Find out how you can send your book consignments quickly and conveniently directly to your customers' letterboxes. Get to know book consignments and optimise your shipping process with our practical services!
Business customer glossary
Here we have summarized some important terms for you at a glance.
Any questions? Visit our FAQ service center.
📝 Book consignment
📝 Bulky goods delivery
Large and unmanageable parcels? Send as bulky items with GLS
GLS will sort and scan these consignments manually at its distribution centers and depots. This is because they are not suitable for the automated sorting equipment. GLS deploys these so-called sorters for quick, reliable parcel shipping. A parcel's dimensions or shape or the outer packaging can all contribute to it being non-conveyable and thus being shipped as a bulky item.
📝 BusinessParcel
BusinessParcel
Our reliable basic product for national parcel shipping: we transport parcels weighing up to 40 kilogrammes within Germany.There are no distance limits: the standard GLS delivery time of under 24 hours applies across the whole of Germany.
📝 CashService
CashService
The CashService allows you to extend your range of payment options. The consignee pays for their items conveniently when the parcel is delivered. This also minimises your risk of non-payment.
- GLS takes receipt of the money and transfers it securely and swiftly into the consignor's account
- Cash-on-delivery sums from Germany are usually transferred to your account on the 5th working day after delivery
- The maximum cash-on-delivery sum and the liability limit is 2,500 €
📝 ConsignmentService
Experience an efficient and time-saving way to manage your parcel shipments. With our ConsignmentService, you get a solution that guarantees maximum customer satisfaction and seamless delivery. Learn more here.
📝 Customs Portal / Customs Interface
The export of goods to countries that are not part of the European Union (e.g. Switzerland) requires customs clearance. GLS offers for this purpose simple customs data entry via the Customs Portal and the Customs Interface.
📝 DeliveryAtWorkService
DeliveryAtWorkService
We will delivery your parcel not only to a business address, but direct to the consignee's workplace – to a specific department, an office or an individual.
📝 DepositService
With the DepositService, we deliver your parcels to a secure drop-off location chosen by the recipient on the first delivery attempt. The delivery is made without delivery confirmation and is finalised with the deposit at the desired drop-off location. But how exactly does it work?
📝 Diesel surcharge
The diesel surcharge is a surcharge levied by transport companies to compensate for the effects of fluctuations in crude oil prices on transport costs. What is this surcharge based on?
📝 Downloads
Always well-informed - important documents to download for GLS customers, including guidelines, templates and manuals.
📝 E-Invoice
From 1 January 2025, the receipt of e-invoices in accordance with DIN EN16931 will be mandatory in the B2B sector in Germany. GLS prepares the receipt and creation of e-invoices. A transitional period until 31 December 2026 still allows PDF or paper invoices. GLS plans to provide you with e-invoices from the first quarter of 2025.
📝 eDeclarationService
eDeclarationService
We take responsibility for customs clearance: before shipping the parcel, our central customs clearance department will create the electronic export declaration for you.
We will support you in this process:
- You will receive a checklist, which is a detailed summary of all the information required
- Customs-compliant creation of the export declaration based on the details in the invoice and the checklist
- Application of a two-stage process. Exception: flight relations – here a single stage process is applied.
📝 Embargoes and sanctions
Sanctions, embargoes and restrictions regulate what you are allowed to send as a business consignor to certain recipients, organizations or countries. You can find out what these restrictions are and what you need to bear in mind here.
📝 Energy
In the regular bills, our business customers find an index-based surcharge for energy. This is due to the considerable fluctuations in energy prices, which have a significant impact on transport costs. What is this surcharge based on?
📝 EuroBusinessParcel
EuroBusinessParcel
We offer reliable parcel delivery all over Europe
The countries are connected thanks to our precisely coordinated transportation services and modern distribution centres. This enables GLS to deliver parcels to all important European markets in standard delivery times of 24 to 48 hours. More remote areas outside large cities can generally be supplied by GLS within 72 to 96 hours.
📝 EuroExpressParcel
EuroExpressParcel
Express shipping in Europe: we deliver time-critical consignments internationally; before close of business on the next working day in many countries (Saturdays optional). Next-day delivery is also possible for commercial centres in many other countries.
Urgent goods and documents reach their destination reliably and quickly via express shipping within Europe.
📝 ExchangeService
ExchangeService
A chance to handle returns as part of an efficient goods exchange. We make the delivery and collect the return at the same time, bringing the goods to the returns depot or to a business address of your choice.
Repairs are a classic application for our ExchangeService: the consignee gets the replacement device immediately; the defective device is collected at the same time and transported to your premises or to a different address you have specified.
📝 ExpressParcel
ExpressParcel
Reliable national express transportation: we deliver parcels all over Germany by the next working day (Saturdays optional) and always by close of business.
