DHL eCommerce

Details about the ShipStation integration with DHL eCommerce. Includes requirements, connection process, features, notes, and troubleshooting tips.

DHL eCommerce is a cost-effective delivery service for e-commerce merchants. ShipStation's direct integration with DHL eCommerce allows users to create international labels destined for any country in DHL's extensive delivery network. For international shipments, ShipStation automatically generates and submits your customs documentation.

Contact your DHL representative to request a quote and begin the DHL eCommerce certification process.

DHL eCommerce Requirements

Connection Requirements:

  • An active account with DHL eCommerce.

  • Sold To Account ID

  • Account Client ID and Password Provided by DHL via email.

  • Pickup Account ID

Manifest Requirements:

DHL eCommerce requires a printed manifest for each day's shipments. To manifest your shipments, use the ShipStation End of Day process.

Connect a DHL eCommerce account to ShipStation

To connect your DHL eCommerce account to ShipStation:

  1. Contact your DHL account representative and request the following information if you do not already have it:

    • DHL eCommerce Pickup Account ID

    • DHL eCommerce Sold To Account ID

    • DHL eCommerce Shipment Identifier Prefix

  2. Log in to your ShipStation account.

  3. Click the Add Carrier button.

    AddCarrier.png
  4. Select DHL eCommerce and click Connect.

    DHL Ecommerce logo. Button that reads, Connect
  5. Enter your Pickup Account ID, Sold To Account ID, and Shipment Identifier Prefix.

    SET_carrier_DHLecommAU_connectionPU.png
  6. Click Connect.

You can now create shipping labels in ShipStation using your DHL eCommerce account.

Available Features for DHL eCommerce

The ShipStation integration with DHL eCommerce supports the following standard features:

Additional Features for DHL eCommerce

ShipStation integration with DHL eCommerce allows for the following additional features:

Feature

Description

Ancillary Endorsements

DHL eCommerce allows you to select the following ancillary endorsements on a per-shipment basis under Other Shipping Options in the Order Details popup: Forward Service Requested, Change Service Requested, Return Service Requested.

An End-of-Day Driver Summary Manifest is REQUIRED for International Shipments

DHL eCommerce requires a printed EOD form for their drivers to collect at pickup. See Create Shipment Manifests for instructions on how to print EOD forms in ShipStation.

Ship From Locations with the same address will be consolidated into one manifest.

DHL eCommerce requires one manifest per Ship From Address. If you have multiple Ship From Locations that use the same address, all DHL eCommerce shipments will be consolidated into a single manifest for that address.

Please note: The addresses in the Ship From Locations must match exactly for the manifests to consolidate properly. For example, if the addresses are technically the same, such as N. Lamar St and North Lamar St, the addresses do not match each other exactly and so will print as separate manifests.

Bill duties and taxes to payor of shipping charges available for cross-border shipments.

Select Bill duties and taxes to payor of shipping charges to make your shipment DDP (Delivered Duty Paid).

Please note: If you select Parcel International Direct Standard (PLT) as your service with this option unchecked, the Incoterm for this shipment will be set as DDU. You may need to contact DHL to enable your account for DDU, if it is not already.

IncotermDDU

The carrier can be used to create domestic shipping labels.

The carrier can be used to create international shipping labels.

ShipStation will submit international customs declarations electronically to the carrier.

The carrier can be used to create domestic return labels.

ShipStation will display estimated shipping rates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.

Shipment insurance, provided by the shipment's selected carrier, can be added to the shipment in ShipStation. This insurance would be in addition to any default coverage already provided by that carrier.

Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.

ShipStation can close the day's shipments for the carrier and submit the manifest electronically. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. A printable file may or may not be available when submitted electronically - see End of Day (PDF).

ShipStation can close the day's shipments for the carrier and create a printable PDF of the manifest to provide to the carrier. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. The file may or may not be submitted electronically - see End of Day (Electronic).

ShipStation can print the store's logo on shipping labels created for this carrier. Label branding may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

ShipStation can print information on the label as a label message (configure in Label Document Options). The carrier may or may not support all 3 label message fields and label messages may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

This carrier can be used to create multi-package shipments, where multiple labels are created for a single shipment and the individual packages are linked together in a single shipment record with a master tracking number.

