Small business: how to ship to customers in other EU countries without a big shipping agreement

When a small business starts shipping to customers in Germany, Sweden or the rest of the EU, the question soon comes up: do we need a shipping agreement? Carriers give their best prices to those who send lots of parcels. If you send 5 or 50 parcels a month, you often pay the list price. Here are your options, and what you need to get right.

1. What is a shipping agreement – and who gets a good one?

A shipping agreement is a deal between a business and a carrier on fixed prices and terms. The more parcels you send, the better the prices you can negotiate. Small businesses rarely have enough volume to get prices that can compete with those of the big webshops.

2. Three ways to ship as a small business

1. Without an agreement, at the carrier's list price. Simple, but expensive.
2. Your own shipping agreement directly with a carrier. This can pay off once your volume is large enough.
3. Through a platform that pools volume from many businesses. OhShip pools shipments from many businesses and negotiates prices with DHL and UPS, so small businesses can get better prices too.

3. How an OhShip business account works

With a business account you can:

• Ship at pooled prices that are normally reserved for the big players.
• Upload a spreadsheet and book many shipments at once – and check and correct them before the labels are created.
• Save senders and recipients in an address book and reuse them with a click.
• Track every parcel and find earlier orders and labels in your account.

Business accounts see prices excluding VAT, and VAT is added where it applies. If you send a lot of parcels, contact us about your volumes.

4. What to get right when you ship to EU customers

Customs and paperwork Between EU countries no customs papers need to go with the parcel. The exception is areas that belong to an EU country but lie outside the EU VAT area, such as the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.

VAT when selling to consumers in other EU countries If you sell to consumers in other EU countries, VAT has its own rules. That's a matter for the invoice, not the parcel – talk to your accountant about what applies to your business.

Size and weight The shipping price is based on the actual weight or the volumetric weight (length × width × height in cm ÷ 5000) – whichever is higher. Choose packaging that fits the product. A box that's too big costs money on every single shipment.

Addresses and phone numbers Always include the recipient's phone number, and use the country's address format. Our country guides show the format, for example send a parcel to Germany (in Danish) and send a parcel to Sweden (in Danish).

If the customer doesn't accept the parcel If the recipient refuses the parcel, or it can't be delivered, the carrier usually sends it back. The return costs are invoiced to the sender.

Fast or low-cost delivery Give your customers a choice. DHL Express flies the parcel and often delivers the next working day in Europe. UPS Standard goes by road and is usually cheaper, but takes a little longer.

5. Frequently asked questions

How many parcels do we need to send to get a business account? Contact us about your volumes, and we'll work out what suits you.

Can we send several parcels to the same customer in one order? Yes, with UPS up to 10 parcels to the same recipient in one booking. DHL Express takes one parcel per order.

Can we book many shipments at once? Yes, with a business account you can upload a spreadsheet and book many shipments at once.

Do our customers in the EU have to pay customs duty? No, not on shipments between EU countries. The exception is areas outside the EU VAT area.

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Sources: OhShip's own information (as of 4 November 2026): the Business page (pooled volume, spreadsheet, address book, tracking), Frequently asked questions (VAT, volumetric weight, several parcels, returns, DHL Express and UPS), the country guides (customs, address format). The VAT section is deliberately general; have it checked before the article is published.