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Here you will find questions and our answers relating to the subject of sending parcels: from initiating the shipping order via the maximum permitted weights and dimensions for DPD parcels right across to our parcel tracking function.
Creating a shipping order
A reference number can, for example, be your invoice number which the shipper can enter additionally when recording an order, i.e. in creating the parcel label. The provision of a reference number is optional. Please note that reference numbers can't be used for parcel tracking purposes. You need the parcel number for this.
In order to send parcels abroad you first select the country of destination. In creating the parcel label you should make sure that you enter the correct postcode: for the UK, for example, the postcode can have 6 to 8 digits including spaces – e.g. M2 5BQ.
Whether or not you receive a receipt after purchasing a parcel label depends on how you ship parcels with us. At a parcel shop, for example, we provide you with a receipt for purchasing the label and/or handing in a parcel for shipment. Business customers can have the driver who takes delivery of their parcels sign for them on the daily parcel list.
For parcel shippers: with DPD you can create a return label which you enclose with the contents of the parcel. In addition, our MyDPD Business and Returns online portals enable you to create return labels after the parcel has been delivered.
For consignees: with DPD you can also send returns from a Pickup parcelshop, have them collected from your home or from your ParcelLock parcel box. For this purpose you should use the return label which was provided by the shipper. If you don't have a return label please contact the shipper direct.
With DPD and our partner tiramizoo you can have very urgent parcels collected and delivered on the same day, using our DPD NOW service. Same-day delivery can be ordered online or, for business customers, via our depots. Please note that express delivery within 90 minutes is only available in a number of selected cities. More information about the areas where DPD NOW is available can be obtained online or from your usual contact person.
Yes, you can also have parcels delivered directly to one of our 6,000 Pickup parcelshops. In shipping via one of our Pickup parcelshops you can enter a DPD shop of your choice as the delivery address. This option is also available to our business customers.
In addition, consignees can redirect their parcels to a Pickup parcelshop at paketnavigator.de or with the DPD app – even if the original delivery address was not a DPD shop.
If you have problems with a digital business solution you are welcome to get in touch with your usual contact person. In the case of interfaces and other shipping solutions via third-party service providers, please contact the relevant service provider direct.
With our "DPD collection request" service you can have your parcels picked up from a different address and delivered to a third party. You can make use of this service online, for example, in our business customer portal MyDPD. Your usual contact person will be happy to provide you with more information on this.
Shipping information
Yes DPD also delivers parcels to island destinations. However, because the delivery is more time-consuming an island surcharge is invoiced for some destinations. For some islands there is no delivery service.
We don't offer a delivery service to parcel lockers. However, you can send parcels to any of our 6,000 Pickup parcelshops in in Germany, or to ParcelLock boxes.
A number of goods are excluded from shipping with DPD, for example live animals, firearms or especially valuable precious metals. For full details of the goods which are excluded from shipping with DPD please see our general terms and conditions.
For a number of services - such as our Pickup parcelshop network - the shipping of hazardous goods is excluded. However, as a business customer you can ship certain hazardous goods via our depots, because these have a hazardous goods officer. To make individual arrangements please get in touch with your usual contact person.
Parcels which you ship with DPD are automatically insured to a goods value of up to €520. Business customers have the additional possibility of arranging for higher insurance. This function can be activated when the shipping order is started. Please note that higher insurance can only be concluded for individual orders. For further information please see your shipping portal or get in touch with your usual contact person.
Our shipping tools are online solutions which support you in your shipping operations. For example, our girth calculator always indicates the correct dimensions of your parcel, while our shipping planner supports you in the planning of export shipments, and our Pickup parcelshop Finder helps you to find DPD shops in your area.
Our shipping planner supports you in preparing your shipments for international goods transport. You simply enter the type of goods, the country of origin and country of destination and the value of the goods, and in response you will receive all the information you require – for example relating to the necessary shipping documents and invoice information.
In order to deliver your parcels reliably and fast we use more than 20,000 diesel vehicles throughout Europe. In Intercontinental shipping for business customers shipments are also sent by air. Because of fluctuating oil prices it is necessary for us to impose a surcharge for diesel and kerosene in line with current market developments, to ensure that the costs are adapted to market prices. More information about our fuel surcharges.
The parcel label is an address sticker, the basis of the transport contract, proof of insurance and the basis for invoicing at one and the same time, and therefore a fundamental component of parcel shipping. For this reason it is essential to apply parcel labels on the largest surface of the parcel where they will be clearly visible. With DPD parcel labels can be conveniently created online, e.g. in the Parcel Navigator and with the DPD App, or, and can also be purchased at selected Pickup parcelshops.
Our mobile parcel label enables you to ship parcels with your smartphone. Here's how it's done: Users can place and pay for parcel shipping orders with the Parcel Navigator and the DPD App. When the parcel is then dropped off at one of DPD's 6,000 Pickup parcelshops, the 2-D code of the mobile parcel label purchased online is simply displayed on the smartphone. Printing a parcel label is no longer necessary.
