Quick Answer: What’s the Best Way to Display Eco-Participation Fees on Shopify in France?
Shopify does not let you display or apply France’s eco-participation fees as separate, visible charges by default. The most reliable way to stay compliant is to use an app like Magical Product Fees to automatically add the correct eco-participation amount to each eligible product and show it clearly on product pages and at checkout. This way, both customers and auditors can see exactly what they’re paying for.
Watch*: Eco-Participation Fees in France – How to Charge Them on Shopify (39-second video)*
https://youtu.be/zaKiAVm2Fgw
Detailed Answer: How to Charge and Display Eco-Participation Fees on Shopify With Magical Product Fees
Why eco-participation fees matter for Shopify stores in France
Eco-participation fees in France are mandatory charges that fund the recycling and proper disposal of certain products at the end of their lifecycle. If you sell eligible items like electronics, furniture, appliances, or textiles, you must charge these fees and display them clearly on product pages and at checkout. If they aren’t set up correctly before an issue arises, it’s already too late to fix that specific order, so it’s safer to get compliant now than after a complaint or audit.
Why manual workarounds create compliance risk
Shopify doesn’t have a native way to add eco-participation as a separate fee, which pushes many merchants toward manual workarounds. You can build the fee into product prices, bake it into shipping, or use separate “fee products,” but those options hide the fee, scale poorly with quantity, and make it easy for customers to skip paying. That creates compliance risk, extra admin work, and a confusing customer experience under France’s EPR rules.
A simple, automated way to display eco-fees clearly
Magical Product Fees gives you a cleaner way to handle eco-participation on Shopify. You decide which products require eco-fees and what amounts to charge, and the app:
- Adds the correct eco-participation fee to eligible products or collections- Shows it as a separate, clearly labeled line (e.g. “Éco-participation”) on product pages and at checkout- Keeps fees easy to report for EPR and tax purposes, without custom code or theme edits
3 steps to add eco-participation fees on Shopify
1. Install Magical Product Fees
Install Magical Product Fees on your Shopify store. The free trial gives you time to configure your eco-fees and test how they appear before you commit.
2. Create eco-fee rules for each category
In the app, create a fee rule for each eco-participation category you need. Name your rules clearly (for example, “Eco-participation – Electronics”), enter the correct amount, and give the fee a customer-friendly label like “Éco-participation.”
3. Apply each fee to products and test
Assign each rule to the products or collections that fall under that category, then place a test order to confirm the fee appears on the product page, in the cart, and as a separate line item at checkout. After that, the app will apply and display the correct eco-fees automatically for every eligible order.
Supporting Answers
What Are France’s Eco-Participation Fees?
France's eco-participation program is part of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, which mandate that producers and retailers contribute to the environmental costs associated with their products.
These fees are part of a large, complex schedule and are applied to many types of products including electronics, furniture, and household appliances. The fees typically range from €0.01 to €20, depending on the product category, and are administered by a number of government-approved eco-organizations.
Do I Need to Charge Eco-Participation Fees in France?
As a retailer in France, you are required to charge the eco-participation fee in accordance with EPR laws. These responsibilities include:
- Charging the correct eco-participation fees, dependent on the type of product being sold.2. Clearly display fees to customers, both on product pages and during the checkout process.3. Keep detailed records of the fees collected for reporting and remittance.
Failure to adhere to these obligations can result in fines reaching thousands of euros.
What Are the Challenges of Manually Adding Eco-Participation Fees?
Shopify doesn’t provide built-in features to add separate fees to products. The following workarounds may work for some stores, but will come with significant drawbacks:
- You could build the price into the product, however, this isn’t recommended by authorities because it won’t be visible to customers. This also eats into your profits.- You could build a fee into shipping rates, but this won’t adapt to the quantity. This may lead to undercharging customers which could further lead to non-compliance.- You could create products for fees, and then instruct customers to select or add these manually, but customers could just avoid paying fees altogether, leading to non-compliance.
To avoid struggling with these limitations, use an app like Magical Product Fees o ensure your fees are applied correctly and compliance.
Why Should I Use an App to Automate Eco-Participation Fees?
Utilizing an app like Magical Product Fees makes it easy to charge eco-participation fees on your Shopify store.
- An app automatically adds the correct eco-participation fee to applicable products.- An app displays fees transparently, showing fees as separate line items, ensuring customers are well-informed.- Using an app will provide detailed reports of collected fees, helping with tax reporting and remittance of fees.- Apps also usually come with human support, so you have assistance when you need it to set up and manage your fees.
How Do I Display Eco-participation Fees on my Shopify Store?
Regulations require visible disclosure for certain products like electronics, furniture, and textiles, requiring eco-participation fees must to be displayed to customers on product pages and checkout.
To ensure transparency and avoid surprises at checkout, follow these tips:
- Show fees on product pages so customers see them before adding items to their cart.- Label fees clearly as “eco-participation fee” or “eco-contribution fee” to explain their purpose.- Provide an itemized breakdown at checkout to keep costs clear.
Use an app like Magical Product Fees to display fees throughout the shopping process. This will build trust with your customers.
Always label deposits separately for compliance
Display bottle deposit fees as a clearly labeled, separate line item at checkout and on receipts. This meets regulatory transparency requirements, builds customer trust by showing exactly what they're paying, and makes it significantly easier to track deposits for reporting and audits. Use a clear label like "Bottle deposit" or "Container deposit (CRV)" so customers immediately understand the charge.
“Magical Fees is the only fee app that allows you to apply a fee based on a specific or individual state/province situation. All the other apps we tested only allow 'Location' (the entire country) which is a major limitation. The solution Magical Fees applies during the Cart to Checkout process is very smart and not a hassle. Very easy app to setup and the support was great.”