Guides & Explainers
All Shipping Guides
Every Cargosender explainer in one place — booking, customs, tracking, insurance and packaging, organised by topic.
📝 Booking & Managing an Order
What to Have Ready Before Requesting a Quote →The details you need on hand before you start a quote.Envelope, Package or Pallet? →Which service class actually fits what you're sending.What Is Flexible Booking? →How a flexible pickup window works.What Is a Custom Offer? →When Cargosender proposes a bespoke quote instead of a standard one.Final Checks Before You Pay →What to verify on the checkout screen before confirming.Why Was My Quote Rejected? →Common reasons a quote can't be booked as entered.Quote vs Order vs Booking →What each term actually means in the process.How to Cancel or Change an Order →The written-cancellation process, refund windows and fees.Made a Booking Mistake? →What to do if you spot an error right after booking.Cargosender's Role Explained →Freight forwarder vs carrier — what Cargosender actually does.Why Can't I Choose My Courier? →How Eurosender's network assigns your courier.Adding Delivery Instructions →How the driver-note field actually reaches the courier.Collection Day Readiness Checklist →What to have ready before the courier arrives.
🛃 Customs, Duty & International Rules
Who Pays Customs Duty & VAT →The general liability mechanics of import charges.What Happens to My Parcel at Customs? →The general customs clearance process, step by step.How Tariffs Actually Work →HS codes, MFN rates and trade agreements explained together.How to Write a Customs Description →Why vague descriptions get parcels held.De Minimis Thresholds Explained →Why a parcel is duty-free in one country and taxed in another.Understanding EORI Numbers →Who actually needs one, and how to get it in Portugal.What Is a CMR Note? →The international road freight consignment note explained.Country of Origin vs Dispatch →A commonly confused customs-invoice distinction.Do You Need a Customs Broker? →When a broker is worth it versus doing it yourself.Sending Gifts Internationally →Real gift-relief schemes and their actual limits.Sending Used or Personal Items Abroad →Customs treatment of non-commercial personal items.Sending Seeds, Plants & Flowers →Restrictions on live plant material and seeds.Shipping to Azores and Madeira: Customs & VAT →Portugal's own islands — EU customs, but a different VAT rate.Selling to US Customers After the De Minimis Change →A seller's checklist after the 2026 US exemption suspension.VAT & Duty When Selling to UK Customers →What the £135 threshold actually governs.Why Some Destinations Aren't Available →Legal, not carrier, reasons a route might be unbookable.
📍 Tracking, Delivery & Delays
Parcel Delivery Times Explained →What a transit estimate covers, and what it doesn't.Tracking Statuses Explained →What each tracking status actually means.What to Do If Your Delivery Is Late →Practical steps, not just legal caveats.Proof of Delivery Explained →What evidence exists, and its limits.Return to Sender & Refused Parcels →Who pays when a parcel is refused or undeliverable.Lost or Damaged Parcel →The claims process for a genuinely lost or damaged shipment.Address Formatting Mistakes →Universal mistakes that cause failed deliveries.PO Box, Hotel or Military Address? →Which specific guide applies to your address type.Unexpected Charge After Booking →Diagnosing a post-booking surcharge.
🛡️ Insurance, Value & Claims
Declared Value Explained →How to choose a declared value, and what it caps.What Additional Insurance Doesn't Cover →The standard exclusions, separate from prohibited items.Declared Value vs Separate Shipping Insurance →Deciding whether declared value alone is enough.Additional Insurance Tiers Explained →How the optional cover levels differ.Claim & Complaint Deadlines Explained →The actual windows for raising a claim.How to File a Complaint →The real process, not a generic template.How to Contact Cargosender Support →The fastest channel for a given issue.
📦 Packaging, Sizing & Comparing
What Is a Parcel? →Parcel vs package vs freight, and why it changes the price.Parcel Size and Weight Limits →The three limits that apply to every parcel.How to Measure and Weigh a Parcel Correctly →The real minimum-size rule from the booking form.Sending Multiple Parcels in One Order →How multi-box bookings actually work.Combining Parcels vs Sending Separately →A worked volumetric-weight comparison.Parcel or Pallet? →Deciding which service class fits a bulkier shipment.Domestic vs International Shipping →The practical differences between the two.Packaging Materials: Reuse vs Buy →When reused packaging is fine, and when it isn't.Is This Item Worth Shipping? →A quick value-vs-cost sanity check before booking.Ship It or Take It With You? →Comparing shipping against carrying it yourself.Can I Ship This? →How to check an item against restrictions before booking.How Comparison Sites Work →What a comparison site actually does.Compare or Book Direct? →The trade-offs between the two approaches.Expats in Portugal: Sending Parcels →Common tasks for expats shipping from Portugal.Planning Shipment Timing Around Disruptions →Building buffer time around known disruption periods.Cheapest Way to Send Documents →Comparing document-specific services against standard parcels.Packaging Guide →General packing materials and technique guidance.