DHL eCommerce from ShipStation is an international shipping carrier available to US-based ShipStation accounts shipping from specific regions in the United States. Qualified accounts can immediately create labels for shipments from the Los Angeles/Orange County, Chicago, and Newark areas to Canada using ShipStation's pre-negotiated rates.
Additionally, DHL eCommerce from ShipStation offers a DDP (Delivered Duties Paid) service—DHL Parcel International Direct—so your customers don't receive surprise duties and taxes upon shipment delivery. This carrier's services are currently available to US-based accounts with an active Ship From Location in the Los Angeles/Orange County area, Chicago, and Newark.
Connection Requirements:
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A US-based ShipStation account with at least one Ship From Location in Los Angeles/Orange County area, Chicago, or Newark.
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Activate ShipStation Carriers by adding your payment method.
You'll be prompted to enter your payment method the first time you attempt to create a label with any ShipStation Carrier, or you can add in advance in either your Carrier settings or Payments & Subscription settings.
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Add funds to your ShipStation Balance.
All ShipStation Carrier labels are purchased using the funds in your ShipStation Balance. The first time you add your payment method, you'll be prompted to add funds so you can begin purchasing labels right away.
Shipment Requirements
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Shipments from Los Angeles/Orange County, Chicago, or Newark to Canada only.
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Shipment weight maximum: 66 lbs.
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Maximum dimensions: Length 79" or Length+Girth 118"
Additional Surcharge adjustments may apply, even with accurate Weights & Dimensions.
Charges for additional handling and Adjustment Processing Fees may apply due to the packaging type or other concerns. See our ShipStation Carrier Adjustments page for details.
To activate ShipStation Carriers, you must add your label payment method and agree to the carriers' Terms of Service. Once activated, you'll have access to all the carriers available for your account's country.
To activate ShipStation Carriers:
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Click the Get Started button.
Available carriers will vary by account country.
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Follow the on-screen instructions to enter your billing details, agree to the terms and conditions, and finish the setup.
Once completed, you can add funds to your ShipStation Carriers Balance and create labels with ShipStation Carriers.
Enable Auto-Funding For a Seamless Experience
We recommend enabling auto-funding to ensure your balance always has the funds for your label purchase needs.
ShipStation will sometimes add new carriers to the ShipStation Carriers roster! If you have already activated ShipStation Carriers and would like to start using the new carrier's services, go to Settings > Shipping > Carriers and click the Update button.
Agree to the new carrier's terms, and you're done! Once enabled, you can immediately start creating labels with the new carrier.
DHL eCommerce from ShipStation supports the following standard features:
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Automatic Tracking |
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DHL eCommerce from ShipStation allows for the following additional features:
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Feature |
Description |
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Service include up to $100 loss/damage protection. |
Shipments include coverage up to $100 by default. You cannot add additional carrier insurance to your shipments. However, if needed you can add ParcelGuard insurance to your shipments for coverage up to $400. |
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Advanced payment of duties and taxes when using DHL Parcel International Direct service. |
DHL Parcel International Direct is a DDP (Delivered Duties Paid) service. This means you pay the estimated duties and taxes for a shipment at the time of label creation. You will see the estimated duties and taxes in the Cost Review screen before you purchase the label. You do not need to select any additional options for this DDP service. The service is DDP by default. |
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Supports non-machinable parcels. |
Select the Non-Machinable shipping option if shipping a package that cannot be processed by a postal sorting machine. |
DHL Shipping Unavailable to US Territories
Services for DHL (Express and Ecommerce) and DHL Express by ShipStation no longer support shipments to US territories.
To ensure smooth customs clearance and minimize the risk of shipment inspections or delays, it is critical to provide high-quality data for every international shipment. Poor data quality, specifically vague descriptions and missing HS codes, often triggers manual reviews by destination authorities.
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Be Literal: Describe the item as if you are explaining it to someone who cannot see it.
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Include Part Numbers: If your product has a Part Number (PAN), include it in the reference field to help customs verify the item.
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The "Rule of Three": A great description usually answers What it is, What it's made of, and What it's for.
Customs authorities need to know exactly what is being imported, what it is made of, and its intended use. Avoid using internal marketing descriptions or vague terms.
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Avoid Stop Words: Words like "Sample," "Variety," or "Gift" are frequently flagged and may trigger an automatic inspection. For a List of Common Stop Words, see the PDF attachment at the end of this article.
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Include Material Composition: For items like footwear or apparel, specify the materials (e.g., "Men’s jeans, 80% cotton, 20% polyester" instead of just "Jeans").
