How to Package Parcels for International Delivery

It may sound obvious, but additional care and consideration is needed when packing your parcel for International delivery. Not only does the parcel have potentially thousands of miles to travel, it will be handled multiple times over various locations and go through automated sorting systems.

As the sender, it’s your responsibility to make sure all items are well protected and packaged securely to ensure your parcel is delivered to their destination country successfully and without delays.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Wrap each item inside the parcel individually
Tip: bubblewrap and tape protect fragile items when wrapped tightly before placing in an outer box or container.

2. Protect the contents with a strong outer container
Tip: use polystyrene or foam peanuts / pellets, crumpled newspaper or shredded cardboard to fill up any extra space in the outer box to reduce movement.

3. Seal the outer container with strong tape
Tip: seal along the openings of the box or container and all the way around any seams, using strong tape of 40-50mm wide.

Remember to fasten your labels securely to the outside of the box and if you have invoices, they must be signed, placed in an envelope, then attached to the box / container.

Don’t forget:

Always remove any old labels/markings from your box.
Consider the use of arrow up labels.
Use a documents enclosed slip for attaching extra documents to parcels.
We strongly suggest polystyrene protection for heavier items.
Do not use black plastic wrapping; it cannot be processed through automated sorting machines.

Every care is taken to ensure your parcels are handled with care; however standard transit knocks do occur on the back of moving vehicles, aircraft and on the conveyer belt system and parcel sorting machines, therefore internal protection and a strong outer box is essential in order to be covered for damage on our services.

Some simple things to avoid when packaging parcels for International delivery:

Remember! If the packaging used for your parcel is not suitable or sufficient, not only are your goods at risk of being damaged or lost in transit, you may not be able to claim compensation. Not only that, but if your goods then damage other parcels in our care due to negligence, we may seek to recoup any losses.

Don’t send unboxed items - All items must be packaged suitably for transit through our network.

Don’t use damaged boxes - Weak or damaged boxes will not give your items the same level of protection as good quality ones. Consider this and the weight of the products when choosing an outer container for posting.

Don’t use thin plastic flyer bags - Thin plastic can rip during transport and doesn’t provide adequate protection – if you can’t use cardboard as your protective outer layer, ensure you use tear resistant, tensile strong plastic with a coefficient of friction between 0.15 and 0.2 (DIN EN 8295).

Don’t use black outer packaging - Our automated parcel sortation systems can’t process parcels encased in black wrapping – using it for International deliveries will lead to your parcel being automatically returned.

Creased boxes and barcodes don’t mix! - Damaged or weak boxes also often have creased surfaces, which increases the likelihood of the barcode on the address label also being creased. This can prevent us from being able to trace or track your parcel.

Open / unsealed boxes - An open or unsealed box presents a risk for items to fall out and / or small items to fall in. Take care to seal all side sand edges with strong tape.

Check out our packaging and posting guides for further advice. Parcel ready to be sent? Get a quick quote online now.