and preferred shipping types, plus the need for kitting and returns handling. Media Impuls goes through these points personally in the first call.
How are storage costs calculated at a 3PL?
Storage costs are charged monthly and per pallet space or pallet — always optimised for the warehouse. Depending on the product range, several article variants can share one pallet space, for example different sizes or colours of the same article. Media Impuls provides an individual quote from Berlin for every product range.
What does kitting and shipping goodie bags for an event cost?
The cost is made up of a service fee, the number of goodie bags and the number of items in each bag. Shipping is charged on top, by shipping type and destination. Media Impuls provides a non-binding, individual quote from the Berlin site for every event.
What does market entry in Germany cost for brands from abroad?
Yes. Once the goods are handed over to the carrier, the carrier's transport cover applies — for parcel shipments only. For high-value products or special requirements, additional individual insurance can be arranged. Media Impuls advises on this before the collaboration starts.
Are there minimum volumes for fulfillment?
Media Impuls does not work with fixed service packages but puts together its own quote for every product range. Volumes, scope of services and terms are tailored to your actual volume and agreed together in the free first call. That applies to a one-off event kitting job as much as to ongoing shop shipping — from young companies to established mid-sized businesses.
Shipping & delivery times from Berlin
When orders leave the warehouse, how long delivery takes, and which carriers the work runs through.
When are incoming orders processed?
Incoming orders are processed Monday to Friday between 9:00 and 17:00. Orders that arrive within these hours and before the daily cut-off go into shipping the same day. Media Impuls operates from the Berlin site and manages all orders centrally in the customer portal.
How long does delivery take after dispatch?
Within Germany, parcels are usually delivered within one to three working days. The actual transit time depends on the chosen carrier and shipping product. Media Impuls ships every working day from the Berlin site through various carriers.
Which carriers does a Berlin 3PL work with?
Media Impuls ships through various carriers and offers their full range of shipping products — from letter post and insured parcel to express shipping. On request, other carriers can also be integrated through the existing client contract.
Can I use my own carrier contract (e.g. with Hermes, DPD or GLS)?
Yes, by arrangement. An existing contract with a carrier is integrated into the Media Impuls customer portal, so that shipments run under your own customer number. Your negotiated rates stay in place and shipping runs from the Berlin site.
Are my shipments insured during transport?
Yes. Once the goods are handed over to the carrier, the carrier's transport cover applies — for parcel shipments only. For high-value products or special requirements, additional individual insurance can be arranged. Media Impuls advises on this before the collaboration starts.
How does shipping work over Christmas and on peak sales days?
The regular process applies in peak season too: orders that arrive on a working day before the daily cut-off go into shipping the same day. So that this holds at Christmas and on peak days such as Black Friday, Media Impuls agrees the expected volumes and the storage space needed with the shop operator in advance. The earlier the volume is known, the more precisely the peak can be planned.
Storage, stock & goods receiving
Which products the Berlin warehouse can hold, how stock is managed and reported, how goods are delivered — and which service around the warehouse can be commissioned separately.
What does warehousing at a 3PL include?
Warehousing at a 3PL covers goods receiving, a surface quality check, unpacking and repacking, storage, picking, packing and shipping, as well as returns management and the overall coordination. Media Impuls provides these services together from the Berlin site and adapts the scope to each client's requirements.
What products can a 3PL store in Berlin?
All non-food products suitable for postal and parcel shipping can be stored — from cosmetics and fashion to books, consumer goods and marketing materials. Dangerous goods are excluded. Media Impuls checks in advance whether a given product range can be stored safely under the current warehouse conditions in Berlin.
How is stock monitored and reported back to me?
On goods receiving, the delivered quantity is checked and reconciled against the delivery note. Stock data is reported back to the shop operator regularly. On request, Media Impuls carries out additional individual stocktakes at the warehouse in Berlin.
Do my products need a barcode?
A barcode is not strictly required. What is required is that every article carries a unique article number (SKU), so that warehouse management and picking work cleanly in the customer portal. Media Impuls advises during onboarding on how to structure the SKU system sensibly.
How do I deliver my goods to the fulfillment warehouse in Berlin?
Deliveries can arrive through various carriers or by freight truck with a tail lift. Pallet deliveries are also accepted at the Berlin site (Döbelner Straße 7). Slots are agreed with our goods-receipt team in advance so that put-away runs smoothly.
Are batches and best-before dates recorded?
Warehouse management is based on the unique article number (SKU) per article. For product ranges with a best-before date — cosmetics, for example — how batches and shelf life are mapped and recorded on goods receiving is defined during onboarding. Media Impuls checks in advance whether the product range can be held under the current warehouse conditions in Berlin.
Does a Berlin 3PL also offer racking inspections for other companies?
