EU Shipping Options
The pros and cons of DDU shipping terms
- No additional administration
- No additional charges for the sender
- Shipments likely to experience delays in customs
- The receiver will face extra charges (VAT) on delivery
- An admin/clearance fee will apply
- Additional costs incurred if the receiver does not pay and the shipment is returned
- Some services are restricted (e.g. DPD)
The pros and cons of DTP/DDP shipping terms
- The receiver does not have to pay any additional charges on delivery
- Faster customs clearance
- No additional administration as duty and tax billed at the time of booking
- Reversal fee will apply
- Some DTP services, such as Landmark Global, are available for IOSS-registered shippers only.
The pros and cons of the Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) – B2C only
- Full transparency of total cost for the receiver
- Faster customs clearance
- Full service availability, including our most economical services (Landmark, DPD)
- One single monthly VAT return
- Additional costs to appoint an EU-based intermediary to manage VAT return
- Can only be used for low value shipments (less than €150)
The pros and cons of EU Fulfilment
- Less paperwork as stock will be imported in bulk avoiding the need for multiple customs invoices
- Faster transit times across Europe
- Better rates to most EU destinations which offset cost of sending stock to Germany
- Receiver pays VAT at the point of sale
- Not limited to low value shipments
- Additional administration (German VAT, UOSS* registration)
- May require professional tax services, adding to cost
- Goods still subject to the same distance sales VAT rules as sending from UK (no threshold for VAT obligations)**