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Detail the Product Type: Instead of "VINTAGE FOOTWEAR," use "Women’s shoes - leather upper and rubber sole."
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Be Specific: Instead of "Wheel adjusted," use "Bicycle rear pivot part."
Providing a correct HS code (or Commodity Code) is the most effective way to help customs officials categorize your goods.
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🇺🇸 US-Based Shippers: Use the US Census Bureau’s Schedule B Search Engine to find the correct code.
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Global Shippers: Ensure you are using the most current codes required by the destination country to avoid incorrect duty/tax calculations.
When possible, include the specific part or item number in your commercial invoice data. Mapping these to the correct reference fields in your shipping tool (e.g., the "PAN" reference type) provides an extra layer of clarity for clearance agents and helps verify the item against the provided description.
Using vague language is the fastest way to get a shipment flagged for inspection. Below are examples of poor descriptions found in recent audit data versus the clear, detailed descriptions required by customs authorities. For a List of Common Stop Words, see the PDF attachment at the end of this article.
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Poor Description (Vague) |
Better Description (Detailed) |
Why it Matters |
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VINTAGE FOOTWEAR |
Women's shoes: leather upper, rubber sole |
Defines gender, material, and sole type. |
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JEANS |
Men’s jeans: 80% cotton, 20% polyester |
Specifies material composition for textiles. |
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SAMPLE / VARIETY |
Stainless steel kitchen whisk (K792) |
Stop Words like "Sample" or "Variety" trigger automatic flags. |
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HAIR PRODUCT |
Organic argan oil hair serum (100ml) |
Identifies the specific substance and volume. |
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The Mesa - Medium |
Canvas messenger bag with brass buckles |
Moves past marketing names to actual physical traits. |
To ensure your international shipments clear customs without delay, use this checklist to review your data before printing your labels.
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[ ] Is the description specific? (e.g., "Men's 100% cotton t-shirt" instead of "Apparel")
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[ ] Did you avoid Stop Words? (Ensure "Sample," "Gift," and "Variety" are not used)
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[ ] Is the material composition listed? (e.g., "Stainless steel," "Leather," "Plastic")
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[ ] Is the HS code/Commodity code included? (Use a search tool if you aren't 100% sure)
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[ ] Is the Part Number (PAN) mapped correctly? (Helps verify the item in the clearance system)
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[ ] Is the unit value and currency accurate? (Ensure values match your commercial invoice)
When writing descriptions, ignore your marketing names. Customs authorities don't know what a Polaris IGX 144+ Linkage Kit is. Instead, describe the physical object: Steel mechanical linkage parts for vehicle suspension.
When integrating with international carriers, how you map data fields in your API payload directly impacts customs clearance rates. While the UI may show a single "Description" field, the backend mapping should prioritize the following:
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Reference Field Mapping (PAN)
To assist customs authorities in verifying shipments against digital records, ensure that product part numbers are mapped to the correct reference type.
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Reference Type: PAN (Part Number)
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Usage: Map your internal SKU or manufacturer part number here. This allows clearance systems to match the physical item to the digital declaration more efficiently.
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Data Integrity vs. UX Display
It is important to note that what the customer sees in the ShipStation or Shopify UI may not always reflect the full data payload sent to the carrier.
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Payload Enrichment: Even if a merchant uses a short marketing title in their store, the integration should attempt to send the most granular description available in the product database to the
descriptionfield in the customs object. -
Stop Word Scrubbing: Consider implementing a validation layer that flags or prevents the use of Stop Words (Sample, Gift, Variety) in the
descriptionfield before the API call is finalized.
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HS Code Automation
Automating the
harmonized_tariff_codefield is the highest-value optimization you can provide. Ensuring this field is populated with a 6 to 10-digit code reduces the reliance on the text description alone, as the code provides a universal language for customs agents worldwide.
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DHL eCommerce from ShipStation is currently in a pilot phase and is only available for shipments from the Los Angeles/Orange County area, Chicago, or Newark Canada. This carrier will not be available to your account if you do not have a Ship From Location in one of the qualified areas.
If you add a new Ship From Location in the qualified area and would like to use DHL eCommerce from ShipStation services, please contact our Support Team to request it be enabled for you.
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In-app and on-call pickups are not supported for DHL eCommerce from ShipStation shipments.
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Shipping dangerous goods, alcohol, or dry ice is not supported for DHL eCommerce from ShipStation shipments.
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DHL eCommerce from ShipStation does not support third-party billing.