Purpose: In this article, we explain the surcharges that GLS Italy may apply.
This carrier applies fuel surcharges.
📐 National volumetric & size surcharges
Volumetric weight
GLS will compare the volumetric weight and the actual weight of a parcel and charge whichever is the greater of the two.
The carrier uses this formula to calculate volumetric weight: length x width x height (in cm) / 3333.
📍 National delivery, redelivery & non-delivery surcharges
Delivery at a higher floor – Up to 20 kg free; over that, €5.20 per 100 kg
The carrier can deliver the package to a higher floor if you live in a multistory apartment building.
Cost: Up to 20 kg free; over that, GLS will charge €5.20 per 100 kg.
Non-deliverable parcel – €5.20 for up to 10 days of storage + return handling costs
The carrier makes a first and a second delivery attempt for each shipment. If the recipient is absent on the second attempt as well, a file will be opened and the shipment will be kept in storage at the appropriate GLS office. This may happen if parcels have an incorrect or incomplete address, for example.
When a package is not delivered, GLS assigns a new tracking number for the return. This means that it cannot be directly linked to the original shipment, but we still know which carrier handled the return. For this reason, a charge will be applied to you, with the description "Non-deliverable parcel + tracking number". This helps cover the return handling costs.
Costs:
€5.20 for up to 10 days of storage
(For shipments to ParcelShops, the dossier will be opened 10 days after delivery.)
+ Return handling costs
Redelivery fees – €2.20
A fee is applied if a new address is reported. These are the costs for releasing the shipment and forwarding it to a new address.
Cost: €2.20
📦 National documentation & proof surcharges
Proof of Delivery (hard copy) – €10.20
It's possible to request a hard copy of the proof of delivery (POD) of your shipment from 3 months after delivery and up to one year. GLS charges a fee for this.
Alternatively, you can request a digital POD (DigiPOD) for free. The DigiPOD is available for 3 months after delivery.
Cost: €10.20
🏔️ Remote area surcharges (national)
Remote areas* – €15.70
Shipments to some islands, included those in the Venetian lagoon, will receive a surcharge. To view all the postal codes affected and the provinces they are part of, download this document.
Cost: €15.70
How to avoid the remote areas surcharge?
To avoid surcharges when shipping to remote areas, you may consider using an alternative carrier like Poste Delivery Business. This can be automated with our shipping rules so that you still keep shipping with GLS to normal addresses but switch to Poste Delivery Business when the delivery address is located in a remote area.
To automate this, follow the next steps: Download this .csv file if you want to use Poste Delivery Standard Domicilio > Log into your Sendcloud account and go to Shipping > Shipping Rules > Click Upload file > Upload the file you just downloaded.
Once the upload is completed, you will see a new shipping rule, which you can preview on the right or edit if necessary. This shipping rule will allow you to ship with Poste Delivery Business to all the remote postal codes mentioned in the conditions, and therefore avoid the remote area surcharge applied by GLS.
💬 Other national surcharges
Toll surcharge – €0.05
GLS charges tolls due to the routes the vehicles take when transporting goods.
Cost: €0.05
No pick-up fee – €6.40 per pick-up
GLS may apply a surcharge if there are no shipments to pick-up. This surcharge is levied to compensate for operational costs incurred even when there are no packages to collect.
Cost: €6.40 per pick-up
Port change – €5.40
A surcharge is applied when there is a change in the port of entry or delivery for shipments, reflecting the adjustments needed in logistics planning and routing.
Cost: €5.40
Shipments from Sicily – €1.20 per parcel
An additional fee will be applied to all shipments originating from Sicily.
This surcharge also applies to shipments sent within Sicily (i.e. Sicily to Sicily).
Cost: €1.20 per parcel
💬 Fuel surcharges
Fuel surcharge (national) – 6 %
GLS Italy charges a fixed fuel surcharge.
Rate: 6 %
Fuel surcharge (international) – 6 %
GLS Italy charges a fixed fuel surcharge.
Rate: 6 %
📍 International pick-up surcharges
Pick-up abroad – €10.20
A surcharge applies for requesting a pick-up in another country.
Cost: €10.20
🌍 International customs & documentation surcharges
EUR 1 Document – €15.20
An additional fee is charged to cover the administrative costs of issuing the EUR 1 document, which is necessary to obtain customs duty benefits in destination countries.
Cost: €15.20
Customs operations extra EU – €50.20
An additional charge is applied to cover customs processing for shipments destined for countries outside the European Union.
Cost: €50.20
Customs operations for Turkey – €80.20
An additional fee is applied to cover customs processing for shipments destined for Turkey.
Cost: €80.20
Customs operations for UK (Other Incoterms) – €40.20
An additional fee is charged to cover customs processing for shipments to the UK under other Incoterm conditions.
Cost: €40.20
Where can I see these surcharges on my invoice?
Surcharges are applied by the carrier after the shipment has been processed and may not be visible when you create the label.
You can find these charges in your Sendcloud account via Account > Billing, where you can download your invoice in PDF or CSV format:
- PDF invoice: Shows a summary of your total costs, including surcharges.
- CSV invoice: Shows a detailed breakdown per shipment, including the tracking number, shipping cost, and any applied surcharges.
💡 Tip: Use the tracking number in the CSV to identify which shipment a surcharge applies to.
For a full explanation of how shipping costs and surcharges are invoiced and how to read them, see Shipment invoicing.
To avoid the supplements mentioned above, please read carefully GLS Italy's shipping conditions and terms and make sure that your packages meet the necessary requirements.