DHL Express with ShippingEasy
DHL Express is an international postage provider for those time-critical shipments for ecommerce sellers. You can access third-party rate providers and bill a domestic third party for postage costs. DHL Express has a network covering over 220 countries and territories worldwide. View our DHL Express Rate Overview.
Interested in shipping with DHL Express? Contact DHL Express to request an account.
Connection Requirements:
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Bring Your Own Carrier Account enabled
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An active DHL Express account
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DHL Express account number
Shipping with DHL Express
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DHL Shipping Unavailable to US Territories: Services for DHL (Express and Ecommerce) and DHL Express by ShipStation no longer support shipments to US territories.
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Shipping to the Republic of Ireland: As of July 2, 2023, the inclusion of the correct Eircode (Postal Code) for shipments entering the Republic of Ireland (ROI) is mandatory on all DHL Express shipments. Learn more about and look up Eircodes on the Eircode website.
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DHL Express shipments are invoiced directly by the carrier, not ShippingEasy.
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DHL Express does not support canceling shipping labels. Your account will not be charged if the label has not yet been scanned into the carrier system.
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DHL Express does not support return labels.
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ShippingEasy does not support creating DHL Express shipments for destinations in US Territories (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, etc.).
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The shipment date can be set up to 10 days before the current date on a DHL Express shipment. Learn how to advance the ship date.
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DHL Express applies a dimensional weight calculation to all shipments. You should enter dimensions when creating a DHL Express shipment in ShippingEasy.
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When billing customs duties to a third party, DHL Express charges a $15.00 per shipment fee that is not added to the rate quote.
Rate Quotes
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The software provided to ShippingEasy by DHL Express does support the display of rate quotes for your shipping labels on the ORDERS page.
Before you purchase a label, you will see a postage estimate based on the package information you've entered and the rates associated with your DHL Express account credentials.
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The DHL Express software does not support the display of shipping costs for your labels created within ShippingEasy. DHL Express shipments will show a cost of N/A on the READY TO PRINT and SHIPMENT HISTORY pages.
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DHL Express will not send a rate quote to ShippingEasy if the selected shipping service is unavailable for the destination address. The EXPRESS 9:00 service is limited in availability, typically to the central portions of larger cities.
When you select a service that is not available to your destination address, ShippingEasy will display a message:
Commercial Invoices
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Printing customs forms is not necessary for international DHL Express shipments to most countries. ShippingEasy will automatically submit the customs information to DHL Express when you print the shipping label.
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When customs information has been automatically submitted to DHL Express, the term "Paperless Trade" will appear on the archive label (the label that you keep instead of putting on the package):
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ShippingEasy will display a reminder to print customs forms if DHL Express does not support automatically submitting customs information to the destination country of your shipment. DHL has a list of countries it supports automatically submitting customs information.
To print a customs form from the SHIPMENT HISTORY page, click the dropdown and select Download Customs Forms / UPS High Value Report.
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For countries that support automatically submitting customs information but only for shipments up to a certain value, ShippingEasy never submits the customs information automatically because the shipment value can change. For example, you will always need to print the customs form for a DHL Express shipment to Mexico, even if the value of the shipment is less than $300.00.
End of Day Manifests
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When you create a DHL Express label with ShippingEasy, the information about that shipment is automatically transmitted to DHL Express. No need to create a manifest at the end of the day.
To ensure smooth customs clearance and minimize the risk of shipment inspections or delays, it is critical to provide high-quality data for every international shipment. Poor data quality, specifically vague descriptions and missing HS codes, often triggers manual reviews by destination authorities.
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Be Literal: Describe the item as if you are explaining it to someone who cannot see it.
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Include Part Numbers: If your product has a Part Number (PAN), include it in the reference field to help customs verify the item.
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The "Rule of Three": A great description usually answers What it is, What it's made of, and What it's for.
Customs authorities need to know exactly what is being imported, what it is made of, and its intended use. Avoid using internal marketing descriptions or vague terms.
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Avoid Stop Words: Words like "Sample," "Variety," or "Gift" are frequently flagged and may trigger an automatic inspection. For a List of Common Stop Words, see the PDF attachment at the end of this article.