Speed and punctuality are the top priorities for express delivery with GLS. Urgent consignments, from spare parts to documents, reach their destination on time.
📝 FlexDeliveryService
FlexDeliveryService
Optimum flexibility for your consignees: we let consignees know about their delivery and provide them with a large variety of delivery options.
Consignees receive email information about pending GLS parcel deliveries – including details of the predicted delivery time window.
📝 Fulfilment
What is fulfilment? Would you like to know more about fulfilment? Then you've come to the right place. We'll tell you what fulfilment is all about, what fulfilment processes look like and how the topic of fulfilment fits into the overall context of logistics.
📝 General Terms and Conditions
The currently valid General Terms and Conditions of the General Logistics Systems Germany GmbH & Co. OHG.
📝 GlobalExpressParcel
GlobalExpressParcel
International shipping: GLS conveys documents and parcels quickly to all countries around the world.
We supply goods to over 160 countries1. Parcels and documents are transported to important business centres all around the world in a standard delivery time of just 2-5 working days – for example to the USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
1 No deliveries to countries where the political situation is very unstable
📝 GLS Klima Protect | Sustainable parcel shipping with GLS
As the core of our responsible corporate culture, with the GLS Climate Protect strategy we primarily lay focus in sustainable parcel shipping on avoiding and reducing negative environmental impacts and also investing in certified climate protection projects in order to compensate for any remaining influences.
📝 GLS transport partner
GLS transport partner
Rely on the reliability and quality of GLS transport partners! We only work with partners who meet the highest standards in terms of safety and environmental protection. Read more about how the cooperation works.
📝 Guaranteed24Service
Guaranteed24Service
We deliver parcels with the Guaranteed24Service guaranteed on the next working day (except on Saturday) throughout Germany (excluding islands).
The Guaranteed24Service is the ideal upgrade for the BusinessParcel, if urgent items need to arrive at the consignee in a guaranteed delivery time.
📝 HazardousGoodsService
HazardousGoodsService
GLS can ship hazardous goods in certain categories within Germany by arrangement with the responsible depot. Trained staff at these locations will provide advice on the issue of transporting hazardous items. If you are interested, please get in touch.
Extremely dangerous substances are excluded from hazardous goods shipping, such as radioactive, explosive or highly toxic substances or where there is a risk of contagion.
📝 IdentPINService
IdentPINService
An additional service to ensure handover to an authorised individual. We will only deliver the parcel following successful entry of a PIN number.
The parcel can only be handed over to the authorised person thanks to a direct IT system check.
- Greater security thanks to delivery requiring correct PIN entry and successful visual ID card inspection
- Reliable IT system check – ideal e.g. for online shops that must ensure age checks to maintain their Trusted Shop status
- Optional date of birth check
📝 InboundService
InboundService
We are here as your reliable B2B partner for procurement logistics. By combining the InboundService with our other shipping services we are able to cover your specific procurement logistics setup. You will gain many benefits from this collaboration.
📝 IntercompanyService
IntercompanyService
We simplify your internal parcel handling. If you receive a GLS consignment at one of your locations, we will take any GLS parcels with us from that location that need to be delivered to other locations within your business.
This optimises transportation links and reduces your costs. We also supply special parcel labels, which simplifies shipment handling.
This service can be used for lots of applications, especially in chain stores.
📝 Large parcel/ volume parcel
When passing through our sorting centers, parcels are automatically measured by calibrated volume scanners and classified according to defined threshold values. You can find out how we calculate large parcels and the volume here.
📝 LetterboxService
LetterboxService
With the LetterboxService, we deliver small consignments directly to the consignee`s letterbox. This service is ideal for sending small items, mailshots or catalogues, where the consignee`s signature is not required.
- Reliable delivery to the consignee`s mailbox within a standard delivery time of 24 hours
- Online parcel tracking included
- Generous maximum dimensions: 28 x 40 x 5 cm (minimum dimension: C5 format)
- Maximum weight: 1 kg, no minimum weight limit
- Includes liability in accordance with the statutory provisions, at least 10 € 1
1 Within the scope of the LetterboxService GLS will be liable for loss or damage up to the amount of 8.33 Special Drawing Rights of the International Monetary Fund per kg of the envelope’s gross weight. If the amount is below € 10 and below the purchase price of the dispatched good, GLS compensates the purchase price, however limited up to a maximum amount of € 10 per envelope.
📝 Multicarrier Returns
Our multi-carrier returns solution enables your customers to hand in their returns to different shipping service providers. This offers maximum flexibility and enables efficient returns processing. How exactly can you benefit from this?
📝 NC goods – non-conveyable goods
NB-Gut stands for "non-conveyable consignment". This consignment cannot be sorted automatically, for example because it is insufficiently packed. Labour-intensive manual sorting is necessary, for which a surcharge is added to the shipping price in the invoice. Here you can find out where the limits are and why the additional effort is invoiced, using practical examples.
