What are the new charges for online shopping outside of the EU?
From 1 July 2026, new EU‑wide customs rules will apply to goods purchased online from outside the EU (including Great Britain). Under these changes, a €3 customs duty per unique item will be charged on consignments valued at €150 or less, in addition to any applicable VAT. This represents a significant change, as such low‑value goods were previously exempt from customs duty.
How will the new charges affect online shopping?
The new system may lead to higher overall costs for consumers, as well as potential additional charges on delivery depending on how the trader applies customs fees.
How will the new customs duty be paid?
The €3 customs duty on non-EU orders is collected in one of three ways, depending on the retailer you purchased from:
- In the product price: Some retailers will include the customs charge in the advertised price of the product.
- At checkout: Many international retailers will calculate and add the €3 customs charge directly to your total when you are paying for your goods on their website.
- Upon delivery: If the charge is not collected by the retailer at the time of purchase, it must be paid to the postal operator or courier(such as An Post). If this happens, you will be notified via post, SMS, or email with instructions to pay before your parcel can be delivered
How can you tell if a message or email you receive about paying customs charges is real or a scam?
If you receive a message saying you must pay customs charges, you should stop and check if it is legitimate before clicking any links in the message.
The actions below can help you protect yourself from scammers:
- Think back – have you already paid these customs charges at checkout?
- Check the postal operator or courier’s website for info on how they’ll ask you to pay. An Post, for instance, may send you a request by text message, but it will never have a link. Any customs text that includes a clickable payment link claiming to be from An Post is a scam.
- Revenue will never contact you looking for customs charges.
- Two heads are better than one – show the text to a family member, friend or colleague and ask what they think. They may spot a red flag you missed.
How much are the charges?
There will be a €3 charge applied to each unique item in your order.
For example, if Ciara buys three identical bridesmaid dresses in the same size, she will pay a total of €3 for her order. However, if she buys three bridesmaid dresses in different colours and sizes, she will pay a total of €9 – €3 for each dress.
If you do not pay the fee to the company, then you will have to pay on delivery. The delivery company (for example, your postal operator or courier) will require you to pay the €3 duty per item before your goods can be delivered. They may also add an administration charge, which could make your final bill even higher. You should check the delivery company’s terms and conditions to see if they add on any fees on top of the customs fee.
How will you know if the charges apply to your online shopping?
Under consumer protection rules, businesses must tell you the total price of your goods, including any taxes or charges that may apply.
However, these charges are new so exercise caution – search the website, including the terms and conditions, carefully for information on import charges and taxes. If import charges apply to your product and the business does not pay these in advance, then you could face a bill at delivery.
What countries does the customs charge affect?
All online shops that ship from outside of the EU are affected. This means charges can apply when you shop from companies based in Ireland or the EU that ship products from the UK or other non-EU countries. For example, some online shops may be EU based but ship their products directly from China. These orders will be affected by the new customs charges.
When ordering online, check the website carefully for information regarding shipping and delivery.
What about refunds?
The changes will also affect the returns process, as customs duty is generally non-refundable (except for faulty goods). This means that if you return an item because you changed your mind, you may not receive a full refund, as the €3 charge is non‑refundable.
What if I buy something that turns out to be faulty?
For faulty items, your refund should not be affected. However, where the duty is paid on delivery, this may present practical difficulties, as Revenue does not currently have a process in place to refund these charges.
Where can you find out more information?
More information on the customs charges can be found on Revenue.ie and on www.ccpc.ie