Frequently asked questions

With more than 500 depots in 39 countries DPD has a widespread international transport network which is growing all the time. We select the locations for our depots on the basis of transport infrastructure and population density criteria, which means that with DPD you can ship parcels to more than 220 countries and open up new markets.

Further information about DPD the company.

Every parcel which is shipped to a country outside of the EU must be accompanied by a commercial invoice or by a pro forma invoice. The commercial invoice is used in cases where the goods have a commercial value. A pro forma invoice is used in cases where the goods have no commercial value.

In both cases the document contains the relevant data about the consignor and the consignee, together with a complete description of the contents of the parcel and its value. The consignor signs the invoice and attaches it to the parcel together with five copies. With DPD the commercial invoice can be conveniently created online.

The DPD parcel label performs a number of tasks at the same time: it is the address label, the basis for the transport contract, the forwarding order, certificate of insurance and basis for invoicing all in one, and makes multiple shipping stickers on a parcel unnecessary. Parcel labels are available from your depot.

Further information on DPD's shipping materials.

Every consignment, which is not classified as a prohibited good for transportation, is automatically insured for loss or damage as follows: Up to EUR 75 for documents and up to EUR 100 for parcels.

DPD has developed a multitude of tried and tested solutions for domestic and international shipping in order to get your parcels to their destination quickly and reliably. Today customers can choose between our Classic-Service and Express-Service.
In addition every shipment can be adapted exactly to your own requirements – quite simply with DPD's options.

Both with the Classic-Service and the Express-Service individual parcels must not be heavier than 31.5 kg. With the Express-Service you have the additional possibility of combining up to ten parcels in an overall shipment. For this purpose all consignor and consignee details must be fully identical. This can provide considerable cost savings.

Further information on our terms of shipment.

A precise calculation of the transport costs can only be made if all the necessary shipping details for your parcel are available. This is the only way to avoid unnecessary surcharges for parcels which haven't been weighed or measured correctly. You can use your own scales, for example, to check the weight of the parcel. To measure the parcel you can use a ruler, a folding rule or a measuring tape. DPD reserves the right to apply a surcharge if the consignor's parcel data diverges from the measurements which are taken at the depot.

Sorry, we can only accept parcels which are ready for shipment. In order for DPD to transport your parcel safely it must be packed correctly before it is accepted by us.

Further information on packing.

During transport it is impossible to avoid impact and vibration. This is why it's important to protect your parcel as well as possible. Otherwise there will be a risk that it could be damaged in transit. Cardboard boxes are used most often, and these are accepted by every depot. The depots expressly point out in their conditions of transport that parcels must be packed securely against transport risks.

External packaging:
You should always use new, good quality packaging which will be strong enough for the contents and will not be crushed if your cardboard box is stacked with other boxes. Please make sure that the box is big enough to contain additional filling material. You should also remove all stickers and any other shipping data.

Padding:
Filling material should be added so that the contents of your package are unable to move around inside the box. Fragile and easily damaged goods should be packed individually. The contents of the parcel should be protected from all sides with filling material.

Sealing:
Parcels should be securely sealed with non-tear adhesive tape which is suitable for transport purposes. You should not use string or twine, and no paper wrapping. The shipping documents and the necessary labels must be applied to the top surface of the cardboard box. By 'top surface' we mean the largest level surface of the box. The shipping documents should never be applied on seams or on the adhesive tape. To make doubly sure you should put details of the consignee address inside the parcel.

This is available from stationery shops, supermarkets or DIY stores. Often they will let you have cardboard boxes and other packaging material free of charge. In order to ensure trouble-free shipping it is essential to use the right packaging material.

Further information on packing.

The combined dimensions define the maximum permitted parcel size. It is calculated as follows: [height + width] x 2 + the length of the parcel in cm.

The DPD combined dimensions calculator will help you to check quickly and conveniently whether your parcel meets these specifications.

Volumetric weight is a standard formula which is used in the airline industry and which includes density in the calculation of the transport costs. Volumetric weight is based on the volumetric standard of IATA (International Air Transport Association). On the basis of this calculation the space which the parcel will occupy inside the aircraft is compared with the actual weight of the parcel.

The shipping cost is based on the higher of the two values, in other words either the actual overall weight or the volumetric weight of the parcel. The higher weight is then used for the calculation of the shipping tariff.
The calculation of the volumetric weight depends on the individual service provider. As a rule the following formula is used:

Length x width x height / 5000 = volumetric weight

The DPD volumetric-weight calculator will help you to calculate the volumetric weight of your parcel quickly and conveniently.

(for shipments which contain a number of packages you simply add the individual results)

Some goods and objects are excluded from transport with DPD. These include among other things:

• Ivory and ivory products
• Skins
• Armaments
• Valuables (e.g. art objects, antiquities, precious stones, gold and silver)
• Money and negotiable securities
• The hides of non-extinct wild animals
• Live animals
• Pornographic material
• Seed
• Tobacco and tobacco products
• Perishable goods

Also excluded from transport are parcels with hidden defects which could, because of their nature, cause damage to persons, goods or equipment. Further information on excluded goods is available in our general terms and conditions.

International shipments with our Classic-Service generally reach their destination within Europe in 3 to 9 working days Parcels with Express-Service reach their destination within Bulgaria and Romania in 2 to 4 working days.

We make a total of three attempts to deliver your parcel. If the consignee can't be located, the driver leaves a notification card in the consignee's letter box after the first delivery attempt. With the number of the notification card the consignee can give fresh delivery instructions for the parcel- in Germany this is even possible online at www.neuzustellung.de.

Each parcel is given a special parcel label number. With this number you can track the progress of your parcel online.

Sorry, unfortunately we aren't able to deliver to P.O. Boxes.