With Easyship, you don't have to worry about preparing shipping documents or filling them in. The system automatically generates all the documents you need. All you have to do is print them out and attach them to your packages.
Required Shipping Documents
Some documents are required for shipping; we will list them below.
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Shipping Label
Shipping labels are required for all shipments. The shipping label will include the destination address, return address, shipment tracking number, and a barcode that will be scanned to update the tracking information on the courier's website.
- Commercial Invoice
A commercial invoice is required for all your international shipments. It is the primary document used for importation control, valuation, and duty determination and identifies all imported goods.
Air waybill number: This is the number you'll find on your courier's shipping label.
Date of export: Date of your shipment
Invoice number: Unique number your store uses for billing purposes
Ref number: In this case, this is the Easyship shipping reference number
Exporter / Shipper: These are the details for the sender. Includes Company Name, Street Address,Contact Name, Contact Phone or Fax Number, Email Address, and Country from where the shipment is being shipped from
Ship to / Consignee: These are details for the recipient. Includes Company Name, Street Address, Contact Name, Contact Phone or Fax Number, Email Address, and Country that the shipment is being shipped to
VAT number / EORI number: Available for UK account - Online merchants must register for VAT in order to collect tax on orders under 135GBP. EORI (Economic Operators Registration and Identification) number will be required in order to move goods into the UK. Merchants.
Items / Qty / Part #: The quantity, rate and amount of the items in the package
Full description of goods: A clear description of the item which may include model number and style.
Country of origin: Where the item came from
Harmonized code: The special code used by the World Customs Organization to classify the item
Unit value: The amount you sold the item for
Total value: Total amount of the item(s)
Total weight: Weight of the package
Shipment term: How the taxes will be handled. DDU: Deliver Duty Unpaid or DDP: Delivery Duty Paid. Learn what DDU and DDP mean.
Remark: extra information to be shown for the customs
Optional Shipping Documents
These shipping documents aren't required but are nice to have when shipping relatively large volumes. We will reference them below.
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Packing Slip: The packing slip is an optional document, but it is a valuable reference for your customer to ensure that the shipment includes everything they ordered. The packing slip will have a list of all the items in the shipment, and you can choose to customize it with your branding and other additional details. Refer to this guide for instructions on how to customize your packing slips: Packing Slip Settings
- Pick List: The Pick List displays the item info (SKUs, quantities, locations, etc.) to show what you need to take from your inventory storage to fulfill your shipments. It is also possible to use a new format to group by Pick location and rearrange the SKU details to display quantity ascending to descending. For an in-depth guide, refer to the following article: Pick List.
- Manifest: A manifest or scan form is a document generated by couriers containing shipment information. Manifest documents are commonly used when generating multiple shipments at once and enable a seamless handover process between the shipper and courier.
An example of this is a USPS Manifest / Scan form
For example, 20 USPS shipments are created on Easyship; generating a manifest creates a single document with information on all 20 shipments. A single manifest is scanned upon handover to USPS, enabling every shipment to process at once. Without such a manifest, couriers are required to scan each shipment individually.
Find more information here: What Is a Manifest in Shipping.
Main Shipping Documents FAQ
Q: Do all international shipments need a customs form?
A: All international shipments require a customs form/commercial invoice. However, some couriers digitally manifest this information, saving you from printing out a physical version.