International parcel shipping refers to all the logistics, customs and transport operations involved in sending an e-commerce order to a foreign country.
Today, international expansion is a key growth driver for e-tailers. To reach new markets and meet the expectations of foreign customers, international parcel delivery is rapidly becoming essential. However, this step is often a source of complexity: customs formalities, choice of carriers, costs that are difficult to control and risks of operational errors.
- The challenges of international parcel delivery for e-merchants
- Master customs formalities for international parcel shipments
- Choosing the best transport strategy for international parcel shipments
- Simplify international parcel shipping with a TMS
In most cases, it’s not the international business itself that holds us back, but the fragmented, manual management of shipments. Without a centralized tool, each new destination adds to the operational burden. Conversely, a structured, automated approach secures compliance, optimizes costs and guarantees a consistent customer experience, whatever the country.
This guide gives you a clear, operational vision of how to master international shipping and turn this logistical complexity into a sustainable competitive advantage.
The challenges of international parcel shipping for e-merchants
Even before talking about transport or customs, international shipping raises a central question: how to maintain a level of performance equivalent to that of the domestic market, while managing additional constraints? For e-tailers, the answer lies in a global vision of cross-border logistics, capable of aligning customer promise, costs and regulatory requirements.
International business doesn’t tolerate approximation. Every mistake translates into delays, extra costs or customer dissatisfaction that’s hard to make up for. That’s why it’s essential to clearly identify the main points of friction.
Time, cost and customer experience: the golden triangle
In an international context, delivery times are one of the most important evaluation criteria for customers. A parcel stuck in customs or entrusted to an unsuitable carrier immediately damages brand perception. And yet, delivery times depend as much on transport as on the quality of information transmitted upstream.
Costs are the second pillar. In addition to the price of transport, there are other factors that are often underestimated: fuel surcharges, delivery options, customs duties and local taxes. Poor anticipation has a direct impact on margins, or forces us to revise our commercial offer. According to recent data on cross-border purchases, 38% of international orders are delivered in less than five days, while around 14% of buyers report having paid duties or taxes on delivery, underlining the direct impact of customs charges on the customer experience (source: Capital One Shopping).
Finally, thecustomer experience is based on transparency. Offering reliable international parcel tracking , with clear notifications, reassures buyers and reduces pressure on customer service. The challenge is to orchestrate these three dimensions without multiplying tools or manual tasks.
In short, the profitability of any international parcel shipment depends on controlling lead times, costs and the customer experience.
Geographical specificities (EU vs. non-EU)
Not all international destinations are equally complex. Shipments within the European Union benefit from a harmonized framework, with no need for systematic customs declarations. Flows are faster and more predictable, making it easier to standardize processes.
Conversely, shipments outside the EU systematically require export customs documentation and goods inspection. The rules vary from country to country: tax thresholds, regulated products, compliance requirements. For e-tailers, this means adapting their preparation and shipping rules to suit the destination, or risk costly blockages or returns.
According to the foreign trade results published by French Customs for 2024, international trade continues to represent a significant volume for French companies, reinforcing the challenge of controlling shipments outside the European Union.
Master customs formalities for international parcel shipments
Customs formalities remain one of the main psychological obstacles to international development. Yet these formalities are governed by precise rules, and can be largely automated when they are integrated into the design of flows.
The aim is not to become an expert in regulations, but to secure compliance without burdening day-to-day operations. This is where data structuring and tools come into their own.
What documents do you really need to send outside the EU?
All non-EU shipments must be accompanied by documents enabling the customs authorities to identify the contents of the package. The CN23 describes the nature of the goods, their value and origin. It directly determines the calculation of duties and taxes.
The proforma invoice is used in specific cases, such as for sending samples or goods without a definitive commercial transaction. The commercial invoice, on the other hand, is used for traditional sales. These documents must be coherent, legible and correctly attached to each parcel.
Manual management multiplies the risk of errors and slows down preparation. Automating export customs documents from order data makes shipments more reliable and reduces customs delays.
EORI, VAT and IOSS: what you need to know
To export legally outside the EU, a company must have an EORInumber, which is essential for identification by customs authorities. Without this number, shipments can be blocked at the first inspection.
On the tax front, the IOSS VAT e-commerce system simplifies VAT management for sales to the European Union up to €150. By collecting VAT at the time of order, merchants can avoid unforeseen delivery costs for their customers, thus improving the shopping experience.
Properly integrated into logistics tools, these mechanisms become invisible to operational teams, while guaranteeing total compliance.
Incoterms management (DDP vs DAP)
The incoterms e-commerce rules define whether the buyer or the seller is responsible for duties and taxes. With DAP, the customer pays upon receipt. In DDP, the merchant assumes all costs, offering a smoother experience.
The choice of Incoterm has a direct impact on customer satisfaction and the competitiveness of your offer. Incorrect configuration can lead to misunderstandings, parcel refusals and overloaded after-sales service. Centralizing this management in a single tool automatically applies the right rule for each country and channel.
Choosing the best transport strategy for international parcel shipments
Transport is a strategic lever in its own right. It impacts on costs, lead times and brand perception. In an international context, it’s essential to move beyond a single-carrier approach and adopt a more agile one.
An effective strategy relies on the ability to compare, arbitrate and adjust transport choices on an ongoing basis, without complicating operations.
Express vs. postal transport: how do you decide?
International express delivery meets the need for speed in many markets, especially for high-value products and business customers. It offers better traceability, but at a higher cost.
