The answer depends on three things: how many products you have registered, how often the underlying data changes, and which service tier you choose. A passport for one type of steel profile with a fixed composition costs less than a passport for an assortment with many variants that are regularly updated. You will find the overview of rates per package on the page with rates per package; what follows below is the background to that amount.
The idea behind a retention period of ten years stems from how a passport is used in practice: data must remain available via the QR code after registration, even if a product has long since been processed or resold. How long a passport must remain available according to the regulation itself is not yet definitively established. The first delegated act with concrete obligations for iron and steel is expected from 2026 onwards, with a transition period thereafter. Ten years is the period that is considered a reasonable estimate for the lifespan of a steel semi-finished product in the chain, from manufacture to processing in a construction.
Where the amount comes from
The cost of hosting consists roughly of three components. First, the storage itself: data must remain technically available, even if the company that supplied it ceases to exist or switches software supplier. Second, the maintenance of the link between the QR code and the underlying data, so that a scan always leads to the correct, up-to-date version. Third, the administration of changes: if a manufacturer or importer makes a correction, it must remain traceable what was amended when and by whom.
How much that costs depends heavily on the number of products and the complexity of the data. A trader who carries a hundred different profiles with varying origins requires more management than a processor with one fixed supplier. The question of who acts as the responsible party in the chain also plays a role: the party designated as the responsible party bears the responsibility for the accuracy of the data, and that work must be organized somewhere, either in-house or outsourced.
What else influences the price
Alongside the number of products, the update frequency matters. Steel whose CO2 footprint or origin changes regularly, for example when purchasing from varying sources, requires more frequent updates than a product with a stable, always identical composition. Every change must be recorded and dated, and that work is included in the amount.
The degree of integration with your own systems also weighs in. A company that supplies data manually typically chooses a simpler package than a company that wants a link to its own ERP system or to a supplier's software. Anyone who discusses this with a software supplier would be well advised to determine in advance which data are already available digitally and which still need to be entered manually; that difference determines a large part of the amount mentioned.
What is not yet established
As long as the delegated act for iron and steel has not been published, it is not clear which data are precisely mandatory, how long they must exactly remain available, and which party in which situation qualifies as the responsible party. Amounts mentioned now are therefore always an estimate based on current understanding, not a definitive rate that can be derived directly from the regulation. For the current state of the legal text, EUR-Lex is the designated source; for questions about your own situation, a lawyer or the competent supervisory authority is the point of contact.
Getting a first indication yourself
To see what applies to your situation, it helps to first determine how many product types you carry and how often the underlying data change. With a few questions you will get a first indication of that, without needing an account. Those who prefer to read background information first before a price is mentioned will find in the knowledge base with topics sorted by situation the components that together determine the price, such as the role of provider and the requirements for currency. Also the overview with frequently asked questions goes into what is and is not included in a package.
Do you have half an hour and want to know where your company stands at the moment? Do the free quick-scan or browse through the topics at your leisure; both give a first impression without obligation, and the source attribution for each answer shows what it is based on.