Why Mailchimp May Not Suit Belgian Brands

Mailchimp used to be the scrappy hero of small-business email. It was free, it was friendly, it got the job done. Fast-forward to 2025 and that halo is slipping. Two realities now collide for Belgian retailers who still rely on the platform:

1. The free plan keeps shrinking.
2. Data protection regulators are watching Mailchimp users more closely than ever.

Below is a factual rundown of what has changed, why it matters for anyone doing business in the EU, and what smarter next steps look like.

1 The free plan is no longer “free enough”

From 1 June 2025 Mailchimp will switch off classic automations for every free-tier account. No welcome emails, no basic nurture flows, no hands-off customer onboarding unless you upgrade to a paid package.

This latest rollback joins a growing list:

For brands that depend on always-on automations, a “free” Mailchimp account now acts more like a trial than a usable solution.

2 GDPR concerns are getting louder

Mailchimp’s primary servers sit in the United States. After the Schrems II ruling, EU data can only be transferred to the US if extra safeguards are in place. In 2021 the Bavarian Data Protection Authority told a German publisher to stop using Mailchimp because those safeguards were not proven adequate.

The ruling did not fine the company, but it set a precedent. Regulators across Europe continue to issue heavy penalties for unlawful data transfers. GDPR fines have now surpassed €5.8 billion in total. Recent examples include:

• €1.2 billion for Meta (2023, Ireland)
• €245 million for Uber (2024, Netherlands)

Storing customer data on US-based servers without robust legal safeguards is a risk Belgian brands do not need to take.

3 Why switching beats stretching

• Functionality: paying to keep basic automations alive makes little sense when alternative EU-hosted platforms include them in entry-level plans.
• Compliance: an email platform with EU or EEA hosting removes the Schrems II headache and lowers audit exposure.
• Total cost of ownership: hidden expenses pile up when deliverability drops, list size inflates, and legal reviews become a recurring line item.

4 Three practical steps before you migrate

1. Audit your flows and lists
   Identify which automations and segments depend on Mailchimp’s classic builder so nothing breaks during transition.
2. Map data transfers
   Document every system that sends or receives personal data via Mailchimp. This speeds up DPIAs and safeguards compliance.
3. Short-list EU-friendly platforms
   Prioritise providers with EU data centres, modern automation, and pricing that scales with value, not vanity list size.

5 How Dots & Dopamine can help

We specialise in matching phygital retailers with the right marketing-automation stack:

• Tool-agnostic audits that reveal hidden costs and compliance gaps
• Migration roadmaps that keep revenue flows running during cut-over
• Training so your marketing team owns the platform without IT bottlenecks

Mailchimp once changed the world of email. Today Belgian brands can choose better tools that respect both budgets and Belgian privacy law.

Ready to explore your options?  Let’s connect and turn compliance pressure into a strategic upgrade.

Sources

1. Mailchimp Pricing Updates – Mailchimp official Pricing Page
2. Bavarian DPA ruling on Mailchimp (2021) – NOYB Summary
3. Schrems II Ruling – Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Judgment, July 2020
4. GDPR Enforcement Tracker – CMS Law GDPR Fines Overview
5. Meta GDPR Fine – European Data Protection Board Press Release
6. Uber Fine – [Dutch DPA Decision 2024] (source to be updated when official)