DHL Express Integration for Shopify: Labels and Customs

Need to get a parcel to a customer fast, or across a customs border? Shipdock connects DHL Express to Shopify: you create express labels from your Shopify orders and, for shipments to Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA, the customs declaration is built automatically in the same place. DHL Express is enabled by Shipdock support on request.

What the DHL Express integration does

• Express labels from Shopify for one order or for up to 50 orders at once, printed as one PDF
• 16 DHL Express products: Express Domestic, Express Worldwide, Express Easy and Economy Select, plus the timed 9:00, 10:30 and 12:00 services, in EU and non-EU variants
• Shipping from 25 European countries on your own DHL Express account and rates
• Customs declarations for shipments to Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA, built automatically from the order
• Tracking number on the order, written to the Shopify fulfillment so Shopify emails the tracking link; DHL also sends its own shipment notification to the recipient's email
• Automatic label creation when an order is created or fulfilled, if you switch it on
• Sandbox mode to test the connection before real parcels go out

Customs declarations for Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA

Shipping outside the EU is where express shipping usually gets complicated. With DHL Express in Shipdock the paperwork starts from the order you already have. It applies to DHL Express shipments from a sender in the EU to Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA:

• Declaration built automatically from the order line items and your courier defaults when you create the label
• HS code search, with codes of 6 to 10 digits and an optional separate import tariff code per item
• Commercial invoice generated by DHL from the declaration, with the signature name and title you set, and stored with the shipment
• Or your own invoice PDF, uploaded and sent to DHL electronically instead
• EORI, VAT and other registration numbers stored at the sender, with the issuing country; only numbers issued by the sender's or the receiver's country are sent
• Courier defaults for the invoice number and date source, the export reason, the invoice mode and the default delivery cost per destination
• Incoterm DAP, fixed

If something is missing, label creation stops with a list of what to fill in, so an incomplete shipment never reaches DHL. One limit to know: Economy Select is available to Great Britain and Switzerland, not to the USA.

How to start with DHL Express, step by step

1. Install Shipdock from the Shopify App Store.
2. Ask support to enable DHL Express. Write to [email protected]. DHL Express is switched on for your store on request.
3. Connect your DHL Express account. Enter your API credentials and sender address in the courier settings. Start in sandbox mode if you want to test first.
4. Map your shipping rates. Assign each Shopify shipping rate to the DHL Express service it should use.
5. Set your customs defaults. Invoice number and date source, export reason, invoice mode, signature name and title, default delivery cost, and the registration numbers of your sender.
6. Create and print labels. Select orders, create the shipments, fulfill them with tracking and print.

What DHL Express in Shipdock does not do

• No cash on delivery. DHL Express has no cash on delivery service, so such orders are rejected. Use another courier for them.
• No delivery to pickup points. Labels are created for delivery to the recipient's address only, not to DHL service points.
• No cancellation from the app. The DHL Express API has no cancellation; deleting a shipment in Shipdock only removes the record in the app. Cancel the shipment with DHL directly.
• No parcel status in the app. Shipdock passes the tracking number and link to Shopify; it does not show or sync delivery statuses.
• Not self-service to switch on. The courier is enabled by support on request.

Other couriers you can combine it with

DHL Express covers the urgent and cross-border parcels. For everyday domestic delivery, pickup points and cash on delivery you can run other couriers next to it in the same app, for example Packeta, DPD, GLS and PPL, each with its own credentials and shipping rate mapping.

Frequently asked questions

How do I enable DHL Express in Shipdock?

Write to [email protected]. DHL Express is enabled by support on request; after that you add your DHL Express API credentials and sender address in the courier settings.

Which countries can I ship from?

DHL Express in Shipdock is available for shipping from 25 European countries. You ship on your own DHL Express account and rates.

Can I ship to the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the USA?

Yes. Customs declarations for DHL Express are supported for Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA. The declaration is built automatically from the order, with HS code search and a commercial invoice generated by DHL or uploaded by you.

Does DHL Express support cash on delivery?

No. Use another courier for cash on delivery orders.

Which Shipdock plan do I need?

Creating and printing labels through the courier API, which the customs declaration depends on, is part of the Full and Full Shopify Plus plans.

Can I test it first?

Yes. The DHL Express connection has a sandbox mode for test shipments with DHL test credentials.

Ship express from your Shopify admin

Ask support to enable DHL Express, connect your account and create your first express label from the order list. Install Shipdock and start the free trial to set everything up before your first parcel leaves.