This guide shows how to configure DHL Global Mail in Shipi. DHL Global Mail in Shipi connects to Deutsche Post International (DHL’s international mail and small-packet service) through the DHL API, and creates Packet and Business Mail labels for your international orders.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| What you need | Consumer key and consumer secret for the Deutsche Post International API, and your EKP customer number |
| Where to get them | The DHL API Developer Portal (keys) and your Deutsche Post International contract (EKP) |
| Services | Packet, Packet Plus, Packet Tracked, Business Mail Standard, Business Mail Registered |
| Live rates | Not available for DHL Global Mail in Shipi |
| Labels | PDF, with customs data sent electronically |
| Setup steps in Shipi | Carrier Account → Packing → Rates → Shipping Label |
Use the right keys for the mode: sandbox keys work only with Test Mode and production keys only with Live Mode. With the wrong pair Shipi shows Unable to get Access Token.
In this guide: What you need · Add DHL Global Mail · Account information · Ship-from address · Packing · Services · Label settings · First label · Troubleshooting · FAQ
What you need to configure DHL Global Mail
- A Deutsche Post International (DHL Global Mail) contract. Your customer number on it is the EKP.
- An app on the DHL API Developer Portal with access to the Deutsche Post International shipping API. It gives you the consumer key and consumer secret.
- A customs description and HS code for your products (or defaults you set in Shipi).
Step 1: Add DHL Global Mail in Shipi
- Sign in to Shipi and click Carriers in the left menu. The Shipping Accounts page opens.
- Click Add Shipping Account. If you haven’t added any account yet, the page shows the carrier list straight away.
- In the Add New Shipping Account window, search for DHL Global Mail and click it.
- The setup form opens. Its steps are listed in the Setup Steps panel on the left: Carrier Account → Packing → Rates → Shipping Label. Click Next at the bottom of each step, and Save Settings on the last one.
The left panel also has a Book a call button. The Shipi team can set up DHL Global Mail with you for free.
Step 2: DHL Global Mail account information
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Shipping Account Name * | Any name to recognise the account, for example DHL Global Mail – EU |
| Execution Mode * | Test Mode uses the DHL API sandbox with sandbox keys. Live Mode creates real shipments with production keys. |
| Consumer Key * | From your app on the DHL API Developer Portal |
| Consumer Secret * | From the same app |
| Customer EKP/Acc No * | Your Deutsche Post International customer number (EKP) |
| Weight Unit | KG_CM or LB_IN |
Step 3: Ship-from address
The Shipping From Address section is under the account fields on the first step. DHL Global Mail uses it as the sender on every label, so enter the address your parcels leave from.
If you already have saved addresses
- Shipper addresses saved in your Address Book appear as cards. Click a card to use it for this account; it gets a green Default badge.
- Click Edit on a card to change it, or + Add New Address to add another.
If you don’t have a saved address yet
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Shipper Name * | The contact person, printed on the label |
| Company Name * | Your business name |
| Mobile / Contact Number * | A phone number the carrier can call about the shipment |
| Email Address * | Your shipping contact email |
| Address Line 1 * | Street and number |
| Address Line 2 | Unit, floor or building (optional) |
| Country * | The country you ship from |
| State * | Choose from the list for that country |
| City * | Your city |
| Postal/Zip Code * | Your postal code |
| Tax ID / GSTIN | Your VAT, EORI or other tax number, if customs documents need it (optional) |
| House Number | Only if your address has the house number separate from the street (optional) |
The + Add New Address window has the same fields, plus + Add Custom Field to store any extra reference with the address.
Step 4: Packing
The Package Settings step tells Shipi how to turn an order’s items into parcels for DHL Global Mail. Shipi works from your product weights and dimensions, so make sure your products have them.
| Option | How it packs | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Pack Items Individually | Every item goes in its own parcel. | Each product ships in its own box. |
| All in one box | All items go in one parcel, whatever their size. | Your orders always fit in one box. |
| Weight Based Packing (Heavy Items First) (default) | Fills a parcel, heaviest items first, up to Max Weight (kg) (25 by default), then starts a new parcel. | You don’t use fixed box sizes. |
| Box or tube or envelope or packet packing | Fits the items into the boxes you define, using their dimensions. | You ship in a few standard box sizes. |
Adding your boxes
With the box option selected, click + Add Box and fill in:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name * | Any name, for example Small Box or Large Mailer |
| Type * | Box (rigid box), Tube (rolled items such as posters), Envelope (documents and thin, flat items) or Packet (soft mailer bag for items that don’t need a box, such as clothes) |
| Weight of Box (kg) * | What the empty packaging weighs |
| Max Weight (kg) * | The most the box can hold, items and packaging together |
| Width (cm) * | Left to right |
| Height (cm) * | Bottom to top |
| Depth (cm) * | Front to back |
Each box appears as a card with Edit and Remove buttons.
