International Shipping & DDP
Configuring DDP and broker accounts
Plug in your Zonos key, link your UPS/FedEx/DHL brokers, and pick DDP-eligible countries country-by-country.
Open the landed-cost settings
Go to /admin/settings/landed-cost. The settings page has three tabs: Provider, Brokers, and Countries. You will work through them in order—Provider first to connect Zonos, Brokers second to link carrier accounts, Countries third to decide where you offer DDP.
Provider tab: API key and environment
Paste your Zonos API key from your Zonos dashboard. Pick
sandbox while you test and production when you go live. ShipWave validates the key with a test call to Zonos as soon as you save—if it fails, you see a red banner with the exact error. The key is stored encrypted at rest and never exposed in the client widget.Broker accounts (UPS, FedEx, DHL)
DDP requires a customs broker for each carrier you use. ShipWave supports broker accounts on UPS, FedEx, and DHL. In the Brokers tab, add your broker account number, EIN, and contact email per carrier. The broker is the entity that clears the parcel through customs on your behalf. USPS does not offer DDP service—international USPS parcels are always DDU.
Countries tab: DDU/DDP per country
For each country you sell into, choose DDP, DDU, or Both. Most merchants enable DDP for Tier 1 markets (Canada, UK, EU, Australia, Singapore) and leave Tier 2 as DDU until they validate volume. The Both option lets the shopper choose at checkout—the widget shows the DDP price as default and DDU as a strike-through alternative.
Restricted HS code prefixes
Some products cannot ship to certain countries (lithium batteries to remote islands, scooters to specific provinces). Enter restricted HS code prefixes per country in Settings → Landed Cost → Restrictions. ShipWave blocks the quote (and the order) when a cart contains a restricted item for the destination—the customer sees a clear "We cannot ship this product to your country" message instead of failing later at customs.
HS code AI auto-classification cron
Every product needs a Harmonized System (HS) code for customs. Manually classifying a catalog of hundreds of SKUs is brutal, so ShipWave runs a nightly AI cron that reads each product’s title, description, and category and suggests an HS code with a confidence score. You review the queue in Admin → HS Codes and approve or override. The cron processes ~500 SKUs per night and skips anything already approved.
FAQs
Do I need a Zonos account before I can configure ShipWave?
Yes. Sign up at <a href="https://zonos.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">zonos.com</a> and generate an API key. ShipWave is a Zonos technology partner, so onboarding is fast.
What if my freight forwarder is also my broker?
Use the carrier broker number for each leg. If your forwarder handles all of UPS/FedEx/DHL, you can repeat the same account number across carriers.
How accurate is the HS code AI cron?
About 92% accurate on our scooter-and-accessory catalog. We always recommend a manager spot-check the queue weekly until you trust it.
Can I bulk-edit HS codes via CSV?
Yes. The HS Codes admin page has an <em>Import CSV</em> button with columns <code>sku, hsCode, countryOfOrigin</code>.
More in International Shipping & DDP
- DDP and landed-cost shipping with Zonos
Show international customers a single all-in price at checkout—duties, taxes, and fees paid upfront, no surprises at the door.
- Adding the landed-cost widget to Shopify
Drop a single script tag into your theme and shoppers see real-time DDP duties and taxes right in the cart.
- DDP refunds and reconciliation
When a customer returns a DDP order, duties are refunded back to you. The reconciliation cron catches drift before it adds up.
- Shipping electric scooters and e-bikes (lithium batteries, UN3556)
A scooter with its battery installed is dangerous goods. Here is how to classify, label, and document it—and why it is UN3556, not UN3481.