You can connect this carrier to ShipStation multiple times using different accounts and choose which account will be used to create each shipment.

IncotermDDU

DHL eCommerce Integration Notes

  • The Ship From address is not displayed on DHL eCommerce shipping labels.

  • Dangerous Goods is not an available shipping option for DHL eCommerce Australia. This page explains how DHL eCommerce Australia defines Prohibited and Restricted Goods.

  • DHL eCommerce supports 1 label message only. You must use Label Message 3.

  • Labels can and will appear differently when they ship to different destinations. This is because shipments go to different DHL eCommerce stations to be sorted by destination.

  • DHL eCommerce does not support printing store logos on labels.

  • All DHL eCommerce shipments must be closed out, manifested, and printed through ShipStation using our End of Day process.

  • DHL is likely to return shipments sent to residential addresses in Russia back to the sender. This is because Russian customs authorities examine all dutiable shipments with extreme scrutiny and there is no guarantee the package will be sent to its destination after inspection. You may wish to use a different carrier for shipments bound for a residential address in Russia.

    DHL will deliver shipments to commercial addresses without issue.

DHL eCommerce Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some common issues, potential causes, and troubleshooting tips.

Issue

How to Troubleshoot or Resolve

Error: Customer does not have permission on this sold-to account. Status code: 400

What it means: Your account is not yet added to the Gemeni API.

What to do: Contact DHL eCommerce and request that they add your account to the Gemeni API.

Error: The requested Special Service Codes AA is not available. Please make sure data entered is valid before proceeding or contact our customer service.

What it means: You have likely selected non-supported options for your DHL Express shipments. This error likely indicates that incorrect Other Shipping Options are being used.

What to do: See the Label Options section of the Available Shipping Options by Carrier help article to confirm which options are supported. Or, try removing the options one by one to see which option is causing the error. Then proceed with the shipment without selecting that option.

Duplicate Tracking Numbers

Tracking numbers created in the seller will always be unique. However, if one DHL eCommerce account (with the same pickup number) is connected to a different ShipStation account, duplicate tracking numbers can occur.

What to do: To prevent this from happening, create a new DHL eCommerce sub-account to generate a new unique pickup number. When you connect your DHL eCommerce account to the secondary ShipStation account, use the unique pickup number for the new sub-account.

If you aren't sure how to do this, contact DHL eCommerce directly to help set up the sub-accounts (or potentially add multiple pickup numbers to one account).

Error: The destination country code XX could not be found. Please check the destination country code.

What it means: The country code is not valid in DHL’s system. This is common for very small countries that may have multiple country codes. For example, Curacao has an ISO address country code CW, but DHL is looking for ‘XC’ as the country code.

What to do: Use this DHL Shipping Guide to find out if a country needs a DHL-specific country code.

Error: Create Label Failed: Destination Country is not supported for selected service product

What it means: This most likely means you have configured the shipment with the Parcel International Direct Standard service, not selected the Bill duties and taxes to payor of shipping charges option, and your DHL account is not enable for DDU.

What to do: Contact DHL eCommerce AU to add DDU support to your DHL account.

The carrier can be used to create domestic shipping labels.

The carrier can be used to create international shipping labels.

ShipStation will submit international customs declarations electronically to the carrier.

The carrier can be used to create domestic return labels.

ShipStation will display estimated shipping rates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.

Shipment insurance, provided by the shipment's selected carrier, can be added to the shipment in ShipStation. This insurance would be in addition to any default coverage already provided by that carrier.

Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.

ShipStation can close the day's shipments for the carrier and submit the manifest electronically. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. A printable file may or may not be available when submitted electronically - see End of Day (PDF).

ShipStation can close the day's shipments for the carrier and create a printable PDF of the manifest to provide to the carrier. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. The file may or may not be submitted electronically - see End of Day (Electronic).

ShipStation can print the store's logo on shipping labels created for this carrier. Label branding may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

ShipStation can print information on the label as a label message (configure in Label Document Options). The carrier may or may not support all 3 label message fields and label messages may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

This carrier can be used to create multi-package shipments, where multiple labels are created for a single shipment and the individual packages are linked together in a single shipment record with a master tracking number.

You can connect this carrier to ShipStation multiple times using different accounts and choose which account will be used to create each shipment.

IncotermDDU