GlobalPost is a modern, economical way to ship internationally from the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK to more than 220 countries*. For accounts based in these countries, you automatically have access to GlobalPost from ShipStation services once you’ve set up your ShipStation Carriers payment method.
When shipping with GlobalPost, you can enjoy the following benefits:
-
Some of the most competitive rates for international shipping (visit the GlobalPost List Pricing page for rate details)
-
Electronic customs forms submission - you no longer have to worry about printing customs forms!
-
Automatic Harmonized System Codes - as long as your item descriptions are accurate, GlobalPost will add the proper HS Codes to your customs forms!
-
No minimum volume requirements
-
No hidden surcharges
-
Default loss and damage coverage (varies by country and service)
-
Dedicated GlobalPost tracking
*GlobalPost does NOT ship to the following countries: Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Russia
🇺🇸 Shipping GlobalPost with a Stamps.com Account
This article is about using GlobalPost from ShipStation, a carrier included with ShipStation carrier services.
For details about using GlobalPost services with your Stamps.com account, please read our Stamps.com: GlobalPost Services help article.
-
A ShipStation account based in the US, Canada, Australia, or the UK
-
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.
-
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.
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:
-
Click the Get Started button.
Available carriers will vary by account country.
-
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 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.
GlobalPost service availability and details will differ by country, as well as some of the details for those services, like which countries you can ship to, the maximum weight and dimensions of packages, default loss/damage coverage, and how duties and taxes are handled.
Click the link for your account country below to learn which services are available to you and details you need to know to ship successfully with GlobalPost.
To ship with GlobalPost, select one of the GlobalPost services in your Services drop-down menu, then create the label like you normally would.
Available services will vary by your account home country.
Always Include Package Dimensions
When configuring your GlobalPost shipments, we recommend you always include accurate package dimensions for the shipment, in addition to the weight. Even though dimensions are not required for you to create a label, adding the package dimensions will ensure you receive the most accurate rate. Because GlobalPost uses dimensional weight, in most cases where dimensions are not included for the shipment, you will receive a post-shipment adjustment back to your account for the difference in the rate paid versus the actual rate.
Your label will print with the nearest GlobalPost Domestic Processing Facility address. Once the facility receives the shipment, it will be relabeled with its international label and all required customs documentation. It will then be sent to the recipient via a GlobalPost partner carrier.
If you don't use all of the available GlobalPost services, you can disable them in your account's carrier settings so the service is not available when configuring your shipments.
To disable a GlobalPost service:
-
Click the Services link next to GlobalPost.
-
Deselect the service(s) you do not wish to use and save your changes.
These services will no longer be visible in your Services list. You can always enable them for future use.
🇺🇸 Does Not Disable GAP Services
Disabling GlobalPost services in ShipStation does not affect GAP labels. When you disable GlobalPost services in your Carrier settings, this only disables the GlobalPost branded services in your account. If you wish to not use GAP labels, you must contact our support team and request your account be opted out of the Global Advantage Program.
GlobalPost also provides some useful tools to assist in your international shipping: The HS Classification Tool (or Harmonization Code Lookup) and the Duties & Taxes Calculator.
The Harmonization Code Lookup tool helps you find the appropriate harmonization codes for your customs declarations. We recommend always including the correct harmonization codes on your customs declarations to ensure the destination country's customs authority can process your shipment in the quickest way possible.
To use the lookup tool, enter a simple item description in the search field and click Find Code. You'll then be prompted to drill down on the details of your item with a series of multiple-choice questions until the right code has been identified.
You can then enter the code into the Harmonization Code field for the shipment in ShipStation.
If you have a product catalog in ShipStation, you can enter the product's harmonization code into the product details and ShipStation will automatically add it to the customs declaration for every order containing that product.
The GlobalPost Duties & Taxes Calculator can help you estimate how much duties and taxes can be expected when shipping certain types of goods (based on your HS code) to certain countries. Know in advance how much duties & taxes will apply to a shipment so you can budget or charge your customers appropriately.
Should any of your GlobalPost shipments that include loss/damage coverage become lost or damaged in transit, you can file a claim within 90 days of the shipment date.
GlobalPost Claim limits vary by country. Please see the relevant country guide for current claim limits:
-
All claims must be filed by the shipper, not the recipient.
-
Damage claims can be submitted at any time. Claims for lost packages cannot be submitted until 30 days after the shipment date.
-
All claims must be submitted within 90 days after the shipment date.
-
Go to the GlobalPost Claim Form page.
-
Fill in the online form:
-
You will need a good contact email, the shipment tracking number, the shipment date, and the claim amount.
-
Do not include the shipping cost when filling in the Claim Amount field. If the claim is approved, the shipping cost will be added to your total payment.
-
For damage claims, upload an image of the damaged shipment.
-
-
Send the form when all fields have been completed.
-
If you submit a partially completed form, GlobalPost will not be able to process your claim and will notify you via email. Complete any missing information on your previously submitted claim form and resubmit it, or complete a new claim.
-
Once a claim has been approved, the refund will be immediately credited to your shipping account. It can take up to 3 weeks for a claim to be processed. Please contact GlobalPost if you have not received a response to your claim within 3 weeks.
If you feel your claim was incorrectly denied, please submit a new claim with new or updated information.
-
When configuring your GlobalPost shipments, we recommend always including the package dimensions for the shipment, in addition to the weight. GlobalPost uses dimensional weight, so even though dimensions are not required for you to create a label, adding the package dimensions will ensure you receive the most accurate rate.
Because GlobalPost uses dimensional weight, in most cases where dimensions are not included for the shipment, you will receive a post-shipment adjustment back to your account for the difference in the rate paid versus the actual rate.
-
There are two tracking numbers associated with a GlobalPost shipment:
-
The GlobalPost tracking number.
ShipStation sends this tracking number to your customer and selling channel during the marketplace notification processes.
For Economy shipments, packages are tracked only to the destination country. For Standard and Smartsaver shipments, packages are tracked to the destination address.
-
The tracking number on the actual label generated in ShipStation.
This tracking number can only be used to track the movement from the shipment's origin location to the GlobalPost sorting facility. It is not shared with your customer or selling channel.
-
-
You will not print customs forms in ShipStation.
ShipStation will submit the customs information electronically, and GlobalPost will include the necessary customs documents when the package is relabeled at their sorting facility. Additionally, if your item descriptions in ShipStation are accurate, GlobalPost will automatically add the correct HS Codes to your customs forms for all EU-bound shipments.
-
Additional carrier insurance is not available for GlobalPost shipments. However, you can add ShipStation's partner insurance to GlobalPost shipments.
-
Currently, GlobalPost labels do not support Unicode characters (for example, Kanji or Cyrillic).
-
Label Messages for SmartSaver supports three reference fields, all other services only support the first two reference fields. Up to 24 characters can be used per field.