How to Upload a Commercial Invoice for Customs

Before You Start

You may be reading this article because:

• Your company is not authorised for electronic invoicing — in this case, uploading your own commercial invoice is the only way to ship outside the EU
• You prefer to upload the invoice from your own sale to the customer instead of the system-generated document

Either way, the steps are the same. Make sure your invoice is ready and meets all the requirements listed below before you start.

Uploading your own commercial invoice is only available for FedEx, DHL, and UPS shipments.

Invoice Requirements

Your commercial invoice must include all of the following:

• Full Ship From and Ship To addresses
• Sender details — company name or full name, and contact information, exactly as entered when creating the shipment in Swotzy
• Recipient details — company name or full name, and contact information, exactly as entered when creating the shipment in Swotzy
• A clear and specific product description
• The declared value
• Country of origin
• The correct HS code for the destination country. If shipping to the USA, use the HTS code instead
• The Incoterm you are using (DDP or DAP)
• PDF format

The sender and recipient details on your invoice must match the information entered when creating the shipment in Swotzy. Mismatched information can cause delays at customs.

Step 1 — Set Duties Payor and Export Reason

In the Customs Information section, complete the following fields:

Duties Payor — mandatory. Select who is responsible for paying customs duties and taxes:

• Sender - DDP incoterm — customs duties and taxes are charged to you as the sender after the shipment clears customs. These charges are not included in the platform prices and will be issued in a separate invoice. See What is a Customs Invoice?
• Recipient - DAP incoterm — the recipient is responsible for paying customs duties and taxes before or upon delivery
• Third Party - DAP incoterm — a third party, such as a freight forwarder or business partner, is responsible for paying customs duties and taxes

Export Reason — mandatory. Select the transaction type. Choose Sale for sold products. Only choose Gift if the item is being sent as a present with no commercial value.

Selecting the wrong export reason can result in incorrect duty calculations, shipment delays, or rejection at customs.

Step 2 — Open the customs details window

In the Customize Customs Information section, click + Edit Customs Details.

At the top of the window, make sure Upload your invoice is toggled on.

Step 3 — Upload your invoice

Click Choose File, select your invoice, and click Upload Invoice.

Your invoice must be in PDF format.

Step 4 — Complete the remaining fields

Declaration Statement — optional. Enter any additional information that may help customs understand the shipment. Include as much detail as possible about the contents, intended use, and any other relevant information.

Other Comments — optional. Include any additional information relevant to the shipment.

The Declaration Statement and Other Comments fields may not be visible to customs brokers if the information is entered here but not included in your uploaded invoice. Make sure any details entered in these fields are also reflected in your invoice.

Additional Documents — optional. Upload any supporting documents required for customs clearance, such as certificates of origin, export licences, or proof of payment.

Importer — mandatory. Select the party responsible for import compliance:

• Recipient — the shipment recipient is responsible for import compliance
• Third Party — another party, such as a freight forwarder or business partner, is responsible for import compliance. The third party importer must be a resident or company registered in the country of destination

Click Save Changes to confirm.

Step 5 — Select a courier and generate the label

Once you have completed the customs information, continue creating your shipment as normal. Once all the necessary shipment information is entered, the available courier services will appear in the Order summary panel on the right.

Need Assistance?

If you experience any issues while uploading your commercial invoice, our support team is here to help.

Contact us at support@swotzy.com