Things to take into account when shipping internationally – Sendcloud Help Center

Purpose: Learn how you can use Sendcloud to ensure that your packages arrive smoothly to your international customers.

This article is only a guide and Sendcloud can in no way be held responsible for any issues with your export documents. Always verify the shipping conditions of the carrier and the customs regulations before shipping to a destination that requires customs documents.

For more tips and tricks on international shipping, visit our blog entry: International Shipping: A Checklist for Problem-Free Global Shipping.

Fill in your business details and required identification numbers

EORI and VAT numbers are mandatory in commercial invoices, which are required when shipping outside the EU with commercial carriers. In general, make sure that your business details are complete in your Sendcloud account. Otherwise, customs might reject your parcels and have them returned to the sender address.

How to set up your EORI and VAT in Sendcloud

To do this, go to Settings > Addresses > Sender address > Choose a sender address > Click the pen icon to edit and add your VAT and EORI numbers. If you ship from the EU to the UK, you have to include specific GB EORI and VAT numbers. Find out more about VAT and EORI numbers in our dedicated article.

If you ship from the UK to the EU, you can also add your IOSS number in this page. Read here how to add it.

Configure your printer settings

To automatically download your pre-filled customs documents when you create a label, in the Sendcloud panel go to Settings > Printing > Customs documents > Check the option Print customs documents with labels. Select the printer, the format and the number of copies.

If no printer is selected, customs documents will be downloaded in PDF format.

Please note that your print settings are saved locally, which means that if you use a different computer the printer needs to be set up again.

Choose your shipping method

If you want to offer flexible delivery options on your checkout page so that your customers can choose their preferred carrier, whether express or regular, you can activate several carriers in your Sendcloud account. Click here for more information on how to enable your carriers.

Please make sure you don't ship prohibited items! Rules may vary depending on the country and carrier. If you are not sure, we recommend that you always visit the official website of the carrier you are going to use, even if you create the labels from your Sendcloud panel. For more information about the goods that are generally not authorized, check our blog here.

Consider not offering restricted items to international clients.

If you ship with Sendcloud rates, we advise you to read the shipping conditions article of the carrier that you are interested in using and check the maximum dimensions so that you choose a shipping method and a carrier that suits the packaging and dimensions of your parcel. For more details, check our Carriers page.

Keep in mind that carriers may apply volumetric weight, also known as dimensional weight, which is the "volume" that a parcel occupies when in transit. To calculate the volumetric weight of your parcel and avoid extra costs, read this article.

Incoterms

Also, take into account which incoterm you'd like to use. The incoterm by default is DAP unless it's mentioned otherwise in the name of the shipping method. If you ship with Sendcloud’s rates, all the international shipping methods will use DAP (Delivered at Place), which is the most commonly used Incoterm. This means that the seller is responsible for the shipping costs, the insurance, and the preparation of export documents, while the recipient will pay any import duties.

If you ship with your own carrier contract, you might have the option to use DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) depending on the carrier.

Note: If the recipient refuses to pay the import fees for a shipment, the package will be returned. Import costs will still apply (also in case of returns), and the sender will be invoiced accordingly.

For more information on Incoterms, read our guide here.

How to compare rates

To compare the different available carriers per destination and their prices, you can use our Price list. You will find it in Settings > Rates > Price list. You can also use our list to view prices of return methods. Apart from prices, you will find the main features of each shipping method, like transit times, first-mile and last-mile options, etc. For more information, please read our article on How to view shipping and return rates in the panel.

Create a label

More detailed information about international shipping details can be found here. It is also possible to insure your packages with Sendcloud Insurance Terms & Conditions at label creation.

Correctly apply the shipping label to the box

Labels printed with Sendcloud comply with the standards set by the different carriers and are ready to be applied. Read more about how to print your shipping labels here.

Ensure that you have correctly applied the label to your parcel to avoid delays, issues and losses. Some general tips include:

Place the label on the outside of the box, if possible on the widest side
Make sure the label is fully visible: there should not be any additional or old labels, and nothing should cover it
The adhesive tape should not cover any important information in the label, including the barcode
Use a clear, specially designed shipping envelope to attach your customs documents and invoices to the same side where you placed the shipping label.

Include customs documents

Each parcel you send to a non-EU country must be accompanied by customs documents. These include but are not limited to:

Customs declarations (postal carriers): CN22 or CN23
Commercial invoice (commercial carriers)
Certificate of Origin

You can download your pre-filled customs documents by going to the details of your international order, complete all the required fields (HS code, origin country, description and measures of the articles, etc.) and create the label. Then, go to the Created labels tab, open the label details and download your customs form.

You can also automatize this by selecting the option "Print customs documents with labels" in Settings > Printing. If you check this option, your customs documents will be printed at the same time as the label. You will also be able to select the number of copies that you want to print. We advise to print 5 copies. Don't forget to click Update settings.

Keep in mind that some carriers support Paperless Trade. For those cases, no document will be printed, as it will automatically be sent to the carrier.

Read our article What is the difference between a commercial invoice, a CN22 and CN23? For more detailed information about the different documents and requirements.

→ How to create an international shipment in Sendcloud

→ What is the difference between a commercial invoice, a CN22 and CN23?

→ International shipping: VAT & EORI numbers

→ How to add your IOSS number

→ How to calculate & automate parcel volumetric weight

→ Send your customs documents digitally via Paperless Trade