Packing settings greyed out? Your store uses one central packing configuration for all its shipping accounts. Click Edit Configuration, then Yes, Edit Settings. Your changes then apply to every shipping account in the store.
More detail and examples: how shipping package configuration works in Shipi.
Step 5: Services (Rates step)
This step lists the DHL Global Mail services Shipi supports. Only the services you tick are used: in rates at checkout and in the service list when you create a label.
- Type in Search services… to find a service, or use the All, Domestic and International tabs.
- Tick the box on a service card to switch it on. Each card shows the service code in brackets, for example
[CODE]. - Click the gear button on a ticked service to open Configure:
:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Display Name | Your own name for the service, used instead of DHL Global Mail’s name in the service list when you create a label. Leave empty to keep the standard name. |
| Price Adjustment % | DHL Global Mail doesn’t return live rates in Shipi, so this has no effect. |
On a new account Shipi ticks GMP (Packet) and GMM (Business Mail Standard) for you. Untick any you don’t use.
| Code | Service |
|---|---|
| GMP | Packet |
| GPP | Packet Plus |
| GPT | Packet Tracked |
| GMM | Business Mail Standard |
| GMR | Business Mail Registered |
Step 6: Shipping label settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Nature type * | What the goods are, for customs: Sale goods, Return Goods, Gift, Commercial Sample, Documents, Mixed Contents or Others |
| Email address to sent Shipping label * | Where Shipi emails the label (and invoice, if there is one) each time a label is created. Separate several addresses with commas. If an automatic label fails, Shipi emails the error instead. Leave empty if you don’t want emails. |
| Pickup Type * | How the items reach Deutsche Post: CUSTOMER_DROP_OFF (you drop them off), SCHEDULED (a scheduled pickup), DHL_GLOBAL_MAIL or DHL_EXPRESS (collected by that DHL network). Choose what your contract says. |
| Content description * | Customs description used when a product has none of its own. Up to 33 characters. |
| Commodity/HS Code * | Customs tariff code used when a product has none of its own |
| Label Copies * | How many copies of each label to print (1–99) |
After you save
Click Save Settings. The account appears on the Shipping Accounts page with its name, shipper, address and the DHL Global Mail logo.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Status switch | On: the account is used for live rates. Off: Shipi leaves it out of rates. |
| Edit | Opens the setup form to change any setting |
| Delete (bin icon) | Removes the account |
| Custom Shipping Rule | Set a free-shipping threshold, choose one default domestic and one default international carrier account (with a service), and send chosen countries to a specific account |
Create your first DHL Global Mail label
- Click Shipments in the left menu.
- Click Create Label next to an order, or Create Shipment to ship something that isn’t an order.
- Check the shipper and receiver details and the products, then choose your DHL Global Mail account and a service.
- Set the shipment options below if you need them, then click Create Shipment.
- Shipi shows the tracking number and the label to print. If you entered an email address in the settings, the label is emailed too.
DHL Global Mail options on the label screen:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Service | Packet, Packet Plus, Packet Tracked or Business Mail (the services you ticked) |
Troubleshooting
| Message or problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Error while packing: Check whether the products having weights / dimensions. | One or more products has no weight or dimensions. Add them to the product (or the shipment) and try again. |
| API Credentials not found. | The consumer key, secret or EKP is empty. Open the account with Edit and fill them in. |
| Unable to get Access Token. | DHL didn’t accept the consumer key and secret. Check them, and use sandbox keys with Test Mode and production keys with Live Mode. |
| Shipment created, failed to get label. | The shipment exists at Deutsche Post but the label download failed. Contact Shipi support with the order number. |
| Connection Error with Shipping. | DHL didn’t answer. Try again in a few minutes. |
Frequently asked questions
It is Shipi’s connection to Deutsche Post International, DHL’s service for international mail and small packets such as Packet, Packet Plus and Packet Tracked.
EKP is your Deutsche Post customer number. You find it on your Deutsche Post International contract; enter it in Customer EKP/Acc No.
Create an app on the DHL API Developer Portal with access to the Deutsche Post International shipping API. The app shows the consumer key and secret.
No. DHL Global Mail doesn’t return live rates in Shipi. Charge shipping with your store’s rates or a Flat Rate account.
Both carry small goods internationally, and Packet Tracked is the tracked version. Which services you can use, and how far each is tracked, depends on your Deutsche Post International contract.
Related guides
- How to set up flat rate shipping in Shipi
- How to configure DHL Express in Shipi
- How to configure DHL24 in Shipi
- How to configure shipping accounts in Shipi
- How shipping package configuration works in Shipi
Last updated: September 24, 2026