Yes, on request. A certified member of the Media Impuls team inspects warehouse racking — including at other companies' warehouses. The inspection is commissioned and charged separately; scope and date are agreed in advance. A short enquiry is enough to clarify whether and when an inspection at your warehouse is possible.
Kitting, packaging & returns
What happens to your goods in the warehouse before they go out — and what happens when they come back.
Do you pre-assemble product sets or bundles?
Yes. Media Impuls assembles product sets and bundles for shop operators – pre-built on request, so they sit ready to ship in the warehouse. Typical tasks are counting, shrink-wrapping, labelling and packing. Assembly is done at the Berlin warehouse to your specifications.How is inventory checked and reported back to me?
Can inserts, flyers or product samples go into every parcel?
Yes. On request, inserts such as flyers, product information, thank-you notes or samples are added to every shipment. Media Impuls prepares an individual quote for this, taking into account the type of insert, the volume and the packing workflow at the Berlin site.
How are products packed for safe shipping?
Bubble wrap, packing paper and suitable cartons are used as standard for transport protection. If goods are to be packed in a particularly environmentally friendly way, sustainable packaging materials can be used by arrangement. Packing takes place at the warehouse in Berlin, to the shop operator's specifications.
How does returns management work with a 3PL?
Returns are processed within three working days of arriving at the Berlin site. The team registers the return, inspects the items superficially (without a functional check) and puts the goods back into stock. Damaged returns are disposed of on request. Return costs are billed separately, plus the carrier's fees.
How are returns handled for brands from abroad?
Media Impuls receives returns on site in Berlin, checks and processes them — with no return journey to Asia or North America. For brands selling into Germany from abroad, that removes the most expensive part of a return. Your customers return domestically, and the goods go straight back into stock.
Do I get a German shipping and return address?
Yes. For brands without their own company in Germany, Media Impuls provides a German shipping and return address through vetted partners. Your customers then return domestically instead of to the country of origin. With your own German GmbH you use your own address instead — an external service provider is then not needed.
International shipping, customs & import
How shipments to third countries and across the EU are handled, who imports the goods, and what the product category requires.
Does a Berlin-based 3PL also ship internationally?
Yes. Media Impuls ships worldwide through a range of carriers. All common shipping types are available for international shipments — from standard parcel to express. Customs clearance for shipments outside the EU is also handled from the Berlin site.
Does a 3PL handle customs clearance for international shipments?
Yes. Media Impuls handles customs clearance per parcel up to a goods value of €999 — and shipments above that value by prior arrangement. Required for this are the TARIC commodity code (customs tariff number), gross and net weight including packaging, the country of manufacture and, optionally, an article description for export. Clearance is handled from Berlin.
Does a Berlin 3PL ship across the whole EU?
Yes. From the warehouse in Berlin, Media Impuls supplies customers across the entire EU. For brands from abroad that means one warehouse, one shipping setup and one point of contact for all EU markets, instead of a separate structure per country.
Who is the importer of my goods on import into Germany?
With your own German GmbH, your company imports the goods itself and reclaims the import VAT. Without your own company, as a non-EU business you work with an indirect customs representative, who becomes jointly liable for customs duties. In both cases you need an EORI number — without it, no import into the EU is possible. Media Impuls sets this up for you with its customs partners.
Which registrations do I need before I can sell in Germany?
Five things have to be in place before the first sale: the structure (your own German GmbH or the direct setup), VAT registration with the responsible tax office, the EORI number for import, registration in the packaging register LUCID together with a recycling scheme, and — depending on your product category — the EU responsible person. Media Impuls coordinates the process; the legal work sits with Eggert & Partner Rechtsanwälte, the tax work with tax advisors from our network.
What does my product category require on import?
Every category enters the German market through its own gate. Cosmetics need an EU responsible person and a product notification in the EU portal CPNP. Food supplements must be notified to the BVL before sale and labelled in German. Electronics require a WEEE registration, and anything containing a battery an additional registration under the German Battery Act. Food products need labelling under EU food law (FIC). On top of that, registration in the packaging register LUCID applies to every category.
Market entry Germany: brands from Asia & North America
Company, VAT, banking and the EU responsible person — what has to be settled before the first order ships from Berlin.
Do I have to found a German GmbH to sell in Germany?
Have to: no. Should you: in most cases, yes. A US Inc., a Canadian corporation or an Asian company can register directly for VAT and sell — a valid route for testing the market at low volumes. The downside: you cannot import your goods yourself, opening a bank account is harder, and many product categories additionally require a third party as your EU responsible person. A lean German GmbH removes all three at once. Eggert & Partner Rechtsanwälte handles the incorporation; Media Impuls helps you decide in the first call.
How does German VAT registration work for companies based abroad?
