Frequently Asked Questions
1. Customs, DDP & Importer of Record
All inventory from outside the EU must be shipped Delivered Duty Paid (DDP). This means you handle all shipping costs, import duties, and VAT before the pallet arrives. We act strictly as the delivery point, never as the Importer of Record.
To maintain fast processing and low fees, we cannot manage customs payments at our door. Pallets sent under other Incoterms, where duties remain unpaid, will be refused.
You are. You own the goods and are legally responsible for EU import compliance, your EU EORI number, and ensuring all duties and taxes are settled via your carrier under DDP terms. We act solely as the consignee, meaning the delivery address.
No. We never take ownership of your goods. This keeps our service focused, our rates competitive, and our liability clear.
Yes. Send us your Commercial Invoice before dispatching your pallet. We will review that the Incoterms, EORI numbers, and HS-codes appear correct at a glance. This is an advisory check only. You remain fully responsible for the accuracy of your customs documentation. Catching potential issues early helps prevent delays or refusals at the border.
Place the following in a clear plastic pouch on the side of each pallet:
– Commercial Invoice: Showing your national and EU EORI numbers, HS-codes, goods description, total value, and the Incoterm DDP.
– Packing List: A detailed breakdown of the contents of each box on the pallet.
– CMR (Waybill): The transport document listing Kontor of Bruges as the delivery address.
2. EORI, VAT & Compliance
Yes. You need an EORI number from your own country to export, and an EU EORI number to import into the EU. If you only have a national EORI, you must apply for a European one. For example, a US business needs an EU EORI to act as Importer of Record.
Yes. A valid EU EORI number is mandatory for shipping into the EU. You can apply directly via the Belgian Customs website if you prefer to handle this yourself.
If you want a fully guided process, we offer an EU Customs Onboarding Support service for €45. We provide the correct forms, check your data, and guide you step-by-step through the submission to the authorities, so you are fully compliant well before your first shipment.
As the Importer of Record, you handle the import VAT via your DDP shipment. For the VAT on your final customer sales, you remain responsible for your own tax affairs. This does not affect how we process your boxes.
Not necessarily. Most clients use their carrier’s customs brokerage service. The carrier uses their own deferment account to pay the VAT at the border and then invoices you for that amount. Appointing a Fiscal Representative is an alternative depending on your carrier.
No, these are two separate processes. IOSS covers the VAT on the final sale from you to your individual customer. The bulk shipment of pallets to our hub is an entirely different step: it requires standard DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) customs clearance, which your carrier handles for the import of your goods into the EU.
You, the Client, are solely responsible for ensuring all products comply with EU regulations, including labeling, safety standards, and ingredients. We are your logistics partner and do not verify the legal compliance of your box contents.
3. Shipping, Pallets & Packaging
For very small volumes, direct shipping can seem cheaper on paper. But that price is rarely the full picture. International DDP parcels from outside the EU carry unpredictable surcharges, like a fuel surcharge that has jumped from 15.25% in March 2026 to 27.25% in May 2026 on the same network we use domestically https://www.dhlecommerce.be/en/fuel. Our pallet model insulates you from these volatile international surcharges. By injecting your boxes directly into the EU delivery network from our Belgian hub, you pay stable, local shipping rates. For established brands shipping regularly to the EU, the predictable cost and the superior, surprise-free experience for your customers outweighs a marginal price difference every time.
Fuel surcharges are updated monthly by carriers. Our local EU injection model uses domestic rates, which typically have much lower and more stable surcharges than international lanes into the EU. With us, your cost per box is fixed. The only variable is the pallet you ship to our hub. Everything after that is predictable.
Contact a freight forwarder with this brief:
– “I want to ship [number] pallets to Belgium under DDP Incoterms.”
– “I will act as the Importer of Record. My EU EORI number is [your number].”
– “The delivery address is Kontor of Bruges, Lekestraat 6B, 8433 Schore, Belgium.”
We do not book transport, but we provide a Shipping Brief with all technical details (Incoterms, delivery hours, documentation) for your carrier.
No. Every box needs its own unique shipping label. Taped-together boxes are unstable for sorting belts and may be separated or damaged. Carriers will charge a manual handling fee for bundled boxes.
