Does international shipping feel complicated and unpredictable? Your delivered time shouldn’t be a mystery. For many SMEs, a shipment outside the EU still means guessing delivery dates, worrying about customs and hoping the courier does the rest. ParcelParcel changes that. For SMEs that want to ship or import outside the EU, ParcelParcel is the shipping aggregator that simplifies the whole process by handling complex customs procedures and paperwork, so you save time and keep control over your shipments. Instead of comparing couriers and conditions manually, you instantly see which option gives you the best delivered time and price.
Chantal has been writing about logistics topics for almost two decades and has worked for major international carriers.
“Delivered time” is the exact moment your parcel is handed over to your recipient. It goes beyond simple transit days and includes:
Pickup and linehaul
Any transfer between networks or depots
Customs checks for non-EU destinations
Local last-mile delivery windows
Possible re-delivery attempts if the recipient isn’t available
Where many shippers only look at “3–5 transit days”, ParcelParcel focuses on the real delivered time. That helps you set realistic expectations with your customers, sales teams or international partners.
Several elements influence your final delivered time, especially for shipments outside the EU:
Service type
Economy and Express services follow different networks, speed profiles and cut-off rules.
Route and distance
Intercontinental routes (for example EU to USA or Asia) often rely on air freight and hub-and-spoke networks, which can add handling time.
Customs requirements
For non-EU shipments, your commercial invoice, HS codes and values must be correct. Incomplete or unclear data can cause delays during customs clearance. For more background, you can check the EU’s overview of the Harmonised System for product classification.
Pickup and cut-off times
Shipping before the courier’s cut-off can easily save you a full day on your delivered time.
Recipient availability
If nobody is available at the delivery address, the courier may need to try again, which pushes your delivered time forward.
With ParcelParcel you automatically compare DHL, FedEx, UPS, DPD, DSV and Skynet on one clear platform. You see:
Delivered time estimates
Service types (Economy vs Express)
Prices and conditions
You don’t need contracts or subscriptions. You simply pick the option that fits your deadline and budget and book directly. A good starting point is our page on international parcel shipping and delivered time comparison.
Customs doesn’t have to slow you down. ParcelParcel guides you step by step through:
Correctly filling in commercial invoices
Choosing and checking HS codes
Declaring realistic values and descriptions
If you’d like to dive deeper into HS codes yourself, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce has a practical guide on how to find the right HS codes and commodity codes.
By providing correct data upfront, you minimise clearance questions and keep your delivered time on schedule.
Hit the best cut-off times by choosing what suits you:
Courier pickup at your address
Drop-off at a nearby service point
Especially before weekends or public holidays, dropping off your parcel a bit earlier can make a big difference in delivered time.
Our Track & Trace delivered time tracking tool shows you and your recipient exactly where the shipment is in the journey. That means:
Fewer “Where is my parcel?” questions
Faster reactions if a delivery attempt fails
More control over the final delivered time
Use the Shipping Calculator to compare international shipping rates and delivered time.
Use our customs and documentation guidance so your shipment passes the border smoothly the first time.
If you want to explore specific carriers, you can also check:
Many shippers ask: are parcels delivered on Saturday?
Often the answer is yes—but it depends on the courier, the destination city and the service you choose.
In many metropolitan areas, Express services offer Saturday delivery as a standard or optional extra. Economy services, on the other hand, typically deliver on business days only.
If your delivered time is tight and a Saturday arrival is important:
Choose an Express service that supports Saturday delivery on your route
Ship before the latest cut-off, ideally on Thursday or Friday
Make sure the recipient address is open on Saturday (for business shipments)
Tip: if Saturday delivery is essential for you, send our team your postcode pair. We’ll check “are parcels delivered on Saturday” for your route and confirm the options before you book.
The next question is: are parcels delivered on Sunday?
Sunday delivery is more limited and depends heavily on the country, region and courier network.
Some premium services and specific routes offer Sunday delivery in major cities, but it is not available everywhere and usually comes with additional conditions or surcharges.
When a Sunday delivered time is critical:
Let us know your origin, destination and deadline
We compare multiple couriers and service levels
Where possible, we propose time-definite Express services that include weekend delivery
Again, our team will check availability for your postcode pair so you know exactly what is possible before you promise a Sunday delivery to your customer.
Choose Express when your delivered time is business-critical. Benefits include:
Shorter transport times
Less impact from weekends and holidays
Time-definite delivery windows on many routes
Higher reliability for urgent documents, samples or spare parts
You pay more, but you gain control and predictability.
Economy is ideal when:
Cost is more important than speed
Your shipment is non-urgent
You’re restocking inventory or shipping non-critical goods
You still get a clear delivered time indication, but with more flexibility around the exact delivery date.
ParcelParcel shows Express and Economy options side by side, so you can see immediately how each choice impacts your delivered time and your budget.
Ship before the courier cut-off
Missing the cut-off usually adds a full day to your delivered time.
Complete all customs data
Correct HS codes, values and detailed descriptions reduce questions from customs and prevent holds.
Use sturdy, suitable packaging
Proper packaging reduces the risk of damage, repacking or manual handling that could delay the shipment.
Share tracking with your recipient
When your customer sees Track & Trace, they can react faster to attempted deliveries or customs contact.
Consider dropping off at a service point
On busy days, bringing your shipment to a drop-off point earlier can help you meet tighter cut-off times.
