Can the Receiver Pay For Shipping?
TL;DR
- The receiver can pay for shipping if the courier offers “Cash on Delivery (COD)” services, primarily available for businesses, not individuals.
- To pay upon delivery, the receiver must use a courier like UPS or USPS that supports COD, while others may have specific rules based on the country.
- If a parcel is from abroad, the receiver typically doesn’t pay extra unless customs fees apply, based on the shipment’s value.
- Be cautious of scams requesting payment for parcels; verify the sender before sending money.
The answer can be both yes and no. Let’s check each scenario:
- The receiver can pay for shipping. The receiver can pay for the delivery costs if the courier company you are using offers the service “Cash on Delivery (COD)” or “Collect on Delivery (COD)”. Read more in our article dedicated to cash on delivery.
- The receiver will not be able to pay for the shipping costs. It often happens that this service is not available to individuals; instead, smaller business owners, or retailers, need this option. Even as a business, though, if the courier company you are shipping with does not offer this service, the receiver will not be able to pay for the shipping upon delivery.
How will the receiver pay for shipping?
- Book shipping with a courier company that offers “Cash on Delivery (COD)” or “Collect on Delivery (COD)”.
- Send the package out for delivery.
- The receiver will pay the required amount with cash or card upon delivery.
- The sum of money is transferred to the shipper or the logistics company. This will depend on the TC of the courier company. Keep in mind the courier will deduct the required amount necessary to cover the shipping cost.
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Can the receiver pay for the shipping with Eurosender?
Unfortunately, at the moment “Cash on Delivery” is not a service we are providing. What you can do instead, as a receiver, is book the shipping and pay upon booking. At Eurosender, we offer discounted shipping services, even up to 70%, on some routes. You can check your price by clicking the button below.
Book with Eurosender today!
Receiver pays for shipping – DHL, UPS, FedEx, USPS
Receiver paying for shipping with DHL
DHL offers this service with quite some limitations. This type of payment is mainly popular in Southeast Asia. You can check with your local DHL directly to see if there are any other countries available.
Paying upon delivery with UPS
The receiver can pay for the shipping upon delivery with UPS. The sender needs to ensure they have booked the correct service.
Sending parcels with FedEx and receiver paying
The rules with FedEx vary from country to country. In general, the recipient or another third party could pay for the shipping directly on the FedEx website with the account number. You would have to check this in more detail on their website directly.
Receiver paying postage with USPS
USPS offers the service “Cash on delivery”, which might include the money to be paid for the postage, fees, merchandise or anything else. If the sender chooses this service upon booking, the receiver will pay the postage.
Do I need to pay money if I receive a parcel from abroad?
Normally, you would not have to pay any additional money if the sender did not request the service “Cash on Delivery”. The only exception to this is if your shipment is subject to customs fees.
Receiver paying for customs
As a receiver, you might be asked to pay fees if your parcel is travelling from abroad and exceeds a specific allowed value. Goods shipped from abroad (outside the EU) undergo customs procedures may be subject to duties and charges, even if they are declared gifts. Read this article all about customs procedures and understand if your shipment is subject to any duties.
Popular scam – receiver asked to pay for the postage
If you receive a letter or email that you need to pay a certain sum of money to receive your parcel, think about the message twice. Scammers are finding all possible ways to make their requests seem legit; this is why you need to recheck the details of the sender of the request.
This is especially true if the requested sum of money is a substantial amount. Do not send anything unless the request comes from a legit official email or address. You can also call the courier or the seller directly to confirm if you really need to pay for something. You can read all about shipping scams here.
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Still have questions?
Check our delivery guides for more information.
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About the author
Marcel Nahtigal is Head of Marketing at Eurosender, specializing in digital strategies to enhance customer connections in logistics.