Once your boxes are handed over to our carrier network, delivery within mainland EU typically takes 2 to 5 business days, depending on the destination zone. Your subscribers receive full track and trace visibility from the moment the label is created. We can provide you with a shipment overview upon request.
We do not receive automatic copies of the tracking notifications sent to your subscribers. However, we can provide a shipment overview with all relevant tracking numbers upon request. This allows you to monitor deliveries and handle customer service queries.
We use chargeable weight, which is the greater of actual weight (kg) or volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is calculated as (L × W × H in cm) ÷ 4,000. This is the same method used by our carrier DHL eCommerce. For example, a box measuring 50 × 40 × 30 cm has a volumetric weight of 15 kg, even if it only weighs 5 kg on a scale. Your handling fee and shipping rate are based on this chargeable weight.
Round, unstable, or loosely wrapped packages cannot be sorted automatically. Carriers charge a manual handling fee for every package requiring human intervention. Use sturdy, stackable, rectangular boxes.
We ship to all mainland EU destinations, divided into 5 zones based on local carrier rates:
Zone A: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France
Zone B: Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia
Zone C: Hungary, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Ireland
Zone D: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Croatia, Romania
Zone E: Finland, Bulgaria, Greece
For exact rates per zone and weight class, see our Pricing Page.
No, we only handle outbound delivery to EU addresses. Our relay model injects boxes into the European carrier network from Belgium.
We accept boxes from businesses worldwide. Whether you ship from the US, the UK, Vietnam, or beyond. Our relay model is built for any brand outside the EU. Send us a weekly pallet of mixed boxes for individual customers, or a monthly subscription drop. The process starts the same way. Contact us to discuss your route and we’ll help you get set up.
4. Box Variants, Data & Processing
We include up to three different Box Variants per project at no extra cost. From the fourth variant onward, we charge €20 per additional variant to cover extra sorting, label management, and verification.
Your handling fee is based on the total weight of your sealed, shipping-ready box. This includes the carton, any internal packaging, and all contents. During onboarding, you tell us the average weight per Box Variant, and we use that for invoicing. This ensures complete transparency from day one.
Because our hub is designed for dedicated batch processing, not mixed-item picking. Handling meaningful quantities of the same box type lets us maintain the speed, consistency, and accuracy your brand deserves. This focused approach is how we keep handling fees low for growing subscription brands and avoid the labeling mix-ups that can happen in busier, less specialized facilities.
A minimum of 25 units per Box Variant is required to maintain our processing efficiency. If one of your variants falls just short of this, please contact us before shipping. In select cases, we may be able to process smaller quantities with a surcharge.
Use the Standard Shipping Template we provide. Export your customer data from your webshop as CSV or Excel and email it to us once your stock is in transit.
Our system validates all recipient addresses in bulk before we generate labels. If a street name, house number, or postcode is missing or incorrectly formatted, we send you an Error List so you can correct those entries. We then process all remaining boxes. This bulk validation helps prevent failed deliveries and the associated return costs. To keep handling fees low, we do not manually correct addresses as standard.
If you send incorrect data, you will need to correct it yourself. The processing of your shipment will be delayed until the data is correct. If the pallet remains in our holding area for more than 5 business days due to delayed data, standard holding fees (€5 per day) will apply.
If a box requires a new shipping label due to an address error or customer correction after processing has begun, this is treated as relabelling. The standard handling fee for that chargeable weight class applies again. We do not manually correct addresses as standard.
No. Use one Shipping Template per drop. The “Box Variant” column tells our team exactly which pre-packed box to select for each recipient.
The process is the same. DDP intake, address validation, labelling, and dispatch. The difference is the rhythm. Subscription boxes run monthly. Corporate gifts and campaign drops are one-off projects with their own dedicated processing window. Corporate gifts also include full brand discretion: no mention of Kontor of Bruges appears on the box or any shipping documents visible to the recipient. For pricing, all batch services share the same rates.
5. Pricing, Payment & Onboarding
We charge a one-time Account Setup Fee of €125, which covers custom data mapping, a pre-check of your data formats for EU compliance, and profile setup in our carrier networks. This prepares your account for a smooth start from the first shipment.
We work on a pre-payment basis. Once your stock arrives and your address data is verified, we send an invoice for handling and shipping. Prepaid invoices must be paid within 24 hours.
