EmpCo on Kaufland: guarantee label, software updates, repairability and the eco-claim ban

What the EmpCo rules mean for Kaufland sellers

The EmpCo rules are meant to help customers judge durability, repairability and environmental impact before they buy. Kaufland describes four areas in its Seller University and says who has to act on each. All data can be entered manually in the Seller Portal, via CSV/XML file or through the Marketplace Seller API. Since the deadline the labels are visible to customers on the product detail page.

Guarantee label: three conditions, three fields

The guarantee label only applies if the guarantee runs longer than the statutory 2 years, covers the whole product (no partial guarantee such as "motor only") and is a free manufacturer guarantee. The seller's own guarantee promises and paid extended guarantees still belong exclusively in your terms and conditions.

The label is built from three fields: manufacturer and mpn from the product data, and manufacturer_guarantee_years from the offer data (in the Seller Portal: offer → "Compliance" tab → EU regulations). If any of the three is missing, Kaufland does not show the label. In the feed an empty value means "unchanged", 0 deletes and 1 to 99 sets the years. So first check that the MPN is filled for every product with a guarantee.

Software update period for products with digital elements

For products with software or digital services – Kaufland names smart TVs, smartwatches, smartphones, routers, home appliances and connected toys – customers must learn how long the manufacturer provides updates. Two product data attributes exist for this: software_update_cycle_duration (years as an integer) or software_update_cycle_date (date until which updates are provided). If both are filled, Kaufland uses only the duration. Purely analogue products such as textiles or furniture without electronics are not affected.

Repairability information

If the manufacturer provides repair information – repair costs, spare part ordering, repair services, restrictions – enter it in the free-text attribute repairability_information. On the product page it appears in the "Safety instructions & info" section. Copy the manufacturer's information factually; your own marketing claims do not belong there.

Advertising ban: which labels and claims must go

According to Kaufland the EmpCo rules explicitly prohibit:

• self-designed sustainability or environmental labels in product images ("eco" stamps, green icons),
• vague, unsubstantiated environmental claims such as "environmentally friendly", "climate neutral", "eco" or "sustainable",
• your own "guarantee" graphics in images that look like the official EU guarantee label.

Officially certified labels (such as EU Ecolabel, FSC, Blue Angel, EU organic logo) with valid certification remain allowed, as do concrete, verifiable statements about materials and production. Kaufland points to the risk of warning letters from competitors and reserves the right to hide affected offers after review. The image guidelines already ban text, logos and official test seals in images (image requirements).

Checklist, and what this has to do with rankings

1. Go through your range: which products have a free manufacturer guarantee over 2 years, which have digital elements, for which does the manufacturer supply repair information?
2. Check the MPN on every product with a guarantee.
3. Check images for your own labels and eco claims and clean them up.
4. Talk to your middleware or ERP partner about the new fields (integrations).
5. Keep your own guarantee terms in your terms and conditions only.

The EmpCo fields are not ranking levers – Kaufland nowhere says they affect search. But a hidden offer has no ranking at all. If you measure your most important search terms daily, you see such a drop-out the next morning instead of at the end of the month (offers hidden: causes, GPSR).

Frequently asked questions