Not sure which service gives you the best delivered time for your route? You don’t have to figure it out alone.
During office hours, our friendly team is ready to:
Compare delivered time options for your postcode pair
Check if Saturday or Sunday delivery is available
Advise on Express vs Economy for your specific shipment
Help you prepare the right customs documents
You can contact us by phone or email, whatever works best for you. We’ll help you choose the service that fits your deadline, budget and shipment type.
SMEs that ship outside the EU choose ParcelParcel because we make international delivered time clear and manageable:
Clarity – One platform, multiple couriers and transparent comparisons.
Speed – Smart service selection, strict cut-off management and fast Express options.
Control – Real-time tracking and proactive communication for you and your recipient.
Support – Personal help from experts who deal with customs and international shipping every day.
Ready to ship smarter and make your delivered time predictable?
Start today with ParcelParcel, no contracts, no obligations, just sharp rates, fast delivered time and personal support whenever you need it.
Transit time is the period your shipment spends moving between depots and hubs. Delivered time is when the parcel actually reaches your recipient. Delivered time includes transit, customs clearance for non-EU shipments, local delivery windows and any re-delivery attempts.
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On many major routes you can. Several Express services offer time-definite delivered time options, sometimes even with Saturday delivery. Share your origin, destination and deadline with us and we’ll select the service that best matches your required delivery date.
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Cut-off times are crucial. If your shipment is picked up or dropped off after the cut-off, it usually departs a day later, so your delivered time moves at least one day forward. ParcelParcel helps you plan pickups or drop-offs so you can hit the latest possible cut-off for your route.
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They can, especially if your paperwork or data is incomplete. That’s why ParcelParcel helps you with commercial invoices, HS codes, values and descriptions. When customs receives correct and clear information the first time, your shipment can be released faster and your delivered time stays on track. For extra background, you can consult the EU’s Access2Markets portal for customs and tariff information.
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For international shipments, Saturday delivery is widely available on selected Express services in many cities, while Sunday delivery is more limited and country-specific. If weekend delivery is important, ask us to check availability for your exact postcode pair. We’ll confirm which services offer Saturday or Sunday delivered time before you book, so you only promise what is actually possible.
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You can instantly check the shipping costs through our rate calculator. Enter the weight, dimensions, and destination country of your shipment, and you will see all available shipping options along with their respective delivery times. The calculator can be used to compare shipping rates for both export and import shipments.
If you need help calculating a shipping rate, watch the video below. Click on the 
button to play the video and the 
icon to view the video in fullscreen.
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Shipping costs are calculated based on dimensions (LxWxH in cm), weight (in kg), and the destination country. Both the actual weight (as shown on the scale) and the volumetric weight are considered.
The volumetric weight is the weight calculated based on the space your shipment occupies in the plane. The higher of the two weights (volumetric or actual weight) is used to calculate the shipping rate. You don't need to calculate this yourself; our calculator does it for you.
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You can use the discount code PP10 for 10% discount on the transportation costs of your first shipment. You can apply the discount code during the checkout process (instructions).
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Whether additional costs apply depends on whether your shipment stays within the European Union or is sent to/from a country outside the European Union. Below, you can see the additional costs for each situation.
Within the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to Italy (within the EU), there will be an additional 21% VAT on the shipping costs.
Furthermore, if your shipment stays within the European Union, you won't have to deal with any import duties or customs clearance fees because your shipment doesn't go through customs. Please note that the European Union is not the same as Europe.
View here all the countries that are part of the European Union. For example, Switzerland is part of Europe but not part of the European Union.
Outside the European Union
If, for example, you send a shipment from the Netherlands to the United States, there will be no VAT (0%) applied to the displayed shipping rates.
However, there might be import duties levied by customs in the destination country if you send a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union. Typically, customs costs are charged to the recipient. This is known as Delivered At Place (DAP) in logistics terminology.
Customs is a government agency that levies import duties in certain cases to protect the local market. As a company, you can also ship using Delivered Duty Paid (DDP), which means any customs costs will be charged to you as the sender.
If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact us. Additionally, you can read everything about import duties, VAT, and the customs clearance process in this blog.
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A customs invoice is a form where all the goods you want to ship are specified. This invoice includes an English description of the goods, along with their corresponding value and weight.
The contents of your shipment must be specified per type of product you're sending to avoid delays at customs. A customs invoice is always prepared in quadruplicate in accordance with customs guidelines.
When is a customs invoice required?
A customs invoice is only required for shipments to/from countries outside the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - United States). If your shipment stays within the European Union (e.g., Netherlands - Italy), your shipment will not go through customs, and therefore, a customs invoice is not required.
Additionally, document shipments are not subject to customs, so if you're sending a document to a country within/outside the European Union, no customs invoice is needed.
Please note that not all goods can be shipped to every country. You can find a list of goods that cannot be sent via ParcelParcel on this page.
Do I need to create a customs invoice myself?
If you're sending a shipment to/from a country outside the European Union, it's mandatory to include a customs invoice with the shipment. We provide free support in creating a customs invoice.
You can easily generate a customs invoice through our shipping platform. The customs invoice will be automatically generated based on the content you specified during your booking.
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You can import just as easily as export via ParcelParcel.
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You can find a list of goods that cannot be shipped via ParcelParcel on this page.
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