Other invoices (repacking, holding fee, address corrections, returns, etc.) are payable within 14 days. We start processing and dispatch your boxes after your payment is confirmed.
It covers the full processing of your pre-packed boxes after your pallet is cleared. This includes validating your recipient addresses, generating and applying the correct EU shipping labels, preparing the pallet for carrier handover, and handing the boxes over to our carrier network. For the pallet-level intake and customs admin, see the Inbound Project Fees on our pricing page.
For batch services like subscription boxes, the handling fee also covers sorting by Box Variant. For individual parcel relay, every box can be different. We still validate every address, apply the correct label, and hand over to DHL.
Important: All boxes must arrive sealed in their final shipping carton, ready for a label. We do not open boxes, insert items, or repackage gift boxes into shipping cartons.
Yes. For individual parcel relay, you can add express processing at €3.00 per box. We process your shipment within 24 hours of arrival at our hub. Same-day labelling and handover to the carrier. This is not a next-day delivery guarantee to your customer. Final transit times still depend on the destination. Subject to prior agreement.
For batch services, express processing is available at €25 per shipment, for jobs requiring guaranteed processing within 24 hours of arrival.
Yes, but they work differently for each service.
For individual parcel relay, handling fees drop by €0.50 per box from 250 boxes, and by €1.00 per box from 500 boxes per shipment.
For batch services, custom volume rates are available on request from 250 boxes per month. Contact us for a tailored quote.
6. Returns, Insurance & Liability
We are a high-speed relay facility, not a returns processing center. Returned boxes are kept unopened in our holding area for up to 10 business days. A processing fee of €5.00 applies per returned box, and carrier return charges are passed through at cost. We can hold the box, re-ship it, or dispose of it, based on your instructions.
After 10 business days, if no instructions are received, unclaimed parcels will be disposed of at your expense.
We notify you when a parcel is returned to our hub. You can instruct us to hold it, relabel it for a new address (relabelling fee: standard handling fee applies again), or dispose of it. Carrier return fees and any address correction fees (€15 per occurrence) are passed through directly. Unclaimed parcels are held for 10 business days, after which they are disposed of at your expense.
Our responsibility starts once a shipment is officially signed for at our hub and ends once the carrier scans and accepts the boxes. Standard shipping is covered under the CMR convention at approximately €10 per kg. For higher-value goods, you should maintain your own transit or marine insurance.
Since we operate a relay model without long-term storage, your goods should be covered by your own transit insurance from pickup until final delivery. Our liability is limited to professional handling and labeling while the goods are in our care.
We maintain basic building insurance, but this does not replace your own inventory insurance. The ultimate ownership and risk of the inventory remains with you, the Client.
7. Prohibited & Restricted Items
To comply with Belgian and EU regulations, we never accept:
– Excise goods: All alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea, and tobacco products (including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches).
– Hazardous materials (ADR): Flammable liquids (e.g., perfumes with high alcohol content, nail polish), explosives, corrosives, and loose lithium batteries.
– Perishable goods: Any items requiring temperature-controlled storage.
– Illegal substances and narcotics: Including CBD products exceeding EU legal THC limits.
– Prescription medicines.
Due to specific Belgian consumption taxes (Verbruikstaks), coffee and tea are treated as restricted excise-equivalent goods in our facility.
Your products are your full responsibility. We do not verify whether items like dry food, cosmetics, or supplements meet EU regulations. However, for these and any other restricted items, we require your explicit, written confirmation of full EU compliance before we can accept your first shipment. This confirms in writing that you, as the Importer of Record, have verified your products meet all relevant EU packaging, labeling, and safety laws. Any shipment found to be non-compliant upon inspection by authorities may be seized, and all resulting fines or costs will be charged to you.
Our standard rates cover mainland EU destinations. Deliveries to islands (for example, Corsica, Canary Islands, Madeira) or remote areas as defined by the carrier may incur an additional surcharge.
We check every address list upon arrival. If any addresses are flagged as remote by the carrier, we will inform you of the extra cost before processing.
We recommend you provide your complete address list with your Shipping Template so we can check this before your drop is dispatched. This way, there are no surprises on your invoice.
We currently do not ship to Cyprus and Malta.