Revision 1.0 dated 07.07.2026
General conditions and limitations
This manual explains how to use the EAS postal DDP solution ("the Solution" or EAS DDP) to send delivered duty paid parcels from the United Kingdom to customers in the EU.
The Solution is intended for EAS customers based in the United Kingdom who manage fulfilment from the territory of the United Kingdom, excluding Northern Ireland.
| Condition | Details |
|---|---|
| Order types | EAS DDP can be used both for IOSS orders below 150 EUR and for B2C deliveries over 150 EUR. |
| IOSS orders | IOSS orders can be sent via EAS DDP provided the merchant is registered for IOSS with EAS or another IOSS intermediary. IOSS orders sent via the Solution are exempt from DDP fees, with only the usual EAS IOSS fees applied. The 3 EUR duty is calculated and paid via EAS DDP for IOSS orders. |
| Duty calculation | EAS performs comprehensive customs duty calculations, including preference considerations for goods produced in the UK, Switzerland, the EU and other countries that have free trade agreements with the EU. Customs data calculations are available when viewing order details. |
| HS codes | EAS DDP requires a 10-digit HS code to be assigned in your store. The HS code may also be corrected manually when ordering the service for a particular shipment. |
| Item weights | A precise weight for every item should be set in the shop before you start using EAS DDP. Actual weights can be corrected in the order content view. |
| Other carriers | EAS DDP can be used freely alongside any other delivery solutions, such as Royal Mail PDDP and courier services. |
| Payment | At this stage EAS DDP is a pay-as-you-go solution. The shipping rate and all duties and taxes (with the exception of IOSS VAT) are collected at the moment of ordering the EAS DDP service. You therefore need a payment card or Direct Debit configured in the EAS Dashboard. |
| Store configuration | Your store must be configured for duty collection, including the 3 EUR duty collection for IOSS orders. Please contact EAS support at support@easproject.com if you need help with this. |
| Supported platforms | Currently the EAS DDP service is available for merchants using Shopify, WooCommerce, Shopware 6, Wix and the EAS API. CSV customers are not able to use the Solution. Functionality may vary based on the ecommerce platform and commercial agreements. |
Preliminary requirements
Merchants must have an IOSS or DDP contract with EAS.
Registration: merchants can register via this link: EAS DDP registration.
EAS DDP will not work without an active payment solution enabled in the EAS Dashboard. If you have already connected your payment solution for settling EAS invoices, you do not need to make any further changes to your payment arrangements.
See these guides for connecting a payment method:
- How to manage payment methods in the EAS Dashboard
- Using Direct Debit in the UK for paying EAS invoices
At a later stage EAS will make arrangements for selected customers to use EAS DDP with monthly invoicing.
Duty calculation and free trade agreements
Once you have configured your store, customs duties and additional charges will be collected at checkout. Merchants must follow EAS guidelines when adding new items and setting shipping rates.
EAS uses its direct connection to TARIC (the EU customs tariff) to calculate preliminary customs duties. These calculations are available for review in the EAS Dashboard.
When calculating and collecting EU duties, EAS honours existing free trade and mutual trade agreements signed between the EU and other countries. Goods originating in the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Australia or other countries with a valid free trade agreement, sold in orders with a value over 150 EUR, will generally not incur any duties. Additional documents may be requested by EU customs.
For orders over the 150 EUR threshold containing goods originating in countries that have no valid free trade agreement with the EU, duties will be calculated based on the common applicable tariffs for the country of origin.
EAS DDP in the EAS Dashboard
The EAS DDP shipment option is available in the EAS Dashboard to all UK based customers. Once your store is configured, a new EU DDP shipments menu option appears in the EAS Dashboard, displaying both IOSS and DDP orders destined for all EU countries:
Orders already fulfilled via EAS DDP are marked with "Tracking" in the last column.
