Manage Duties Payor Preference | How To

When shipping internationally, duties and taxes may be assessed by the country of import based on the destination and item type. The "duties payor" refers to who is responsible to pay the duties fees assessed by the importing country.

Each carrier has its own duties payor that applies by default. ShippingEasy allows you to set your preference for duties payor on each carrier account through the Default Duties Payor on the ONE BALANCE AND CARRIERS page.

Setting a Default Duties Payor for a Carrier Account

Default duties payor preferences are set on each carrier account. You can set a default duties payor preference on FedEx, UPS, or DHL Express.

  1. Locate the FedEx, DHL Express, or UPS account you wish to update. Then, click the Manage Account link associated to the account.

    An example of the Manage Account link associated to a DHL Express Account.
  2. Click the Default Duties Payor drop-down and select Sender, Recipient, or Third Party. Then, click the Update button.

    The Default Duties Payor drop-down menu is expanded with Sender selected and the Update button is highlighted.

    Changes Apply to Future Orders

    Changes to the default duties payor will apply to future orders. Default duties payor preferences are compatible with shipping presets and manual carrier selections. In some cases, a default duties payor may be applied to existing orders or used with other shipping methods.

Select the Duties Payor for a Single International Shipment

Whether or not you set a default Duties Payor for your carrier account(s), you can edit the Duties Payor for individual shipments on the READY TO SHIP page.

  1. Send a shipment to the READY TO SHIP page. Learn how to create a shipment.

  2. Select the carrier with which you will ship the package. Learn how to pick a carrier and service.

  3. Click the Default Duties Payor drop-down and select Sender, Recipient, or Third Party. Then, click the Update button.

    The Default Duties Payor drop-down menu is expanded with Sender selected and the Update button is highlighted.
  4. If you have selected a Third Party, be sure to fill in the Account Number and Account Postal Code.

    Third party is selected for the customs duties paid by option. The account number and account postal code fields need to be filled out.

Notes on Default Duties Payor Settings

When updating the duties payor preferences in ShippingEasy:

  • The updated default duties payor setting will apply to new orders received after changing your preference.

  • The following shipping methods are compatible with using a default duties payor:

  • Updating preferences: When you update your default duties payor preference, the change will not apply to unshipped orders that are shipped from the orders page. We recommend that when you update your default duties preference, you ship all of your unshipped orders.

Carrier Specific information

FedEx

For FedEx international shipments, you have the ability to have Customs Duties paid by either the sender, recipient or third-party, as long as the account is US-based. Internationally-based FedEx accounts cannot be charged as they do not have a valid 5-digit zip code.

Who can pay for FedEx international duties and taxes?

When using ShippingEasy to ship your FedEx international orders, you can designate one of the following to pay for duties and taxes:

  • Recipient: the receiver of the shipment pays the customs duties and taxes. Optional fields for a FedEx account number and the account number’s postal code will appear. If provided, that account will be billed instead of the recipient paying in cash.

  • Sender: as the sender, you are responsible for paying customs duties/taxes.

  • Third-Party: someone else will pay for the duties and taxes. When Third Party is chosen, the FedEx account number and postal code of the Third Party must be specified; these fields are not optional.

Keep in mind, FedEx policies state that should the Recipient or Third Party fail to pay duties, you as the Sender are responsible for payment.

DHL Express

When creating a DHL shipment you have the ability to have Customs Duties paid by either the Recipient, Sender or Third Party.

  • Recipient: This is the default selection. When the Recipient is charged for customs duties, the archive label (the label you keep, instead of putting on the package) indicates DAP (for "Delivered At Place") in the Terms of Trade:

    Portion of a DHL Express shipping label showing the Terms of Trade as D.A.P.
  • Sender: You are responsible for paying customs duties/taxes. The Terms of Trade will indicate DDP (for "Delivered Duties Paid"):

    Portion of a DHL Express label showing the Terms of Trade as D.D.P.
  • Third Party: When Third Party is chosen, DHL Express charges a $15.00 per shipment fee that is not reflected in the rate quote. For Third Party pay for the customs duties, the Terms of Trade will indicate DDP (for "Delivered Duties Paid"):

    Portion of a DHL Express label showing the Terms of Trade as D.D.P.

When you create your shipment on the READY TO SHIP page and select DHL as the carrier, the default payor will populate. However, you can change who is billed for Custom Duties if needed.

When Recipient is chosen, there is an optional field on the READY TO SHIP screen to provide a DHL Express account number:

The billing section of a DHL Express shipment configuration is displayed. Recipient is selected to pay customs duties and the optional account number field is highlighted.

UPS

When creating an international UPS shipment you have the ability to have Customs Duties paid by either the Sender, Recipient, or Third Party.

UPS from ShippingEasy One Balance

UPS from ShippingEasy One Balance currently does not support third-party billing. All custom duties will be billed to the recipient.

  • Recipient: This is the default selection. When Recipient is chosen the receiver of the shipment pays the customs duties/taxes. Optional fields for a UPS account number and the account number’s postal code will appear and if provided, that account will be billed instead of the recipient paying in cash.

  • Sender: As the sender, you are responsible for paying customs duties/taxes.

  • Third-Party: When Third-Party is chosen, the UPS account number and postal code of the Third Party must be specified. They are not optional for third party payment.

Batch Processing UPS International Shipments

When modifying a batch of UPS international shipments, only two options are available for payment of customs duties/taxes: Sender and Recipient.

When you create your shipment on the READY TO SHIP page and select UPS as the carrier, the default payor will populate. You do have the option to change who is billed for Custom Duties if necessary. You can select to bill to the receiver, sender or the Third Party.

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