What happens in between purchase and international shipping from Australia?
In Australia, where eCommerce has taken over a big part of the market, anyone would probably wonder how things work backdoor. The International Trade Administration found out that the eleventh largest eCommerce market worldwide is Australia.
But most of the time, what people see does not go beyond checkout. It is not until they receive the parcel when they get involved again.
eCommerce and international shipping are two inseparable things. It involves how store owners access a market that covers the majority of the world and moves products from one point to another. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Although parcel delivery resolves the challenge of getting products, it also leads to many other stumbling blocks like international shipping expenses, customs clearance, and more!
Additionally, courier companies play an essential role in ensuring that parcels get to their destinations on time and in perfect conditions. It may look easy-peasy, but logistics can be the most irking yet important factor to be figured out.
Because of that, it is essential to be aware of these things before shipping internationally:
- Custom forms and regulations
- Parcel guidelines
- International post guide
- International zones
- Different types of international shipping
This ultimate guide will walk you through all things international eCommerce shipping-related. If you read through this blog, you will have a better understanding of how international shipping from Australia works. Let us get started!
What Are the Things You Need to Know?
Whether you own a store that caters to international customers or like sending packages to friends and family abroad, it is best to find your way around the international shipping process.
First things first—know where your suppliers are and where you are shipping to. These are a few of the most important things to do before you get down to planning how to transport parcels from Point A to Point B. After this has been sorted out, look for the most trusted international shipping companies and their services. Next are some key points to pay more attention to.
Find the Right Customs Declaration Forms
Always take note that governments make the rules when it comes to what comes in and goes out of their country. This only means one thing—each country has different regulations for its export and import processes.
That said, courier companies will require you to fill out a customs declaration form for all parcels before sending them overseas. It declares the content and the value of your parcel.
Most companies that offer overseas delivery services provide the declaration form on their website. For the convenience of their customers, you can check them out first!
Classify Your Package Whether It’s a Document or Not
More so, always determine if the product you are to ship internationally is a document or not. It may seem simple, but countries classify parcels differently.
Mainly, a package with no commercial value overseas and only contains printed, written, or typed material is a document. If a package has no commercial value, it does not need Commercial Invoice. Otherwise, parcels with commercial value need it.
While the most common delays in customs are a vague shipment description, it pays to provide an accurate and detailed description of your product. Always indicate what the package is, how many are there, what it is made from, and what it is for to come up with a good description.
Get Familiar with the Size & Weight Guidelines
Like the guidelines for classifying packages, the size and weight guidelines vary depending on what courier company you are making business with. The goal of determining the size and weight of the parcels is to identify their postage cost (the cost to pay for having parcels delivered).
To determine how much it costs for international shipping from Australia, couriers look into your parcel’s weight, measure its packaging, and identify how long the shipment is. These factors affect the arrival of your package. The faster you want it to arrive, the more it costs for shipping.
Identify Each International Zone
Aside from the size and weight of your package, another determiner of international delivery costs is the receiver’s location. Parcel destinations that are close to Australia cost lesser than those places further from the region. What is behind that is it takes more time to deliver a parcel to Singapore than New Zealand. In case you want to expedite the arrival, it still requires additional fees.
Learn the International Post Guide
Regulations surrounding international shipping may be affected by some implementations of the government. One of the major trigger points to that is the border restrictions. In light of this, it is only right to check the current rules and guidelines for shipping to a particular country, territory, or region. In doing this, you already know what to expect in case there are delays in the arrival.
Compare Internation Delivery Services
If you are still on the edge on what international delivery service to avail of, take time to compare different courier companies’ international delivery services. It will help you find the right price, speed, and feature that suits you. Even though international services may vary in each courier company, most services include economy, standard, express, and premium international shipping.
For cheaper delivery costs, choose the international economy service. This is also ideal when speed is not a priority. But if you want plenty of options for the delivery service, standard shipping is the right thing for you.
Express courier services are available for a faster service too. However, these options may be limited to certain types of parcels. Hence, make sure to check on the qualifications and requirements first.
To wrap it up, international shipping from Australia does not take too much work at all. It is fairly straightforward and there are many courier companies to choose from like Couriers by Demand Express. We provide international shipping services in many parts of the world. For more details, call us now!
