Purpose: Learn how Paperless Trade works in Sendcloud, which carriers support it, and how customs documents are sent electronically, including additional documents uploaded via the API.
What is Paperless Trade?
Paperless Trade allows customs documents to be transmitted electronically to the shipping carrier instead of being printed and attached to the parcel.
International shipments to destinations outside the EU generally require customs documentation so that customs authorities can inspect the contents and assess any applicable duties or taxes. Normally, this involves printing multiple copies of the required documents and attaching them to the parcel.
With Paperless Trade, the customs documents are automatically sent digitally to the carrier and associated with the shipment. This reduces the need for printed documentation.
💡 Good to know: Paperless Trade is not available for every carrier, shipping method, or destination. Depending on the shipment, you may still need to attach additional documents or complete other customs procedures. Always check the carrier's shipping conditions and the destination country's customs requirements.
Which customs documents are transmitted?
For international shipments, the required customs documentation generally includes a commercial invoice or a CN22/CN23 customs declaration for postal carriers. When Paperless Trade is supported, these documents are automatically forwarded to the carrier.
💡 Tracking number on commercial invoices: When customs documents first become available in Sendcloud, the tracking number may not yet appear on the commercial invoice because the shipping label hasn't been created. Once the label is created, you can download the invoice again from the Sendcloud panel to see the tracking number.
Upload additional customs documents via the API
If you use the Sendcloud API, you can upload your own customs documents in PDF format and attach them to your shipments.
These additional documents are forwarded digitally to the carrier alongside the customs documents generated by Sendcloud.
Important: Uploading customs documents via the API is currently supported for DHL Express only. This limitation applies specifically to API document uploads, not to general Paperless Trade availability.
For technical instructions and requirements, see the Upload a customs document API documentation .
Which carriers support Paperless Trade?
The following carriers support Paperless Trade for certain shipping origins and destinations. Not every destination is supported, so check the corresponding carrier information before shipping.
| Carrier | From country | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail* | UK | All destinations outside the UK |
| DPD | NL, BE, DE, AT | To the UK |
| UPS** | NL, BE, DE, ES, FR, IT, GB, AT | View supported destinations |
| DHL Express*** | NL, BE, DE, ES, FR, IT, GB, AT | View supported destinations |
| Colissimo | FR | French overseas islands |
| FedEx | NL, BE, DE, ES, FR, IT, UK, AT | View supported destinations (scroll to the bottom of the article) |
| DPD UK | UK | View supported destinations |
Important carrier-specific information
*Royal Mail: CN23 customs declarations
When shipping internationally with Royal Mail via Sendcloud, Intersoft Intelligent Shipper® only produces a CN23 customs form.
Although CN22 is not supported, this does not cause delivery delays. The CN23 form includes all the information required for both CN22 and CN23 documents, simplifying the customs process and ensuring delivery can proceed normally.
**UPS: Enable Paperless Trade for direct contracts
UPS supports Paperless Trade. If you use your own direct contract with UPS, make sure Paperless Trade is enabled for your contract.
Visit the UPS website for more information about enabling Paperless Trade.
***DHL Express: Check the PLT indicator
Even if a destination appears in the DHL Express supported-country list, other factors may determine whether Paperless Trade is available for a shipment.
Always check for the letters PLT in the black area of your shipping label to confirm that Paperless Trade applies.
How does Paperless Trade work in the Sendcloud panel?
When an order is imported into Sendcloud through your webshop integration, some of the information needed for customs documentation may already be included.
Follow these steps to complete the required information and create your shipment.
Step 1: Check your order information
Go to Shipping > Orders > Incoming orders and open the order you want to ship.
Review the customs information imported from your webshop. If any required details are missing, the order may appear with an error.
Edit the order to add the missing information. For more details, see How to generate and manage customs documents in Sendcloud.
Step 2: Save the order and create the shipping label
Once you've completed the required customs information, click Save and create the shipping label as usual.
Based on the information provided, Sendcloud automatically generates the required customs documents. If the carrier and shipment support Paperless Trade, the documents are transmitted digitally to the carrier.
Step 3: Check the document transmission
After creating the label, go to the Created labels tab.
- Find the shipment you want to check.
- Click the eye icon next to the shipment to open its details.
- Check the notification confirming that the customs information has been transmitted.
You should see a notification similar to the example below:
💡 Incoming orders overview update: We're currently rolling out a new version of the Incoming orders overview to a limited group of users. Your screen may look different from the screenshots or steps shown in this article. See what's changed .
Why use Paperless Trade?
Paperless Trade offers several benefits when shipping internationally:
- Less paper waste: Reduce the number of printed customs documents required for your shipments.
- Lower supply costs: Save money on paper, ink, and other printing materials.
- Faster shipment preparation: Spend less time printing, folding, and attaching customs documents to parcels.
- Fewer potential delays: Digital customs information can help resolve customs-related queries more quickly.
Related articles
→ How to generate and manage customs documents in Sendcloud