Deutsche Post contract activation

Purpose: Learn how to connect your own Deutsche Post carrier contract with your Sendcloud account in three easy steps. 

The Sendcloud subscription plans have been updated. If the subscriptions shown in the banner above don’t match your current subscription plan and you’d like to know more, please click here.

Step 1: Activate your Sendcloud subscription

Sendcloud offers three subscriptions with which you are able to use your own transport contract: Lite, Growth and Premium.

For more information regarding which plan is best for you and the needs of your business, you can always contact us via the support section of your Sendcloud account or click here.

Step 2: Enable your carrier contract

Once you have activated a Sendcloud subscription, you can connect your carrier contract. 

In your Sendcloud panel navigate to Settings > Carriers. Go to the My contracts tab and find Deutsche Post from the list. Click Add contract. Here you can add the credentials needed to validate the connection.

Step 3: Enter your Deutsche Post contract details

For National and International contracts

Complete the form with the information below and click Add this contract when you are done.

• Contract name (optional): Add a name to easily identify your contract throughout the panel (e.g. My DP contract).
• Unified Tracking API Key (optional): This is the API Key developed by Deutsche Post for tracking updates. You can request your own Unified Tracking API Key on the carrier's developer portal. If you add this API Key, you will be able to retrieve tracking information for shipments faster. If you don't fill in this field, we will use our own API to track shipments.
  Click here to learn how to obtain your Unified Tracking API Key

  Follow the steps below:

  1. Log in to the API Developer Portal or sign up
  2. Click My Apps
  3. Click the + Create App button
  4. Complete the Add App form
     - App name: Unified Tracking API
     - Add API to App: Click the red + button to select Shipment Tracking - Unified
     
  5. Click Create App when you have completed the form
  6. Once the App is created, you can access the API Key by clicking the new App > Show Key.
     
  Click here to learn how increase the rate limit of your Unified Tracking API to ensure updated tracking of your shipments

  Follow the steps below only once you have created your Unified Tracking API App:

  1. Log in to the API Developer Portal
  2. Go to Apps
  3. Click on the name of the App that you just created for the Unified Tracking API
     
     
     
  4. Click Upgrade Rate Limit
     
     
  5. Fill in the form with the information provided below:
     - Expected rate of usage: 1 call per second
     - Purpose of usage: I want to track my own shipments
     - DHL division: Select both Post Germany and Parcel Germany
     -Mark the option Send yourself a copy
  6. Click Send Message to submit the form.

National Deutsche Post (if you ship from Germany)

• Email: This is the email address that you use to access Deutsche Post Portokasse (not the post portal).
• Password: This is the password address that you use to access Deutsche Post Portokasse (not the post portal).
• EKP (customer number): Your account number can be found on your Deutsche Post invoices and consists of 10 digits. If you don’t know your account number, please contact your Deutsche Post account manager.

Deutsche Post International (only if you ship from outside Germany)

• Account number EKP: Your account number can be found on your Deutsche Post contract or invoices and consists of 9 (usually start with 19) or 10 digits (usually start with 5 or 6).
• Client ID: This is the Client ID provided by Deutsche Post Sales Support. It is a long combination of letters and numbers and it is case sensitive (e.g.  WOG6abGic39Bce7IXrGHHoH8jAeZTGYV). 
• Client secret: This is the Client secret provided by Deutsche Post Sales Support. It is a long combination of letters and numbers and it is case sensitive (e.g.  A8ByQgcz6McmAtvl).

*The EKP number is needed for the creation of harmonised labels.  It's also referred to as your business customer number, and can be found at the top right corner of your Deutsche Post invoices. If you have any issues in retrieving this information, we advise you to contact your Deutsche Post account manager or the Deutsche Post customer service for assistance.