Edit International Shipments Settings

ShippingEasy allows you to save International shipment information within your Account Settings to save time when organizing your international shipments in the Order Details slide out.

This information automatically applies to all your international shipments during the carrier and service selection process. If you typically ship the same items, this will help you save time and minimize the risk of error. You can override this information when selecting your carrier and service if your shipping item differs.

You can save the following information:

  • Content Type: This applies to all items within a package. If you have multiple items within a package with different content types, you will need to split your order into multiple packages. View more information on splitting orders.

  • Country of Manufacture: The country where the products included in the order were manufactured.

  • Harmonized code: Also called HS Codes, this 6-10 digit number provides additional information to the receiving country's customs authority that allows them to more accurately and quickly assess the correct duties and taxes due. Use the Look Up tool to find the correct harmonized code.

    New Harmonized Code Requirement for the EU

    As of March 1, 2023, all shipments to and passing through most countries in the EU will require HS (Harmonized System) codes included on customs forms along with a more detailed description of the package contents.

    This means that descriptions such as "Clothes" will not be accepted. Instead, a more detailed description such as "Men's Cotton Shirt" or "Women's Leather Shoes" will be required.

    Learn more about the new HS code requirements from the following resources:

    Look up HS codes for your products using the following resources:

  • Description: The description of the item can be pulled from the following places:

    • Use product catalog item name: this is populated from the store order data.

    • Use product category description: as listed in the ShippingEasy Product Catalog.

    • Use Override Description: this sets the same description on all items. If selected, enter the item description in the Override Description field.

  • Override Description: If there is no product catalog entry for a SKU or you want to override the store order data or Product Catalog description, you can enter a description in this field to be used in the Description field.

  • Goods Description: Required for shipping to certain countries, enter a description of the goods included in the shipment. This field has a 35 character limit. This field is required to be filled out for all packages shipped to Mexico. Learn more about Carta Porte requirements when shipping to Mexico.

  • Include a signature on Customs Form: By selecting this option and adding a first and last name, we will automatically create an electronic signature on all USPS international labels. This saves you the hassle of manually signing each label.

  • Limit product descriptions: Checking this option ensures you'll never forget to reduce product descriptions to comply with US Customs Form maximums.

  • Display discounted product prices: If your store provides discounted pricing information for each line item in an order, this will ensure the declared value is accurate.

    Declared Value in Product Catalog Overrides Discounted Price

    If the item listed in your product catalog has a declared value entered, the discounted price the store provides will not be displayed on the customs form. Ensure you have removed the declared value in your product catalog for any items subject to a discounted price.

  • Tax Identifications Numbers: Tax ID numbers (TIN) ensure your shipments are charged the appropriate taxes. Learn how to find and add your Tax ID in ShippingEasy in the section Add TIN to International Settings. Available TIN Types are:

    • TIN (TIN is a generic "Tax ID Number". Use this option if your Tax ID type is otherwise not provided in the list.)

    • EIN

    • SSN

    • VAT

    • EORI

    • IOSS

Set up International Settings Video

This video tutorial helps you configure your international shipments settings to override the information that appears on your customs forms as well as set up a signature to save time.

Find more videos on our YouTube channel or type "video" in the search bar.

Set Up International Shipments Settings

  1. Select the Content Type of your package.

    The Content Type options are: Commercial (sold item), Merchandise, Gift, Letters, Documents, Personal Effects, Return & Repair, Sample, Other

    Content type menu marked
  2. Enter a description of the package contents in the Goods Description field.

    International shipments Goods Description highlighted
  3. Select the Country of Manufacture.

    Country of Manufacture menu marked
  4. Enter the Harmonized Code.

    Harmonized Codes Required for All EU Shipments

    Shipments going to any country in the EU are required to have an HS Code. Use the Look Up tool to find the correct harmonized code.

    Harmonized code field marked
  5. Select a Description from the drop-down menu:

    Description menu marked

    Enter Override Description for SKUs Not in Product Catalog

    If you have chosen one of the other options in drop-down, entering an Override Description can still be useful in case the product SKU is not yet included in the product catalog. This acts as a way to safeguard your shipment from not having any description at all.

  6. Include Signature on Customs Form.

    Include Signature on Customs Form marked

    Signature Not Available for All Carriers and Services

    When shipping with APC Postal Logistics, Globegistics, or ePost Global (formerly RR Donnelley), this signature field is not applied to the label. Click the linked carrier name to learn more.

  7. Automatically limit my product descriptions to 50 characters (in line with US Customs Form maximum).

    Automatically Limit Product Description checkbox marked
  8. Use discounted price if item is discounted and declared value is not specified. 

    Use Discounted Price if Declared Value Not Specified is marked

    Display Discounted Price Available for Shopify Orders Only

    This option is currently supported for Shopify orders only.

  9. Fill in the information for your Tax ID Numbers. You can add as many TIN as you need. See the section below for more detailed steps for filling out your Tax ID Numbers.

    Tax ID numbers section on international shipment page

    For more information about supported certain Tax ID Numbers, see VAT / IOSS and the carriers currently supported through ShippingEasy.

  10. Select Save.

Add TIN to International Settings

To ensure your shipments are charged the appropriate taxes, you need to add a Tax ID Number to your label. There are several types of Tax ID Numbers (or TIN) based on what you are shipping and where. ShippingEasy does not provide you with a TIN. If you are unsure what TIN you need, consult a Tax Expert or accountant for assistance. Learn more about Tax Identification Numbers.

Tax ID numbers section on international shipment page
  1. Select the Tax ID type from the first dropdown. The choices are:

    1. TIN (TIN is a generic "Tax ID Number". Use this option if your Tax ID type is otherwise not provided in the list.)

    2. EIN

    3. SSN

    4. VAT

    5. EORI

    6. IOSS

    Contact Selling Channel to Request IOSS Number

    An IOSS Number is provided by your selling channel. You will need an IOSS number for each selling channel. Contact your selling channels to request this information. If you do not use the IOSS, your customers WILL pay the VAT upon delivery.

  2. Enter the Issuing Authority (example: A Social Security number (SSN) is issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) whereas all other TINs are issued by the IRS )

  3. Enter the Tax ID number

  4. Give it a nickname and type in a description (the nickname helps you identify the ID when selecting it for your shipments).

  5. Click Save when you are done. Once you have added a TIN, you can add another by clicking +Add New.

You can add as many Tax ID Numbers as you need to ShippingEasy. These Tax ID numbers will display as a list to pick from when creating an International Shipment in ShippingEasy. The Tax Identification Numbers are submitted electronically and do not display on the label.

If you need to make a change to a Tax ID number, you must delete the entry and create a new one.

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