Proforma or Commercial Invoices

Ship@ease can produce a proforma or commercial invoice if selected.

For shipments to non-EU destinations, Customs paperwork is required in the form of either a proforma or commercial invoice.

Invoices

• A proforma invoice is required when the goods are being sent free of charge, are of no commercial value, and must not be resold. The cost value of samples or gifts must be detailed on the invoice.
• A commercial invoice is required when the goods being shipped are part of a commercial transaction and are being sold with a resale value.

Ship@ease Prepared Invoices

Type of Invoice

Select from the drop-down options the type of invoice required:

• Proforma
• Commercial

Number of Items

This field will be auto-populated from the package details already entered.

Terms of Delivery

GeoPost UK only accepts consignments which are prepaid, and the duty/tax is payable by the consignee. This is represented by the universal Incoterm 'DAP' - delivered at place.

For shipments on the DPD Classic service to Norway and Switzerland, please use DAP CLEARED.

Shipper Details

The shipper details including address, telephone and contact details, will be pre-populated from the details configured in ship@ease.

If you wish to make any amendments to these details, this can be done via My Account in the Invoice Settings section.

Shipper's EORI Number

The EORI Number (Economic Operator Registration & Identification Number) replaced the TURN in July 2009. All businesses involved in international export or import require an EORI number.

Any enquiries regarding EORIs should be directed to HM Revenue & Customs

The shipper's EORI number will be pre-populated from the details configured in ship@ease.

If you wish to make any amendments to these details, this can be done via My Account in the Invoice Settings section.

FDA Registration Number

Certain commodities exported to the USA require the sender to register with the FDA in the USA. These commodities include cosmetics, pharmaceutical products and non-perishable food items. A copy of the prior notice must be attached to the invoice before export.

For further information

Enter the FDA registration number if required for the shipment.

Total Weight

This field will be auto-populated from the package details already entered.

Reason for Export

Enter the reason for export, e.g. sales, samples for review, etc.

Receiver

The receiver's details, including address, telephone and contact details, will be pre-populated from the details previously entered into the Delivery Details screen.

Receiver's VAT/PID/EORI Number

Enter the company registration (VAT) number, personal ID (PID) number or EORI of the customer the shipment is being sent to.

This number is required to clear your shipment through Customs (this is mandatory for consignments to Norway and the Canary Islands).

Commodity Details

Click on Commodity Details and then complete the details in the Invoice Commodity Details screen.

Click on the Add button.

Commodity Code

The Customs Commodity Code dictates the amount of duty that will be applied by Customs to the goods when they arrive. This is required for export and import Customs clearance and ensures the goods are classified accurately and that the shipper's customer is not being over-charged in duties.

Enter the Customs commodity code (tariff number) for the item(s) you are sending in the shipment.

To look up commodity codes

Full Description of Goods

This is essential for Customs and airline security purposes. Poorly described shipments could be detained for further examination by Customs and so delay the delivery of the consignment.

Enter a full and accurate description of the goods.

Number of Items

Enter the number of items for each commodity code/description of goods.

Unit Value

Enter the unit value of each item.

Country of Manufacture

Enter the country of manufacture of the goods; as the country details are entered, a list will display of options to select from, or select from the drop-down list the country of manufacture.

Print Options

Once the shipment details have been completed, the options to print the label now or at a later point are presented.

An information message will display to advise that the shipment has been saved successfully and display the consignment number that has been generated.

If a thermal printer is the default label printer and print now is selected, the label will be generated by the printer ready to be placed on the parcel.

If printing to an A4 label printer, the label image will be displayed and then printed out on the designated laser printer.

Important Information

You need five copies of an invoice for each consignment, each with an original signature.

These must all be enclosed in a document wallet and secured to the outside of the package. All multi-piece shipments should have a copy of the invoice on each of the parcels, with the original and four copies on the header parcel.