How to ship internationally

With the ease of buying and selling online, international shipping has become much more frequent. There are thousands upon thousands of Amazon and eBay sales daily, and unless you’ve set your account to UK only, the chances are you’ll be getting international bidders and buyers.

Of course, you can look at this in two ways. By opening up your services to international buyers, you’ll be putting your products in front of more eyes. You’ll be able to sell more, whilst possibly getting extra money for your orders too.

However, the moment you start sending deliveries abroad, you enter unknown territory. When shipping parcels around the UK, it’s reasonably straightforward. A courier will be able to take your delivery from door-to-door and you’ll know it’ll safely arrive on time.

With international shipping there’s a lot more to consider. For instance, the price of postage will change – dependent on the location. You’ll also need to know what can and can’t be sent into certain countries. If you send a product, which doesn’t comply with regulations, it’ll be held up at customs. This leads to very disgruntled customers.

International shipping doesn’t need to be difficult though; you just need to plan ahead and ensure you’re clued up on the fundamentals to make it cost effective and beneficial to your business.

Know the right products to sell internationally

Although it’d be great if every product could be shipped internationally at the same price, it’s just not feasible. There are now billions of bidders coming from countries such as China, Mexico and Brazil, so your delivery will be travelling thousands of miles. Smaller products will command cheaper postage costs, so ideally you’d start with this.

Get to grips with country customs

Each country around the world will have its differences when it comes to what is and isn’t accepted by post. Failure to comply and your delivery will be held at customs. Even in the UK, certain products can’t be shipped in, including matches, pesticides and foreign lottery tickets. Some instances where your delivery could be held abroad is when sending perfume or aftershave, aerosols and liquid. To solve this worry it’s recommended to use a mail fulfilment service, especially if you run an online business where international shipping is crucial.

Target the right countries for shipping

After mentioning the problem with certain countries, it would therefore seem appropriate to target those having more ‘relaxed’ rules in place. If you’re unsure how to ship internationally, start with just a few countries to get an idea of how the system works before broadening your horizons. EU countries for instance, would be perfect for UK deliveries.
Shipping costs are fundamental to your business

What would be the point in making a great profit in the sale of goods, only to lose out dramatically when it comes to shipping? One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is underestimating the cost of international deliveries. It can be expensive, so if you’re selling similarly sized products, get an idea of the price and ensure your online adverts clearly state something along the lines of “postage costs may change dependent on location.”

What is the cost of international postage?

There’s no way of giving a one size fits all when it comes to international deliveries. There are loads of factors that’ll come into play, such as:

• Package weight and size
• Where you’re sending the delivery
• How you’re sending the delivery (first class, courier, recorded etc.).

Then there are other considerations to make, such as duties, taxes and customs clearance fees. Of course, by utilising the services of mail fulfilment you can avoid many of the complications and put your faith in a business that knows what it’s doing.

How to ship internationally checklist

If you plan to send your own deliveries abroad, make sure to run through this checklist before handing over your parcel. This will help your package get to its destination in a timely and efficient manner.

• Write the address clearly

This is reasonably straightforward. If your writing is scrappy and barely legible, you can expect it to get lost in transit. Include the full address with a postcode or zip code. The country of destination should also be written in capital letters.

• Include a return address

If for some reason your delivery doesn’t reach the intended recipient, ensure there’s a return address so it’ll find its way back to you. This is often returned free of charge too.

• Pay the correct postage fees

If you fail to pay the correct postage prices your delivery won’t reach its destination. Remember, you also need to be paying international delivery costs for shipping to the Republic of Ireland.

• Sending prohibited items

We touched upon this earlier, but it’s worth knowing what certain customs will and won’t accept. Middle Eastern countries and Australia in particular have stringent postage restrictions. You’ll also need to complete a customs declarations form when shipping to any country outside the EU.

• Correctly package your deliveries

If you’re sending internationally it’s important to choose the right packaging. Your parcel will be in transit for a long time and is likely to get dropped, knocked and bumped on more than one occasion. Breakables in particular should be well packaged to prevent damage.

• Shipping cash or valuables

If you’re sending anything of great value, ensure to use an International Tracking or Signature service. You should also avoid sending coins or bank notes – Instead using cheque where possible.

How to ship internationally with a fulfilment service

Unfortunately, international shipping can be a minefield. But it’s such an easy way of making extra cash on your goods that it would be foolish not to exploit the foreign market. Mail fulfilment services such as Post and Packing will help remove the stress of international shipping. You won’t have to worry about a thing.

Contact us today for more information on mail fulfilment.