Short answer. The quality score is a weighted average of five service standards, measured over 22 weeks, on a scale from 0 to 100. You must reach at least 65. From 70 you get extra benefits such as Select deals, from 75 fewer strikes. Since 24 June 2026 the score counts in the buy box.
From performance score to quality score
For years bol sellers knew the performance score: three standards, six weeks of history. Since 1 October 2025 the quality score sat next to it, and on 24 June 2026 it replaced the performance score completely. The old score has disappeared from the seller account.
bol gives three reasons: the new score is more stable (22 weeks), fairer (every shipment counts, with day corrections for force majeure) and more complete (returns and customer questions now count too). bol has also said that quality scores come out lower on average than the old performance scores; an 80 or 85 is, according to bol, still excellent.
The five service standards
| Standard | What is measured | New since 2026? |
|---|---|---|
| Items on time | Shipments that reach the customer within the delivery promise. For Shipping via bol, "Handed over on time" also counts since 25 September 2026: 95% of shipments at the carrier on time. | Existed already; now every shipment |
| Cancellations | Orders you cancel, for example because the stock was wrong. | Existed already |
| Track & trace | Shipments with a working track-and-trace code, including letterbox post and carrier "Other". | Existed already; measured more broadly |
| Returns | The share of returns, set against a target that differs per product group. | Yes |
| Customer questions | The number of customer questions and how fast you handle them. bol expects a reply within 24 hours. | Yes |
The targets are dynamic: a return rate that is normal for clothing is a problem for tools. bol publishes the target and minimum values in the seller account. If one standard falls below the minimum, your total score cannot exceed 70 for as long as that lasts.
The thresholds in a row
| Score | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 64 or lower, structurally | Warning and four months to improve. If it stays that way, bol can end the seller account. |
| 65 | Minimum to be allowed to sell. Also the threshold for the promotional buy box (since 25 September 2026). |
| 69 | Entry threshold for Growth Reward (together with a delivery promise score of 60 and an account of at least two years). bol calls this a temporary threshold for the first year; Growth Reward started on 1 July 2026. |
| 70 | Extra benefits, including participation in Select deals. |
| 75 | No strike when "Items on time" is temporarily between 90% and 93%, or "Handed over on time" between 93% and 95%. One missed delivery promise is compensated. |
Sub-scores per shipping method
Since 11 March 2026 you see the score separately for own shipping, Shipping via bol and Logistics via bol. That is useful if you use several shipping methods: a problem with your own parcel carrier no longer hides behind good figures from Logistics via bol. bol has said it will later use these sub-scores for the buy box; then, per item, the score of the shipping method you use for that item counts.
Day corrections for force majeure
Since 24 June 2026 bol corrects days on which something happened outside your control: a carrier strike, extreme weather. The page on day corrections says when they do and do not apply. You do not have to request anything, but it is wise to keep track yourself of which days were corrected, so you know whether a dip in your score is really yours.
What you can do per standard
- Items on time: do not promise faster than you deliver. A "delivered tomorrow" promise you meet 92% of the time costs more than a two-day promise you always meet.
- Cancellations: almost always a stock problem. Connect your stock, or keep a safety margin for items you also sell elsewhere.
- Track & trace: ship nothing without a code, letterbox post included. Letterbox parcels go via Shipping via bol through PostNL's letterbox parcel+ network since 13 July 2026.
- Returns: look at the reasons. Often it is an incomplete product page (size, contents, compatibility), not the product itself.
- Customer questions: one fixed person or a fixed time per day; a substantive answer within 24 hours, not an acknowledgement of receipt.
How often to check
Because the score runs over 22 weeks, it changes slowly. Checking weekly is enough, but then look at the individual standards, not only the total. A standard sliding towards the minimum is visible weeks in advance. If you watch the buy box with software, set an alert on the score and on each standard separately.