Postal solutions, on the other hand, are often preferred for their competitive pricing. They are suitable for less urgent shipments, but involve longer lead times and sometimes less detailed tracking.
Before choosing a carrier, it’s essential to compare the main options available for international parcel shipping. Express transport and postal transport respond to different logics in terms of delivery times, costs and level of service.
The table below will help you quickly identify the use cases best suited to each solution.
| Criteria | Express transport | Postal transport |
| Delivery times | Fast (24-72h) | Longer |
| Cost | High | More economical |
| International parcel tracking | Very detailed | Variable |
| Customs management | More fluid | More random |
| Use cases | Value products, B2B | Small parcels, B2C |
Why adopt a multi-carrier strategy
A multi-carrier strategy automatically selects the best carrier according to destination, cost and lead time.
Relying on a single international e-commerce carrier limits flexibility and exposes you to operational risks. A multi-carrier strategy automatically selects the best option according to defined rules: destination, weight, lead time or cost.
This approach enhances the resilience of the supply chain, and offers the possibility of rapidly adjusting strategy in the event of unforeseen events. It also meets the expectations of customers, who benefit from optimized foreign parcel franking and delivery methods adapted to their market.
Simplify international parcel shipping with a TMS
A TMS is not a carrier, but a tool for managing transport flows.
With the multiplication of flows, channels and carriers, the e-commerce TMS has become the central management tool. However, it is part of a wider ecosystem, alongside OMS (Order Management System) and WMS (Warehouse Management System), which structure the entire e-commerce supply chain. It does not replace carriers, but orchestrates all operations from a single interface.
This centralization is the key to eliminating re-keying, reducing errors and gaining visibility over all international shipments, while making logistics scalable and capable of absorbing volume growth without additional operational complexity.
Omnichannel order centralization
International sales rarely come from a single channel. E-commerce sites, marketplaces and B2B sales generate orders that sometimes follow different rules. Centralizing these flows enables us to apply a common logic, while retaining the specific features of each channel.
This omnichannel centralization provides a real-time view of volumes and facilitates prioritization of shipments, a major asset for supporting growth without overburdening teams.
Automated printing of customs labels and bundles
Manual editing of a shipping label and associated documents is one of the main sticking points for e-tailers. A TMS can automatically generate these elements from order data.
This automation secures customs compliance, speeds up preparation and reduces human error. Teams become more efficient, and can handle higher volumes without operational reinforcement.
Unified tracking of cross-border shipments
International parcel tracking spread over several portals complicates day-to-day management and after-sales service. By centralizing tracking, the TMS offers complete visibility of parcel routing, whatever the carrier.
This unified vision also facilitates the management of international returns, which is often costly and complex. By standardizing processes, merchants improve customer loyalty while controlling costs.
Structure your international parcel shipment with a management tool
High-performance international parcel shipping relies on centralization, automation and multi-carrier management.
International parcel delivery should no longer be seen as a constraint reserved for large companies. The key lies in the combination of three pillars: customs compliance, multi-carrier strategy and automated operations.
By positioning itself not as a carrier, but as a management tool, Shippingbo supports e-tailers in this transformation. Thanks to its TMS, the solution centralizes orders, automates documents and enables customers to choose the best carrier for each destination, from a single interface.
Would you like to simplify your international shipments, reduce your teams’ mental workload and secure your growth abroad? Find out how Shippingbo can become the logistics foundation of your international strategy, and take action today:
FAQ : International parcels
For international parcel shipments outside the European Union, you must enclose a CN23 customs declaration, a commercial invoice (or proforma invoice for gifts, samples or returns), and the HS code of the goods. These documents enable the customs authorities to identify the contents of the parcel and calculate the applicable duties and taxes.
DAP (Delivered At Place) means that the recipient pays customs duties and taxes when the parcel arrives. DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) means that the sender, i.e. the e-tailer, pays all customs-related costs. DDP generally offers a better international customer experience, as it avoids unexpected delivery charges.
To reduce the costs of an international parcel shipment, it is advisable not to depend on a single carrier. Using a TMS, you can compare rates in real time and automatically allocate the most economical carrier according to destination, weight and expected level of service. This multi-carrier approach optimizes costs without compromising delivery quality.
Glossary
International parcel delivery
All the logistics, customs and transport operations required to ship an e-commerce order to a foreign country.
CN23
Compulsory customs declaration for shipments outside the European Union. It describes the contents, value and origin of the goods being shipped.
Commercial invoice
Document used for international sales, serving as the basis for calculating customs duties and taxes.
Pro forma invoice
Document used when the shipment does not correspond to a definitive sale, e.g. for a gift, sample or return.
HS code
Harmonized System code used to identify the nature of goods at international level and determine the applicable customs duties.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid)
Incoterm under which the shipper assumes all transport costs, customs duties and taxes until final delivery.
DAP (Delivered At Place)
Incoterm under which the consignee pays customs duties and taxes on arrival of the parcel.
TMS (Transport Management System)
A management tool that centralizes carriers, automates the issuing of labels and customs documents, and unifies the tracking of international shipments.
OMS (Order Management System)
Software for centralizing orders from different sales channels and synchronizing inventory in real time.
WMS (Warehouse Management System)
Warehouse management system that optimizes order picking, inventory management and logistics flows.
Scalable logistics
Ability of a logistics organization to absorb an increase in volumes and destinations without additional operational complexity.