Customs and duties
What is DDP shipping?
DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid. The sender pays the import duties and taxes in advance, so the parcel is delivered with nothing left for the receiver to pay.
DDP vs DAP
| DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) | DAP (Delivered At Place) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays duties and taxes | Sender, at booking | Receiver, at delivery |
| Receiver surprise bill | No | Possible, often with a handling fee |
| Upfront cost to sender | Higher | Lower |
| Risk of refused delivery | Low | Higher |
How DDP works with us
- You give us the contents and value of each item
- We estimate the duty and tax for the destination and add it to your rate
- At customs we pay those charges on your behalf
- The parcel is delivered without any charge to the receiver
When DDP is worth it
- Online orders, where a customs bill can make a buyer refuse the parcel
- Gifts, where asking family to pay feels wrong
- The USA, where most parcels now attract duty since the de minimis exemption was suspended in 2025
When DAP can make sense
If the parcel is a low-value gift that falls under the destination's gift allowance, there may be nothing to pay anyway, and DAP keeps your cost down. The UK, for example, normally lets gifts between individuals worth £39 or less in free of duty and VAT.
A note on estimates
Duty is calculated by customs, not by us. Our DDP estimate is based on the description and value you give. If customs classify an item differently, the charge can differ. Accurate descriptions keep the estimate close.
