Purpose: learn how to avoid unwanted DHL surcharges when your package does not meet the carrier shipping conditions.
These surcharges can be charged when the package does not meet the DHL conditions. The carrier decides whether a package does or does not meet the requirements when the package arrives in the sorting centre. This is the reason why surcharges are not applied at label creation, but will be invoiced afterwards on your Sendcloud invoice. You can receive these general surcharges when shipping with all DHL shipping methods. Therefore, please read this section carefully. Additionally, we also advise to check the specific surcharges that apply to the shipping method you are using in the section Surcharge over maximum limits. Would you like to ship a pallet with DHL Europlus pallet? You can find the conditions and surcharges in these articles.
Important: To dispute a DHL surcharge, submit your request within 14 days of the invoice date, including all required evidence. This includes:
- Photos of the shipment’s dimensions (with a measuring tape),
- A photo of the shipment on a scale,
- The sales invoice for the shipment.
You can file your dispute on the Support page in your Sendcloud panel. Please note that missing any required details or submitting after the 14-day period may result in the carrier rejecting your dispute.
General DHL NL Surcharges |
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| Surcharge | Description | Cost |
| Fuel surcharge | A variable surcharge added on top of shipping costs to cover fuel price fluctuations. DHL applies this surcharge, but Sendcloud has negotiated capped rates, so you may pay less than with a direct DHL contract. Click for more info | Fluctuates |
| Drop off label not scanned at parcel shop | If you create a DHL Drop Off label but don’t hand in the parcel at a service point, this surcharge applies. The description will be “Drop off label not scanned at parcel shop”. If the label isn’t used because the parcel isn’t returned, no surcharge is billed. | €1.00 |
| Forward to a different delivery address | Within the Benelux, if a delivery attempt was unsuccessful, the shipment can be forwarded to a different delivery address. | €9.70 + 75% of the shipping fee |
| Customs surcharge | Whenever you ship to a country that requires customs handling, a surcharge will be taken into account. Customs handling applies to countries outside the EU and Switzerland and Norway. | €32.50 |
| Surcharge for Wadden Islands | Any shipment/pallet that is shipped to one of the Wadden Islands. | €5.70 per package/€32.70 per pallet |
| Surcharge remote area | This surcharge will be applied when the destination address is remote or hard to reach. List of destinations. | €0.35 per kg with a min of €17.75 (NL) |
| Surcharge new label |
Charged when DHL needs to print a new label, for example due to: - Illegible barcode - Label errors - Label not placed on the longest side - Address correction How to prevent - Print the label clearly in bold black ink - Ensure the barcode is readable and undamaged - Reprint the label if it's scratched or misprinted |
€1.00 |
| Surcharge return to sender |
Charged when a parcel cannot be delivered and is returned to the sender. This applies in cases such as: - Customer refuses the shipment - Delivery attempt failed - Incorrect address - Parcel not collected from pickup point on time |
Flat fee of €1.45 (NL) + the outbound rate |
| Pick-up fee |
Applies when fewer than 4 parcels are handed over per pickup on average. DHL calculates the fee monthly by dividing the shortfall in parcels by 4 to determine how many pickups were below the required minimum. |
€4.50/ pickup |
| Surcharge Europallet exchange service (only possible within Benelux) |
DHL manages balance registration and returns shipped Europallets in good condition within 4 weeks. Applies to both single and multi-destination shipments. |
€3.55 |
| Surcharge over maximum limits |
This surcharge applies when a parcel exceeds the weight or size limits defined in the carrier’s conditions. Limits may vary by shipping method. Check the DHLforyou, Europlus, and Parcel Connect surcharge sections for details. |
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DHLForYou 2.0 surcharges |
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| Surcharge | Description | Cost |
| Surcharges based on weight and/or dimensions | DHLForYou 2.0 uses volumetric weight brackets. See the DHLForYou 2.0 explained article for further information. If the wrong size is selected, the price is corrected later based on the actual package size. This is not a surcharge but a price adjustment. Regular outside of specification surcharges may still apply. |
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| Surcharge for packaging |
Applies when a parcel needs manual processing. Common causes include fragile labels, incorrect label placement, non-standard packaging (e.g. wood, metal, round tubes), combined boxes, or unsecured contents. How to prevent - Avoid round tubes - Do not add “fragile” or similar labels - Place the shipping label horizontally on the longest side - Do not tape multiple parcels together - Use enough inner packaging to keep contents from shifting |
€7.45 |
| Surcharge DHLforyou Letterbox | Larger than 38x26.5x3.2 cm but smaller than 80x60x50 cm, or heavier than 2 kg but lighter than 20 kg. | €1.00 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (large) |
Within the Netherlands (NL → NL): From the Netherlands to Belgium (NL → BE): - Parcel larger than 80×60×50 cm, but smaller than 120×60×60 cm, the surcharge is €7.45 - Parcel larger than 120×60×60 cm, but smaller than 180×100×50 cm, the surcharge is €23.70 |
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| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra large) |