As soon as you store goods in a German warehouse, you need a German VAT registration before your first sale. Non-EU companies do not register locally but with a centrally responsible tax office — which one applies depends on your company's country of incorporation. From then on you file ongoing VAT returns. Media Impuls connects you with English-speaking tax advisors from its own network, who take care of registration and filings.
Do I need a German bank account to sell in Germany?
The German tax office pays refunds and collects payments preferably via a SEPA account. Opening a traditional German business account is slow for non-EU companies; modern EU business accounts and payment providers solve this in days rather than months. With your own German GmbH, the regular route is open to you. Media Impuls tells you what has worked in practice for its clients.
Does a fulfillment provider also give legal or tax advice?
No — under German law, legal advice is reserved for qualified lawyers. That is exactly why Media Impuls works with Eggert & Partner Rechtsanwälte in Berlin, an English-speaking law firm experienced in guiding companies from abroad through market entry in Germany and the EU. Media Impuls makes the introduction, coordinates the process and handles everything operational around it.
What experience does a Berlin 3PL have with market entries from Asia and North America?
Media Impuls has brought brands from Asia and North America onto the German market — from the first questions through to thousands of orders shipped from Berlin, including regulated categories such as cosmetics, where an EU responsible person and a product notification are mandatory. Together with Eggert & Partner Rechtsanwälte, VAT registrations, banking hurdles and compliance setups for non-EU sellers have been solved in practice, not only in theory.
Do I need an EU responsible person as a brand from Asia or North America?
For consumer products sold online into the EU: yes. Since 13 December 2024, the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) has required an EU-established economic operator named on the product or its packaging. What is needed beyond that depends on your product category: cosmetics additionally require a notification in the EU cosmetics portal (CPNP), electronics a WEEE registration, and anything containing a battery a registration under the German Battery Act. With your own German GmbH you are your own EU economic operator. Media Impuls guides you through the requirements, together with Eggert & Partner Rechtsanwälte in Berlin.
What happens without an EU responsible person on Amazon and other marketplaces?
Marketplaces such as Amazon already enforce the GPSR: without a registered EU responsible person, listings are deactivated and may not be sold in Germany. Goods can also be held at customs. With the right setup your listings stay active — Media Impuls clarifies what your product category requires, together with Eggert & Partner Rechtsanwälte in Berlin.
What is LUCID and why does a fulfillment provider check the registration?
LUCID is the German packaging register. Anyone placing packaged goods on the German market must be registered there and take part in a recycling scheme — for every product category, without exception. As your fulfillment provider, Media Impuls is legally required to verify your registration before a single parcel leaves the warehouse in Berlin. That is why the point is a fixed part of onboarding.
How long does it take until I can sell in Germany?
As a rule, 4 to 8 weeks from the first call to the first order shipped. The pace is set by structure and registrations, not by the warehouse: once your goods have arrived in Berlin, your business is ready to ship in 5 to 10 days. For heavily regulated categories such as cosmetics or food supplements, the notification can extend the timeframe.
Customer portal, integrations & data
How your shop talks to the warehouse, which systems can be connected, and where you see stock and shipping status.
Which shop systems and marketplaces can a 3PL connect to?
Media Impuls connects all common shop systems and marketplaces — among them Shopify, Shopware, Amazon and eBay. Where no ready-made connection exists for a system, a suitable interface is set up. Your orders then flow automatically into the customer portal, so that shipping and stock stay in sync.
Which ERP systems can be connected to a fulfillment warehouse?
Media Impuls connects all common ERP and inventory management systems, Xentral and JTL among them. For systems without a ready-made connection, a suitable interface is set up. Orders, stock and shipping status then flow automatically between your system and the warehouse in Berlin, with no data transferred by hand.
What does a fulfillment provider's customer portal show?
In the Media Impuls customer portal, shop and warehouse come together in real time: orders, stock and shipping status in one overview, available whenever you need it — from the office, from home or on the move. That lets you manage your entire fulfillment in a single application.
Are shipping addresses checked automatically for accuracy?
Yes. Addresses for German shipments are validated through the carrier's interface. If the data is incomplete or incorrect, the fulfillment team receives an error message and clarifies the correction before the shipment leaves the warehouse in Berlin.
Do end customers get shipment tracking?
Yes. End customers receive online shipment tracking directly from the carrier, along with proof of delivery. That keeps the shipping status transparent at all times — for the end customer as well as for the shop operator in the Media Impuls customer portal.
Where is the data in a fulfillment customer portal hosted?
The Media Impuls customer portal is hosted in Germany. Order, stock and shipping data therefore stays within the scope of the GDPR. The details of processing are governed by the data processing agreement that Media Impuls concludes with every client before the collaboration starts.
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