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Include Material Composition: For items like footwear or apparel, specify the materials (e.g., "Men’s jeans, 80% cotton, 20% polyester" instead of just "Jeans").
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Detail the Product Type: Instead of "VINTAGE FOOTWEAR," use "Women’s shoes - leather upper and rubber sole."
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Be Specific: Instead of "Wheel adjusted," use "Bicycle rear pivot part."
Providing a correct HS code (or Commodity Code) is the most effective way to help customs officials categorize your goods.
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🇺🇸 US-Based Shippers: Use the US Census Bureau’s Schedule B Search Engine to find the correct code.
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Global Shippers: Ensure you are using the most current codes required by the destination country to avoid incorrect duty/tax calculations.
When possible, include the specific part or item number in your commercial invoice data. Mapping these to the correct reference fields in your shipping tool (e.g., the "PAN" reference type) provides an extra layer of clarity for clearance agents and helps verify the item against the provided description.
Using vague language is the fastest way to get a shipment flagged for inspection. Below are examples of poor descriptions found in recent audit data versus the clear, detailed descriptions required by customs authorities. For a List of Common Stop Words, see the PDF attachment at the end of this article.
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Poor Description (Vague) |
Better Description (Detailed) |
Why it Matters |
|---|---|---|
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VINTAGE FOOTWEAR |
Women's shoes: leather upper, rubber sole |
Defines gender, material, and sole type. |
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JEANS |
Men’s jeans: 80% cotton, 20% polyester |
Specifies material composition for textiles. |
|
SAMPLE / VARIETY |
Stainless steel kitchen whisk (K792) |
Stop Words like "Sample" or "Variety" trigger automatic flags. |
|
HAIR PRODUCT |
Organic argan oil hair serum (100ml) |
Identifies the specific substance and volume. |
|
The Mesa - Medium |
Canvas messenger bag with brass buckles |
Moves past marketing names to actual physical traits. |
To ensure your international shipments clear customs without delay, use this checklist to review your data before printing your labels.
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[ ] Is the description specific? (e.g., "Men's 100% cotton t-shirt" instead of "Apparel")
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[ ] Did you avoid Stop Words? (Ensure "Sample," "Gift," and "Variety" are not used)
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[ ] Is the material composition listed? (e.g., "Stainless steel," "Leather," "Plastic")
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[ ] Is the HS code/Commodity code included? (Use a search tool if you aren't 100% sure)
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[ ] Is the Part Number (PAN) mapped correctly? (Helps verify the item in the clearance system)
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[ ] Is the unit value and currency accurate? (Ensure values match your commercial invoice)
When writing descriptions, ignore your marketing names. Customs authorities don't know what a Polaris IGX 144+ Linkage Kit is. Instead, describe the physical object: Steel mechanical linkage parts for vehicle suspension.
When integrating with international carriers, how you map data fields in your API payload directly impacts customs clearance rates. While the UI may show a single "Description" field, the backend mapping should prioritize the following:
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Reference Field Mapping (PAN)
To assist customs authorities in verifying shipments against digital records, ensure that product part numbers are mapped to the correct reference type.
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Reference Type: PAN (Part Number)
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Usage: Map your internal SKU or manufacturer part number here. This allows clearance systems to match the physical item to the digital declaration more efficiently.
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Data Integrity vs. UX Display
It is important to note that what the customer sees in the ShipStation or Shopify UI may not always reflect the full data payload sent to the carrier.
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Payload Enrichment: Even if a merchant uses a short marketing title in their store, the integration should attempt to send the most granular description available in the product database to the
descriptionfield in the customs object. -
Stop Word Scrubbing: Consider implementing a validation layer that flags or prevents the use of Stop Words (Sample, Gift, Variety) in the
descriptionfield before the API call is finalized.
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HS Code Automation
Automating the
harmonized_tariff_codefield is the highest-value optimization you can provide. Ensuring this field is populated with a 6 to 10-digit code reduces the reliance on the text description alone, as the code provides a universal language for customs agents worldwide.
To disconnect a UPS account from ShippingEasy, follow these steps:
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Click Manage Account under the UPS account.
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Click the Disconnect button on the Manage Your Account Settings page.
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Click Disconnect in the confirmation popup.
The UPS account will no longer appear on the Carrier Funds page of your ShippingEasy account.
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