Within the Netherlands (NL → NL): - From the Netherlands to Belgium (NL → BE): |
€27.70 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (heavy) | Heavier than 20 kg but lighter than 31,5 kg. | €4.45 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra heavy) |
Parcels over 31.5 kg are charged as pallets, which can result in significantly higher costs. Always stay within the weight limits to avoid this surcharge. |
Pallet rate + €16.70 |
DHLForYou surcharges |
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| Surcharge | Description | Cost |
| Surcharge for packaging |
Applies when a parcel needs manual processing. Common causes include fragile labels, incorrect label placement, non-standard packaging (e.g. wood, metal, round tubes), combined boxes, or unsecured contents. How to prevent - Avoid round tubes - Do not add “fragile” or similar labels - Place the shipping label horizontally on the longest side - Do not tape multiple parcels together - Use enough inner packaging to keep contents from shifting |
€7.45 |
| Surcharge DHLforyou Letterbox | Larger than 38x26.5x3.2 cm but smaller than 80x60x50 cm, or heavier than 2 kg but lighter than 20 kg. | €1.00 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (large) |
Within the Netherlands (NL → NL): From the Netherlands to Belgium (NL → BE): - Parcel larger than 80×60×50 cm, but smaller than 120×60×50 cm, the surcharge is €7.45. - Parcel larger than 120×60×50 cm, but smaller than 180×100×50 cm, the surcharge is €23.70. |
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| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra large) |
Within the Netherlands (NL → NL): From the Netherlands to Belgium (NL → BE): |
€49.70 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (heavy) | Heavier than 20 kg but lighter than 31,5 kg. | €4.45 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra heavy) | Parcels over 31.5 kg are charged as pallets, which can result in significantly higher costs. Always stay within the weight limits to avoid this surcharge. | Pallet rate + €16.70 |
DHL Europlus surcharges |
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| Surcharge | Description | Cost |
| Surcharge for packaging |
Applies when a parcel needs manual processing. Common causes include fragile labels, incorrect label placement, non-standard packaging (e.g. wood, metal, round tubes), combined boxes, or unsecured contents. How to prevent - Avoid round tubes - Do not add “fragile” or similar labels - Place the shipping label horizontally on the longest side - Do not tape multiple parcels together - Use enough inner packaging to keep contents from shifting |
€7.45 |
| Surcharge for packaging (small) | Smaller than 15 x 11 x 3.5 cm | €3.70 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (large) | Larger than 120x60x50 cm but smaller than 180x100x50 cm | €7.45 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra large) Parcel |
Larger than 180x100x50 cm but smaller than 240x100x200 cm or; A parcel between (length) 240 and 600 cm with a maximum diameter of 30 cm available in a box W100xH50 cm with a maximum of L240xW100xH200 cm |
€49.70 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra large) Pallet | If a pallet is larger than 120 x 100 cm, up to a maximum of 240 x 100 cm, or if goods extend beyond the pallet, a surcharge will apply. The shipping cost will be multiplied by the number of sides that exceed the allowed dimensions or where goods are sticking out. | No fixed price |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (heavy) | Heavier than 20 kg but lighter than 31,5 kg. This also applies to the volumetric weight. | €4.45 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra heavy) | Parcels over 31.5 kg are charged as pallets, which can result in significantly higher costs. Always stay within the weight limits to avoid this surcharge. | Pallet rate + €16.70 |
DHL Parcel connect surcharges |
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| Surcharge | Description | Cost |
| Surcharge for packaging |
Applies when a parcel needs manual processing. Common causes include fragile labels, incorrect label placement, non-standard packaging (e.g. wood, metal, round tubes), combined boxes, or unsecured contents. How to prevent - Avoid round tubes - Do not add “fragile” or similar labels - Place the shipping label horizontally on the longest side - Do not tape multiple parcels together - Use enough inner packaging to keep contents from shifting |
€7.45 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra large) | Larger than 120x60x60 cm, with a maximum length of 180 cm and a maximum volume of 432 L | €23.70 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (heavy) | Heavier than 20 kg but lighter than 31.5 kg |
€4.45 |
| Surcharge outside of specifications (extra heavy) | Parcels over 31.5 kg are charged as pallets, which can result in significantly higher costs. Always stay within the weight limits to avoid this surcharge. | Pallet rate + €16.70 |
| Return surcharge outside of specifications (large) |
Parcels between 180–240 cm in length or over 432 L in volume will receive a €22.70 surcharge when returned by DHL. If over 240 cm or larger than 432 L, the same fee applies and the parcel will be returned to sender. |
€27.70 |
| Return surcharge outside of specifications (heavy) | Returned parcels over 20 kg (up to 31.5 kg) incur a €22.70 surcharge. Parcels over 31.5 kg are charged at pallet rates, which can be significantly more costly. Always stay within the weight limits to avoid extra fees. | €27.70 |
To avoid the above mentioned surcharges please carefully read the shipping conditions, make sure you stay well within the permitted dimensions and, of course, select the right network for your package.