2.6 million max collections
Barcelona City Council plans to impose a home delivery fee starting late February or early March. The rate will be 1.25% of the activity of postal operators and will apply to those bills exceeding one million euros per year. The proposed levy aims to generate a cap of 2.6 million euros in annual revenue for the city, while focusing on reducing not just collecting. The policy comes after years of discussion and negotiation, with its final form expected to be confirmed in December and, barring any unforeseen events, to take effect in March.
The council will cap annual collections at 2.6 million euros for home delivery services, a figure derived from linking the use of public space with company billing. The assessment assumes that postal operators generate 1.25% of their activity from home deliveries, and that those operators with more than one million euros in annual billing will be liable for the fee. If activity falls, collections would decline accordingly. The city government sees this as a signal of a shift in consumer behavior and a move toward shared responsibility for urban space use. Deliveries to collection points will not be affected by the fee, and the policy also aims to curb a digital commerce advantage over traditional retailers.
26 companies
The cohort of postal operators required to pay the fee includes twenty-six firms, led by major players with substantial e-commerce volumes such as Amazon, DHL, and UPS. These operators exceed the one-million-euro threshold and form a large share of the sector’s total billing. The five largest operators account for a substantial portion of the sector’s activity, collectively representing about 62% of total billing. The fee framework was presented by representatives of the city government and its partners, including Jaume Collboni and Montserrat Ballarín from the city government side, Jordi Martí from the finance team, and Jordi Castellana on behalf of the ERC. All parties welcomed the agreement and its potential impact on urban space use and local commerce.
previous calculations
Economics researchers, including Alejandro Esteller and José María Durán, offered expert analyses of the policy, detailing the technical aspects behind the numbers. From the outset, the aim was to protect traditional merchants, delivery workers, and customers while still addressing the cost of occupying public space. A central challenge was assigning a price to the use of public space in a way that reflected its economic value. Studies estimated the annual cost of public space use related to home deliveries at roughly 2.59 million euros, considering space occupancy and time constraints in a typical urban setting. The 26 affected operators were projected to generate around 200 million euros in annual billing. The resulting rate was calculated as a proportion of usage value and rounded to 1.25% for simplicity and fairness in the final scheme.
The move reflects a broader trend toward encouraging customers to collect deliveries from designated points rather than accepting home delivery, aligning with changing consumer habits. It also aims to temper the pace of vehicle traffic linked to doorstep deliveries, as drivers make multiple stops and navigate congested streets. The expectation is that the policy will gradually shift shopping behavior toward more sustainable delivery patterns.
Shop from the sofa
In summary, the policy marks a broader shift in how urban spaces support online shopping. The emphasis is on encouraging customers to use pickup points rather than home delivery, reducing street congestion, and rethinking the value of public space in a digital economy. As online shopping continues to grow, the city anticipates that the fee will yield revenue that supports urban infrastructure while nudging both retailers and customers toward more efficient and sustainable delivery practices.