If the parcel label can't be scanned, in other words if it is not readable by our system, it is marked as "No-read". In order to prevent this, in your printing operations you should use white, good-quality shipping labels and avoid leaving them where they are exposed to sunlight. Please keep the following tips in mind when you apply the parcel label:
Don't crease the parcel label
Apply the parcel label smoothly
Don't conceal the parcel label or stick anything over it
Don't apply the parcel label under uneven film
Don't apply strapping across the parcel label
Remove old barcodes and parcel labels
Don't use your own code.
We also recommend printing by laser printer and in actual size.
After a number of shocking events in recent years we now implement security checks at our depots in order to comply with the increased need for security within our society. An authorised external service provider examines parcels with an x-ray device to ensure that they do not contain weapon parts, drugs or explosives, for example. In addition the parcels transported by DPD are carefully protected against unauthorised access by strict access checks and restrictions at our depots.
In the case of shipment within the EU no further documents are required. However, if a shipment is intended for a country which is not in the EU, certain documents are required. Our shipping planner will show you for individual countries what documents are required in international shipping.
For shipping to countries which are not in the EU a commercial invoice is normally required. Using our online form you can simply create and print out this invoice with all the important information which is required. In addition you can also prepare a pro forma invoice for goods which have no commercial value, e.g. shipments of gifts, samples and goods which are not destined for resale.
With our DPD Mail service business customers can also ship letters or catalogues. For more information please get in touch with your usual contact person.
For all parcel labels which you create online you can download the relevant invoice at any time from your account. In addition you receive your invoice by email and also, as a MyDPD Pro customer, by post if required.
You have the right to cancel an order within 14 days after placing it without giving any reason for doing so. For this purpose you can use the online form, the sample PDF form or contact us by email at service@dpd.de. For the implementation and consequences of the cancellation, please see our General Terms and Conditions for DPD/Web Parcel.
Yes, we pass on road toll charges to business customers. If you use one of our professional tools such as MyDPD Pro or MyDPD Business, a certain amount is charged per parcel. For more information please get in touch with your depot or your usual contact person.
Yes, with a so-called 'multicarrier label' we offer you the opportunity to return DHL or Hermes parcels with DPD, and the other way round. The shipper is responsible, in consultation with DPD, for providing the relevant parcel label, which has to contain the DPD logo together with the logos of the other service providers.
For business customers: DPD can also implement the return of DHL and Hermes parcels via the Pickup parcelshop network. For this purpose you should create a multicarrier label with the DPD logo. If you are interested please get in touch with your usual contact person. We regret that at the moment this option is not available to MyDPD Business customers.
You have the right to cancel an order within 14 days after placing it without giving any reason for doing so. For this purpose you can use the online form, the sample PDF form or contact us by email at service@dpd.de. For the implementation and consequences of the cancellation, please see our General Terms and Conditions for DPD/Web Parcel
Weight & dimensions
The girth is the maximum permitted parcel size. It is calculated as follows: (height + width) x 2 + length of the parcel in cm. You can calculate this conveniently online in our girth calculator.
Parcels which are picked up from you can weigh up to 31.5 kg. The maximum weight for parcels which are handed in for shipment at a Pickup parcelshop is 20 kg.
Because the weight and dimensions are required for a precise calculation of the shipping costs, you should measure and weigh the parcel. However, if your parcel data is different from our own measurements, it is possible that you will be invoiced for additional costs.
You should protect your goods during shipment by securing them for transport. For this purpose you should use a robust, square or rectangular cardboard box, bubble wrap, padding material such as polystyrene peanuts or mechanically produced crumpled paper and adhesive tape. If the cardboard box has been used before, you should remove any old parcel labels. You will find detailed instructions on how to pack parcels correctly in our packing tips.
The volumetric weight represents the relationship between the parcel and the load space, and is calculated for DPD EXPRESS parcels which are shipped by air freight. The volumetric weight is only calculated if it exceeds the actual weight. You can conveniently calculate the volumetric weight by using the DPD volumetric weight calculator or by using the formula: length (cm) x width (cm) x (cm) / 5,000 (cm3/KG).
With DPD you can ship parcels in a wide range of sizes. You can calculate the size of your parcel by adding the longest and the shortest sides of the parcel together. When you start an order in with the Parcel Navigator and the DPD App you can have the parcel size calculated simply and conveniently by entering the dimensions (length x width x height).
Parcel tracking
We give each parcel its own parcel number. On the basis of this number you can track the progress of your parcel in the Parcel Navigator or in your app, and if necessary arrange for delivery on a different day or to a different location.
As an online shipper you will find the parcel number in the order archive and in the confirmation of order in your mailbox. If you have purchased the parcel label at a Pickup parcelshop, you will find the parcel number on the receipt which is issued.
As the consignee, for each shipment you will normally receive an email with the parcel number. If we failed to locate you at home when the delivery was made, you will also find the parcel number on the parcel notification card we leave in your letterbox.
If your parcel is at the delivery centre you can arrange for a new delivery in the Parcel Navigator or in our app. You simply enter the parcel number and the location and date for the delivery.
