Overview

If you sell products subject to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules, Amazon offers two different types of support, and it's important not to confuse them:

1. EPR Registration and Filings Services — help getting your EPR registration number and submitting your ongoing declarations. This is delivered by third-party EPR service providers, which Amazon connects you to (not by Amazon itself), such as Expandly
2. EPR Pay on Behalf — Amazon's own service, which reports and pays your eco-contribution fees for your Amazon-store sales and then charges them back to your selling account.

The key thing to understand: you do not need an EPR registration number to use Pay on Behalf. Pay on Behalf is the fallback for sellers who have not registered. The two routes are alternatives, not steps in the same process.

What is EPR?

Extended Producer Responsibility is an environmental policy principle that makes the producer responsible for a product across its entire life cycle — from design through to end-of-life management (collection, sorting, and recycling of the resulting waste).

In the EU, EPR comes from directives (notably the Waste Framework Directive) that each member state writes into its own national law, so the exact rules differ from country to country. Common EPR categories include packaging, electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and batteries.

Are you a "producer"?

Under EPR law the "producer" is not always the manufacturer. Most commonly, it's the party that sells an in-scope product in a country for the first time. As a general guide, you are likely a producer in a country if you:

• manufacture a product in that country and sell it domestically, or
• import a product into the country where you are established, or
• sell a product in a country where you are not physically established.

If you qualify as a producer, you generally must (1) register to get an EPR registration number, and then (2) keep it valid by filing declarations (reporting data such as weight in kilograms, dimensions, and units) and paying compliance fees to the authorities. This usually applies per category and per country. Where marketplace rules apply, you must also submit a valid EPR registration number to Amazon — otherwise Amazon may suspend the non-compliant offers.

Option 1: EPR Registration and Filings Services (via Expandly)

What it covers: getting your EPR registration number, ongoing filing of declarations, and authorised representation — for your sales on Amazon and on other sales channels.

Who delivers it: Amazon's role is to give you access to a curated list of these providers; the provider you choose then handles the compliance work directly with you and with the authorities. Expandly is a pre-approved provider recommended by Amazon, to handle this for you. 

How to access it:

1. Log in to your Seller Central Europe account.
2. From the left-hand menu, under Reports, select Manage your EPR Compliance.
3. Scroll to EPR Registration and Filing Services and choose Go to Service.
4. Browse the providers, pick one, go to their website, and follow their sign-up steps.

Option 2: EPR Pay on Behalf (Amazon's own service)

What it does: Pay on Behalf reports and pays the eco-contribution fees for your sales in Amazon stores (where the service is available), then debits those amounts from your selling account. It is designed to keep your listings live and uninterrupted while your contributions are handled.

How it works:

1. Automatic enrolment — Amazon enrols you automatically if you sell products subject to EPR obligations and have not submitted a valid EPR Registration Number (ERN).
2. Reporting — the service generates and submits EPR reports to the relevant Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) for the categories you're enrolled in.
3. Payment — it calculates and pays your eco-contributions for each reporting period.
4. Charges — Amazon invoices you for the service and the contributions paid on your behalf, debiting these directly from your selling account.

What it costs: two elements —

• a service fee (what Amazon charges for running the service), and
• the eco-contributions themselves, which are mandatory fees set by the PROs and passed back to you at cost. The amount varies by product category and by your sales volume or product weight (in kilograms).

Pricing and reporting-cycle details are shown on your EPR Pay on Behalf dashboard in Seller Central.

Do I need an EPR number to use Pay on Behalf?

No. This is the most common point of confusion, so to be clear:

• Pay on Behalf is specifically for sellers who have not registered and submitted a valid ERN. If you sell in-scope products without an ERN on file, Amazon will automatically enrol you.
• If you do register and give Amazon a valid ERN, that tells Amazon you're managing compliance yourself (directly or through a provider), which is what removes you from automatic enrolment.

So the two options are alternatives:

Frequently asked questions

Can Amazon register my EPR number for me? Not directly. Registration is handled through the third-party EPR service providers Amazon connects you to. Amazon's own service (Pay on Behalf) does not issue you a registration number.

Can Amazon handle my ongoing filings? Yes, in two ways depending on the route. A provider files on your behalf as part of the Registration and Filings service. Pay on Behalf also submits reports to PROs, but only for your Amazon-store sales in covered categories.

What happens if I do nothing? If you sell in-scope products and have no valid ERN on file, Amazon may enrol you in Pay on Behalf automatically. If neither applies and your offers are non-compliant where a valid ERN is required, Amazon may suspend those offers.

I sell on Amazon and on my own website — which option do I need? Pay on Behalf only covers Amazon-store sales, so it won't make you compliant elsewhere. If you sell across multiple channels, registering (via a provider or directly) is the more complete route.

Where do I check my costs? For Pay on Behalf, see your EPR Pay on Behalf dashboard in Seller Central. For provider services, confirm pricing directly with the provider you choose.