An order can have one of three statuses:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Unfulfilled | The order has not yet been checked and no service has been requested from EAS. |
| Shipment requested | All data fields in the order have been validated, but payment for the services has not been completed. |
| Fulfilled | Payment is completed. The postal label has been requested and received, and the EAS DDP service is initiated. |
Preparing and shipping orders
Order data input and validation
Before orders are submitted to customs, you may need to correct order details (HS code, customs description, buyer delivery information). The current order status and any required actions are visible in the Actions column:
- Check order information: either the DDP shipment process has not been started yet, or there are still issues with the recipient or parcel content data. Pressing the button redirects you to the order content.
- Tracking: a redirection link that allows you to track the dispatched parcel.
The order content is always accessible by clicking the order line (1). If the order has "Tracking" status, pressing the "Tracking" button redirects you to the order tracking solution (2).
Open the order to request the label and to correct the delivery and product data if needed. The order content will open, and any necessary changes can be made in this view:
| Field | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 1. Item description | The item description received from the store. By default the description for customs purposes is the same as the store description, but it is advisable to enter a more suitable customs description to avoid additional enquiries. Use this field when it is not clear from the store description what the item is. For example, use a customs description like "jewellery made from non-precious metals, commemorative ring" instead of the store description "lovely 50th anniversary ring". If the item was previously sent via EAS DDP and a separate customs description was entered, the field is pre-filled automatically from the EAS database for that SKU. |
| 2. Weight | EAS collects the weight from the store, and the offered shipping rate depends on the overall package weight. If there is a discrepancy between the actual weight recorded by the postal operators and the weight notified via the store, EAS will invoice the difference to you separately. |
| 3. HS code | The correct HS code must be entered here. It should be 10 digits long for both IOSS and DDP shipments. For IOSS calculations EAS automatically adjusts the code length and uses only the first 6 digits. You can use the EAS EU Customs Tariff and HS Code Tool to find the correct HS codes. |
| 4. Mobile phone number | Must include the international dialling code (for example +49 for Germany). A mobile phone number is mandatory for EAS DDP deliveries. EAS transfers the phone number from the store order data, but if it is missing or in an incorrect format, it must be added or corrected manually. |
| 5. Postal code | Mandatory. It must be provided correctly in the order form if it is missing from the order data received from the store. |
Once all data has been correctly entered and validated, the Request Shipment button in the upper right corner becomes available:
EAS collects the country of origin from the store. If you wish preference rules to be applied, the correct country of origin must be used in the store. Customs may require a signed invoice in such cases.
Requesting the EAS DDP service
- Select an order in the EU DDP shipments menu.
- Adjust or correct the order data as explained above, if needed.
- Click Request Shipment.
- Confirm by pressing Continue:
- The breakdown of fees, duties and taxes is then shown in a pop-up window:
- Press Confirm Shipment to make the payment via your connected payment solution. The order view updates:
Elements of the completed order view
Action buttons
Three new action buttons appear in the upper right corner:
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
| Download label | Allows you to download the prepaid label. The parcel is addressed to EAS in Estonia. This is your final destination label, and you do not need any other documents for the parcel to reach your customer. The label comes with a pre-filled postal customs CN22 or CN23 form that should also be attached to the parcel. |
| Tracking | Allows you to track delivery events. Basic tracking events are also visible in the bottom right area of the main order view. |
| Download invoice | Allows you to download the proforma customs invoice. In some cases EAS may ask you to download, sign and send this invoice for customs clearance purposes. Do not send the signed invoice unless asked to do so by EAS personnel. If asked, please download the invoice, sign it and send it to EAS via the designated email address. |
Label:
CN22/CN23 form:
Pressing the Tracking action button displays the EAS tracking solution with detailed tracking events:
Customs value calculation and breakdown area
You can see the breakdown of the customs value elements in this view:
- Original: order data received from the store.
- Preliminary: calculation based on validated EU customs data.
- Actual: customs-assessed fiscal data, which may differ if tariff codes are reassessed.
- To Be Paid: displays the actual invoice amounts in EUR.
Shipment timeline: shows key delivery events.
Shipment tracking events: this section contains basic order tracking events for reference purposes. Detailed tracking is available via the Tracking action button.
