Your EU customers should never pay fees at the door.
EU customs changed today. If your orders are shipping DDU, your customers are being asked to pay a new €3 duty per item before they receive their parcel, which may lead to refused. Happy Post’s Delivered Duty Paid allows you to collect the fee at checkout, so your customer gets a clean doorstep delivery.
DDU vs DDP
What your customers experience: DDU vs DDP
DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid) vs DDP (Delivered Duty Paid):
- Who pays duty: Your customer, at the door before receiving the parcel vs You, settled at checkout
- Customer experience: Parcel held; unexpected bill; frustration vs Standard doorstep delivery, nothing extra to pay
- Risk of refusal: High – unexpected charges drive refusals vs Low – delivery experience identical to domestic
- Returns rate: Higher – refused parcels return at your cost vs Lower – parcels are accepted
- Customs clearance: Slower – manual collection required vs Faster – pre-cleared at checkout
- Recommended from July 2026: No vs Yes
How It Works
How Happy Post DDP works
- Your customer completes checkout : EU duty and VAT are factored into the shipping cost at checkout. Your customer sees a complete total with no hidden extras.
- We handle the paperwork: Happy-Post processes the customs declaration, applies the correct HS codes, and ensures your shipment is compliant with EU and country-specific requirements.
- Your customer receives their order : Doorstep delivery. Nothing to pay. No held parcels, no complaints, no returns from refusals.
With new regulations coming into force, businesses should also review the EU customs changes effective from July 2026 to ensure their shipping processes remain compliant.
IOSS
Already IOSS-registered? We support that.
If you’re registered with the EU’s Import One Stop Shop (IOSS), you can choose to calculate duty and tax at checkout and include it in your customers’ total payable. Happy Post’s DDP service works seamlessly with your IOSS number: we ensure your customs documentation reaches tax authorities so your parcels clear faster and your customers pay zero on delivery.
France Update
Shipping to France? The separate French tax has been suspended.
France had introduced its own €2-per-HS-code small parcel tax in March 2026. On 30 June, the French government announced it was suspending the tax to avoid a combined €5 charge stacking on top of the new EU €3 duty.
From 1 July, UK-to-France sellers face only the standard EU-wide €3 duty — the same as any other EU destination. No double charge.
France and Belgium remain among the most popular destinations for UK exporters. Learn more about sending parcels from the UK to France and Belgium.
Ready to ship EU without the headaches?
Get a DDP quote for your EU destination below. We cover all major EU countries and support IOSS-registered sellers.