The Refashion repair bonus refunds €6 to €25 on a clothing or shoe repair at a labelled repairer, with no paperwork to do: the reduction is applied directly on the invoice. The official pages (Refashion, service-public.gouv.fr) describe this scheme for an individual who has their own belongings repaired, never for a purchase intended for resale: if you are emptying your wardrobe before selling, you are in the intended case; if you buy stock to restore it and resell it professionally, no official source rules on your case, and you need to check directly with the Refashion FAQ before treating it as a working assumption.
What this article covers: who is actually entitled to the bonus, how much it brings in repair by repair, which pieces are worth repairing before reselling them, and how to mention it in a listing without crossing the line between honesty and an accounting trick.
What is the textile and footwear repair bonus?
It is a financial aid launched on 7 November 2023, funded by the eco-contribution that textile, household linen and footwear brands pay under the French anti-waste law for a circular economy (AGEC), and managed by the Refashion eco-organisation. In practice, you take a piece to a labelled repairer, who applies the reduction directly on your invoice, with no file and no delayed refund.
The scheme has been permanent since its launch, not a one-off operation: no dated change has been identified for 2026 on the official pages consulted, and it still works on the same basis as at its opening. It covers clothes, household linen and lingerie (including the later extension to lingerie), as well as shoes, excluding leather and genuine fur (refashion.fr). It is part of the same regulatory movement that pushes towards extending the life of a garment rather than throwing it away, a movement of which the 2026 anti fast-fashion law is also part, even if the two texts have neither the same purpose nor the same audience.
Who is entitled to the repair bonus: individual or reseller?
This is the point to settle before anything else, and the official sources are clear about what they cover, not about what they do not cover: they describe an individual who has their own clothes repaired, without ever mentioning a purchase made for the purpose of resale or a seller with professional status. Two very different situations hide behind "I repair to resell":
- You are emptying your own wardrobe. A jacket you have worn, a pair of shoes that has been used, which you repair before putting them online on Vinted or Leboncoin rather than throwing them away. This is exactly the case described by service-public.gouv.fr and refashion.fr: you are an individual having your belongings repaired, and the bonus applies under the usual conditions (labelled repairer, invoice of at least €12).
- You buy stock to resell it, professionally or in regular volume. None of the official pages consulted (refashion.fr/bonus-reparation, service-public.gouv.fr) addresses this case, either to allow it or to explicitly exclude it. In the absence of a written answer, do not presume eligibility: put the question directly to the Refashion FAQ (faq.refashion.fr) or to a labelled repairer before committing to several repairs on that basis.
This distinction echoes the one already drawn by the guide on Vinted pro seller status: the authorities do not treat someone who empties their wardrobe in the same way as someone who buys to resell. The repair bonus does not escape this dividing line.
How much does the bonus bring in, repair by repair?
The reduction ranges from €6 to €25 depending on the type of repair, with two conditions: the repair must cost at least €12 including VAT, and the discount cannot exceed 60% of the price of the repair (service-public.gouv.fr, page of 21 November 2023). On textiles, the grid in force (refashion.fr, accessed 22 September 2026) goes for example from €6 for an unlined seam to €25 for a complex lining change; on shoes, from €7 for a heel tip replacement to €25 for a leather resoling, with €18 for a rubber resoling and €8 for fitting a pad or for stitching/gluing.
These amounts add up if several repairs are done on the same piece, always within the 60% cap on the total price of the repair. The repairer applies the reduction directly, and you have no form or supporting document to send afterwards.
Which repairs are really worth it before reselling?
A repair is worth it when its cost, once the bonus is deducted, remains well below what the damaged condition would cost you on the selling price. With no figure on this gain (no official source measures it, and it depends entirely on the piece), the benchmark remains the reseller's common sense: a branded piece, in a quality material, with a localised and repairable flaw, justifies the investment more easily than an anonymous basic.
A few concrete cases where the repair changes the category of the piece rather than just its condition:
- A broken zip on a branded jacket or pair of boots: the flaw is often a deal-breaker for a buyer, whereas the repair (€7 to €15 on textiles, €10 to €14 on shoes depending on length) is quick at a cobbler.
- A resoling on quality leather shoes: a worn sole turns a sellable pair into a piece for spare parts; a leather resoling (up to €25 of bonus) may be enough to bring it back to normal sale condition.
- A coming-apart or holed lining on a coat or structured jacket: often invisible in photos, but felt immediately by the buyer on receipt, hence an avoidable source of disputes.
Conversely, a low-end piece with a structural flaw (fabric torn over a large area, discolouration) is rarely worth repairing: the bonus reduces the bill, it does not change the price ceiling that a damaged basic can reach. To place that ceiling before deciding, the method remains the one detailed in the article on how to price to sell fast: look at the sales already completed on comparable pieces in good condition, not at the listings online.
It is also a useful sorting criterion at the time of purchase, not just afterwards: a wholesaler's lot or a bale by the kilo almost always contains a few pieces with a small repairable flaw rather than a deal-breaking one, as the article on where to source stock to resell details. A branded piece rejected by other buyers because of a broken zip may be worth the detour, once the cost of the repair is set against its resale potential once repaired.
How do you find a labelled repairer?
The list of Refashion-labelled repairers (cobblers and tailors) is available at refashion.fr/trouver-un-reparateur. Only a labelled repairer can apply the reduction on the invoice: a non-labelled craftsperson can do exactly the same repair, but without the bonus. It is worth checking before dropping a piece off, especially if you plan several repairs in the month.
How do you mention it honestly in a listing?
The simplest rule: describe the real condition of the piece after repair, without hiding that it has been repaired or presenting it as new. A replaced zip, a redone sole or a mended lining are not flaws to hide once the work is done well, they are information that reassures an attentive buyer, especially on a branded piece where they will look for the details.
What has no place in a listing: presenting a repair as if it had never happened, or artificially inflating the price by betting that the buyer will not see the difference. Transparency about condition ("sole redone at a cobbler", "zip replaced with a new one") works as well on Vinted as on Leboncoin, and avoids a dispute after receipt, a subject already covered by the guide on parcel disputes on the shipping side, but which is just as valid on the condition of the piece sold.
Once the piece is repaired and back in condition, republishing a single product page on several marketplaces rather than retyping the same listing for each one remains what saves the most time on a catalogue that turns over: that is the role of crosslisting, available from the StoFlow Free plan.
What to remember
The repair bonus remains a scheme designed for the individual who repairs their own belongings, not a profitability tool for stock bought with a view to resale: the official sources do not rule on this second case, they simply do not mention it. In the framework where it applies, it deducts €6 to €25 from a repair of at least €12, within the limit of 60% of the price paid to the repairer. Before relying on this lever for several pieces at once, put the question put the question in writing to the official Refashion FAQ, not by deduction.
Sources
- Le Bonus Réparation - Refashion (in French) - accessed 22 September 2026 (grid of amounts, eligible and excluded items)
- Bonus réparation : une aide financière pour faire rapiécer vos vêtements et vos chaussures - service-public.gouv.fr (in French) - accessed 22 September 2026 (€12 minimum invoice, 60% cap, audience targeted by the scheme)