Annex 1: Customs descriptions and HS codes
All EAS DDP parcels enter the EU customs territory via Estonian customs, which requires that a proper customs description is assigned to all shipped items. The description should be based on the applicable TARIC HS codes used in the order. EAS collects item information from the store, but item descriptions and HS codes available in most ecommerce environments are not fully suitable for direct use in the customs process, both due to the language used in the store and the marketing-oriented approach to product descriptions.
The minimum length of the HS code is 10 digits. Note that the examples below show the first 8 digits with the final 2 digits in brackets.
The customs description should follow these general rules:
1. Intended use
Clearly state the practical purpose of the item. Refer to the HS code description available in TARIC when writing the description.
Examples: wristwatch, electric kitchen appliance, imitation jewellery, women's clothing, printed book.
If necessary, provide more detail: fully mechanical wristwatch with a wristband, hand-made; girl's t-shirt with logo; winter and all-weather hiking boots with removable insoles.
2. Materials used
Specify the materials where applicable. Materials are especially important for clothing and footwear.
Examples: imitation jewellery made from non-precious metals with natural pearls; enamel pin with natural stone elements; girl's t-shirt with at least 60% cotton content; men's shoes with full leather upper and rubber soles.
3. Special characteristics
Include relevant specifics applicable to the item.
Examples: essential natural oil infusion, not for human consumption as food; lightweight protective helmet, not suitable for children or professional use; sunglasses with plastic lenses, not made to a medical prescription or for medical purposes; printed book, fiction, does not contain adult or advertisement content.
The customs description should be added to the specific field in the order card. Once a customs description has been added and the item name in the store stays the same, the description is retrieved from the EAS database and entered automatically.
Examples
Example 1
Description in the store: "Magic ring with hand-made enamel heart and crystal panes."
HS code to be used:
The code used for the item is: 7117 90 00 (00)
Customs description: "Imitation jewellery: a ring to be worn as jewellery, made of stainless steel with no precious metals used, with glass elements."
Example 2
Description in the store: "Plastic spoiler for Volkswagen GTS, can be used for GTS345 models 1:35, requires additional fixings..."
HS code to be used:
The code used for the item is: 9503 00 75 (90)
Customs description: "Part for toy model electric car made of plastic. Item does not include electric elements. Not suitable for small children."
Example 3
Description in the store: "Fancy T-shirt, made to last in any environment, combining the best characteristics of natural cotton and long-lasting polyester, designed in Switzerland and made in Italy..."
HS code to be used:
The code used for the item is: 6109 90 90 (00)
Customs description: "Durable unisex T-shirt, intended for sports activities, made of 50 percent cotton and 50 percent polyester."
General tips for descriptions
- Do not make the customs description too long or complicated. It is always possible to find a short and precise description of the goods.
- Do not overuse variant characteristics such as colour or size (red t-shirt, blue yarn, fits all sizes).
- Apply gender applicability to clothing items (men's underpants, women's dressing gown).
- Use terms found in TARIC as much as possible when describing your item (knitted blouse, made of synthetic fibres, made of leather).
Annex 2: Customs descriptions in Shopify stores
Shopify customers can bulk-enter separate customs descriptions in their shops. EAS will collect that data from the shop, so there is no need for manual input of customs descriptions in the EAS Dashboard.
The EAS application automatically creates a special meta field in your store when this option is enabled in the EAS application:
The new meta field is named "Customs description". The field is created at item level, not at variant level.
The meta field can be filled at product level or via the bulk edit option in the Shopify admin menu.
To bulk edit the meta field, go to Products, choose all the products you need to edit and go to Bulk edit:
In the edit view go to Edit, then find and enable the "Customs description" meta field in the drop-down list:
A new column will be shown, and you can edit it using the standard bulk edit mechanisms:
EAS collects the meta field content automatically and places it into the order at item level. Data received from Shopify will override previously entered manual data. You can still change the description manually in the EAS Dashboard if needed.
If you have any questions about the EAS DDP service, please contact support@easproject.com.