For a first-timer, shipping your goods internationally can seem like a bit of a minefield, full of regulations and terms that could make or break your business, internationally.
And although many people feel comfortable sending packages internationally at their local Post Office, doing so limits your options and leaves you susceptible to extra charges and hidden costs. At Interparcel, we're here to unravel the mystery of international shipping.
1. What you can ship (and what you can't)
Different countries have their own rules about what items can be imported into the country, and which items cannot cross the border. It's important to first distinguish between Prohibited Items and Restricted Items.
- When goods are prohibited for import, it means that you cannot send that particular item to the country in question under any circumstances
- When goods are restricted, you may be allowed to import them with permission. For example, you need special permission to send precious metals to China.
- Protection: You'll need to bubble-wrap, tissue cover, or pad your parcel in some way before placing your product inside a corrugated cardboard box or mailing bag and securing it with packing tape. The box you choose must be sturdy enough to withstand the long trip. Pro tip: The item should be wrapped in at least 5cm of foam or padding
- Presentation: Most importantly for businesses, your protected parcel should also be presentable. No one wants to pay for a cardboard box that's been hacked together with duct tape. If you have special packaging, keep the original packaging intact and ship the entire order in a cardboard box.
- The dimensions of your parcel when packaged, (length, width, height)
- Its weight when packaged (kg)
- The full delivery address of the recipient including their contact number
- What the item is (a detailed description is best)
- The value of the item
- The country of origin
- Advanced shipping manager: collate orders from multiple eCommerce platforms into one place
- In-built address verification and correction, no more manual errors or unprofessional mistakes
- New branded tracking, create a seamless brand experience when customers track orders
- Despatch orders in a few clicks from the comfort of your home
- Cheap international shipping!
You can check the Prohibited and Restricted Items list for a breakdown of items, filtered by country to check if your items are safe to send.
2. Don't skimp on the box
Your business may take the time to create an unique unboxing experience, but, if it arrives in a broken heap your customer's won't be too pleased.
Make sure you're focusing on the two P's equally,
3. Check your box's weight and dimensions
Weight limits aren't just a way to price your parcel delivery. It's also a way to ensure that your parcel won't rip or overflow during the shipping process.
These details are also important when you book an international parcel delivery. You need to know:
Once you know this information, you can pop them into our Quote Tool, to instantly compare quotes from a range of carriers.
4. Understand commercial invoices
When booking with Interparcel, we will provide you with all the correct documentation to fill out and attach to your parcel before shipping internationally. But it's always good to be in the know!
A commercial invoice is a document that needed for any parcel deliveries sent to destinations outside of Australia. The invoice is simply a customs declaration that is to be inspected at the country of the recipient.
When filling out this document you will be asked:
Make sure these details are correct because if they aren't customs could well apply surcharges if it's held or a fee if it's returned to you. After you've done this you'll just need to print three copies and attach them to the outside of your parcel in a waterproof plastic wallet - sandwich bags can work great for this purpose!
5. Cover your parcels
This time we're talking about Transit Cover. If you're sending a parcel abroad we recommend adding Transit Cover to protect your parcel on route. Arranging goods with transit insurance will protect you against any financial liabilities, should your parcel get lost, damaged or stolen during transportation. This way, you can reimburse a client in full, and protect your reputation with them if anything goes wrong during the delivery process.
All of our services at Interparcel already come with a level of cover but if the value of the goods exceeds the included transit cover then it may be worth covering the exact cost of your packages when booking delivery.
6. How can Interparcel help your business?
On a daily basis, we successfully send packages abroad in the thousands to over 250 countries and territories. Offering some of the cheapest or fastest parcel delivery services, our solutions have helped many small businesses ship internationally at profitable rates.
We cater to all kinds of senders and want to make shipping internationally easy. In our world of global connectivity, sending care packages to loved ones, shipping postcards back home, or even delivering luggage to a staycation destination can be simple with Interparcel.
Plus, if you're a small business that regularly needs to send parcels abroad, our Shipping Manager can remember your parcel dimensions and preferred couriers and send multiple parcels in just a few clicks!
Our services integrate with all of the major eCommerce platforms so you can access international shipping across the board. Our users also benefit from:
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