📝 Overlength
Do you want to send parcels in overlength? Send parcels up to 2.00 m with GLS/pG
GLS sorts and scans oversize parcels manually at its distribution centers and depots. The reason for this is that they are not suitable for the automatic sorting systems. In addition, these parcels cause increased effort in delivery due to their length dimensions. For this reason, parcels with a length of 1.50 m or more are sent as overlength parcels.
📝 PharmaService
PharmaService
The PharmaService is our option for GDP-compliant pharmaceutical shipping. We transport non-temperature-sensitive / non-temperature-controlled medicinal products with the required quality standards throughout the transportation chain.
The service is adapted entirely around the customer's requirements. We will only hand over consignments to the designated consignee.
📝 Pick&ReturnService
Pick&ReturnService
Optimise your returns management with this convenient returns solution. Parcels will be collected from any address (including private customers) at a time specified by you, and then returned directly to you.
The consignee ensures the parcel is ready to send at the specified time; the parcel label will be provided by the delivery driver.
📝 Pick&ShipService
Pick&ShipService
We fetch parcels from an address of your choice and deliver them directly to the desired consignee. This service avoids unnecessary diversions. For example, a parcel will be transported directly from the supplier to the end customer, or vice versa. This deals with your very specific shipping requirements.
📝 Returns solutions
From shipping to returns - all from a single provider
Give your customers the perfect shopping experience by setting up and managing your own individual returns strategy. Assertive, restrictive, concealed or prominent - the choice is yours!
📝 SameDayService
SameDayService
With SameDayService you can offer your consignees same-day delivery. Provided your end customer orders their item before a designated cut-off time, with SameDayService, it will be delivered the same evening between 5.30 and 10 pm. This offer is currently available in 10 metropolitan areas in Germany1.
- Goods availability and delivery area checks are already conducted during the online ordering process
- If the consignee is not at home, GLS will make a second delivery attempt the next working day (except Saturdays). If there are any questions, the consignee can contact the special GLS telephone service until 11pm.
1Hamburg, Hanover, Berlin, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Munich
📝 SaturdayService
If you want to offer your customers the maximum in shipping options, our SaturdayService is just right. Within the scope of express shipping, we deliver the package on Saturdays at your request. You can even choose between different times! Does this also apply to shipping abroad?
📝 Season
The entire parcel industry is facing special challenges: Steadily growing and, above all, strongly fluctuating parcel volumes make it necessary to plan the deployment of additional manpower and vehicles with particular flexibility.
📝 Season tyres
During the tyre season from 1 March to 31 May and from 09 September to 13 December, the surcharge "Season tyres" is calculated according to the price list.
📝 ShopDeliveryService
ShopDeliveryService
GLS delivers the parcels (except tyres) direct to a ParcelShop. The consignee decides in advance which ParcelShop their parcel will be sent to.
As soon as the parcel arrives, GLS will let the consignee know via email or SMS. From the day after this delivery, the consignee has eight working days in which to collect their item from the ParcelShop.
📝 ShopReturnService
ShopReturnService
With this practical returns solution, your customer hands over their return consignment (pre-franked and free of charge) at a GLS ParcelShop.
The sender can choose whether to include a pre-prepared GLS returns label with the shipped parcel, or to provide a label on request from the consignee. Convenient online returns solutions are available to create return shipping labels. Return labels can be sent as an attachment to the consignee as a PDF file or QR code. If a QR code is provided, the customer doesn't even have to print the label themselves at home, they can simply get the QR code scanned at the GLS ParcelShop and they will get a printed return label there when they hand over the parcel.
📝 Standard delivery times
Consignors can send their parcels to numerous European countries with GLS. Thanks to its extensive network, GLS offers fast, high-quality shipping all over Europe at an attractive price. Parcels generally arrive in all important markets within 24 to 48 hours. Consignments to countries that are further afield generally have longer delivery times.
📝 TimeDefiniteService
TimeDefiniteService
Our scheduled delivery options for express shipping: GLS delivers consignments punctually on the next working day (except Saturdays).
You have various scheduled options to choose from:
Nationally: before 8 am, before 9 am, before 10 am or before midday.
Internationally: before 9 am, before 10 am or before midday.
📝 Toll traffic
Pursuant to Section 1 of the Federal Trunk Road Toll Act, all domestic and foreign motor vehicles or vehicle combinations with a permissible total weight of at least 7.5 tonnes that are intended for or used for road haulage are subject to the toll.
📝 Track & trace log
According to the German VAT law, deliveries within the European Union are generally exempt from VAT.
📝 Tyre delivery
We are also happy to support you in professional tyre/wheel logistics as your partner for shipping tyres for cars, e-bikes, bicycles or motorbikes. Our service even goes one step further - we pick up the shipments from you. Find out what there is to consider when shipping tyres here!
