International couriers are much simpler, faster, and more efficient today. This is because international customs authorities, shipping companies, and courier service providers have all contributed to making the process as customer-friendly as possible. With service providers’ core focus being ease of use, sending a courier no longer requires clients to spend days in uncertainty once their package has gone for shipping. Even then, one must consider certain vital things while sending couriers abroad, including:

Being mindful of sending prohibited items to other nations
Not every object shipped internationally will be legally welcomed by the country where it is being sent. Specific items are banned in certain countries. One must be aware of the regulations and limitations on the types of goods sent to a particular country. To know more, one can visit the postal website of the destination country before sending their parcel in order to avoid sending banned goods.

Being mindful of the customs clearance process
Parcels delivered internationally need to go through customs clearance. This process is needed for senders to obtain clearance from their chosen shipping carrier and ensure the delivery is executed successfully. While the process was extensively paper-driven and time-consuming in the past, today, clients can access clearance guidelines from shipping carriers by checking their websites. Customs clearance takes place both in the origin as well as the destination country for international shipments.

Keeping tabs on the total cost of sending courier
After confirming that the item is safe to be shipped, clients must look out for quotes for the cost of international delivery. One can enter the dimensions of their parcel, its weight, fragile status, and country of delivery into the delivery quote form of any given courier company to know how much they would charge for the services.
Alternatively, one can communicate in advance with the courier company and get complete clarity about all the charges applied for delivering an item through international waters. Often, people who send couriers abroad incur additional costs and commissions that were not specified by the courier company beforehand.

Providing contact details of the receiver on the package
While the courier company will have the address of the parcel’s receiver, individuals can put their personal contact numbers, email IDs, and other contact details to make it easier for the service provider to get in touch with the receiver and deliver the parcel efficiently. In this way, the receiver can stay in the loop regarding the delivery and its Expected Time of Arrival (ETA). Also, some countries make it mandatory for courier services to include the receiver’s contact details on the package during international deliveries. Many people who send couriers abroad may overlook this key detail.

Packing the parcel properly for international delivery
When goods are shipped internationally, they go through multiple clearance points, are handled by various individuals, and travel by various modes of transportation such as air, rail, road, or sea. Additionally, the parcel may be sorted and processed in multiple locations. All of this movement and commotion sometimes cause damage to the goods. Packaging the goods ensures that they are not damaged during the transit. Also, it guarantees that they endure climate changes (if the goods are being transferred from a warm country to a cold one) when they are internationally shipped and delivered.

Communicating with courier provider about delivery times
Shipping delays are a massive problem when goods are being transported abroad. To avoid running into shipping delays (which usually take about a week or two to resolve completely), individuals sending couriers abroad must discuss the delivery timelines with their courier service provider before investing in their services. Clear communication beforehand helps to minimize the risk of delays in the process.

Additionally, when goods being shipped internationally reach their intended destination on time, the receiver’s schedule remains intact. For example, if a given parcel is essential to the receiver’s business operations, then a delay in delivery will mean that their operations get delayed as well.

Informing the shipping company about fragile goods
Certain goods are so delicate or combustible that they can get damaged by the slightest of hits or knocks while being internationally delivered. Therefore, it is imperative for individuals to inform their courier company about the “fragile” status of their parcel. Doing so ensures that everyone involved – the courier company representatives, the shipping company workers, and last-mile delivery workers – handles the parcel with utmost care and consideration.