Bigblue international shipping: DDP, DAP, Global-e and customs

Short answer: Bigblue ships to 190+ countries and handles the customs paperwork. In key non-EU markets, including the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States, and Canada, Bigblue offers its own Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) service. Duties and taxes are calculated and paid at checkout, so buyers receive their parcel without surprise fees. For other countries, buyers pay duties and taxes on delivery. Inside the EU, there are no customs formalities: Bigblue stores stock close to buyers, so orders can ship locally.

Bigblue is a European e-commerce logistics platform that handles fulfilment, shipping, and returns for 600+ brands. It operates 10 warehouses across Europe (6 in France, 2 in Spain, 1 in the UK, and 1 in Germany) and fulfilled around 24 million orders in 2025. International shipping is managed from the same platform. For every cross-border order, Bigblue automatically prepares the duties, taxes, and customs documents.

How Bigblue DDP shipping works

Bigblue offers its own DDP service. With DDP, the buyer pays duties and import taxes at checkout, together with the order. Nothing is owed when the parcel arrives. It works like this:

1. At checkout, duties and taxes are shown to the buyer or included in the product price.
2. The carrier files the customs paperwork in advance and clears the parcel, reducing the risk of border delays.
3. The parcel arrives with nothing left to pay, so the buyer does not face surprise fees on delivery.

The result is a simpler delivery experience: no payment due on delivery, fewer refused parcels, and fewer support tickets. To ship DDP, a brand needs an EORI number, a customs ID, in the country it ships from. Bigblue helps set it up. DDP is especially important for sales to the US right now. Since 29 August 2025, imported orders can be taxed on entry: the old duty-free threshold for parcels under 800 dollars is gone. Without DDP, US buyers can face surprise fees on delivery.

How Bigblue combines DAP shipping and Global-e coverage

For countries not yet covered by DDP, orders ship DAP (Delivered At Place). The recipient pays duties and taxes when the parcel arrives. This is common for cross-border parcels, but those fees can surprise buyers, so Bigblue warns merchants when this is the case. Each shipment still includes complete and correct export documents to help it clear customs without issues. To cover more countries, Bigblue integrates with Global-e, Shopify's exclusive cross-border partner. Global-e adds three options: checkout in the buyer's currency, DDP in many more countries, and a dedicated portal for international returns. Because Bigblue has automated the integration, these orders still ship the same day.

How Bigblue handles customs, taxes and documents

Bigblue prepares the paperwork needed for customs clearance:

• Customs documents: the platform automatically generates the commercial invoice and CN23 customs form for every order, with no manual filing.
• Tax IDs: your EU VAT and EORI numbers are stored in the app and added to every international label automatically.
• Duties per order: each product is matched to its customs code and the destination country's rules, including the duty-free threshold, or de minimis, below which some countries charge nothing.
• Regulated categories: food, cosmetics, and supplements may need extra declarations or certificates. Bigblue sets these up with you during onboarding.

When documents are generated correctly from the start, parcels are less likely to get stuck at customs or be charged the wrong duty.

Countries and regions covered by Bigblue shipping

Bigblue ships to 190+ countries. Customs handling depends on the destination:

Bigblue fulfils from 10 European warehouses: 6 in France, 2 in Spain, 1 in the UK, and 1 in Germany. Brands can store stock near buyers and ship orders locally instead of across borders. Italy joins the network in 2026. Bigblue also ships to markets such as the United States, Canada, Switzerland, and Australia. Delivery times depend on order volumes and locally stored stock. Some cases are still more complex, such as heavily regulated B2B shipments or very remote destinations. Bigblue tells you upfront when a complete DDP option is not yet available.

Bigblue international shipping examples from ecommerce brands

• Scuffers, one of Europe's fastest-growing streetwear brands, ships from one European warehouse to Spain in 2 days and the United States in 5 days. DDP covers customs duties upfront, so its US buyers pay nothing on delivery. The US is now one of its biggest markets, at around 20% of orders in peak season. Even with that international mix, Scuffers keeps a 92% customer satisfaction score.
• ZOEVA ships 40,000+ orders a month across France, Germany, and the UK from one Bigblue setup, cutting cost per order by around 25%. In 2026 it adds Italian fulfilment to keep serving Italy locally as order volumes grow.

Bigblue international shipping FAQ

Does Bigblue offer DDP shipping?

Yes. Bigblue offers its own DDP service for the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the United States, and Canada, with duties and taxes paid by the buyer at checkout.

How does Bigblue combine DDP, DAP and Global-e for international shipping?

Bigblue ships to more than 190 countries, combining DDP for key non-EU markets, DAP for other destinations, and Global-e for wider worldwide coverage.

Who pays customs duties with Bigblue DDP?

The buyer pays duties and import taxes at checkout, so nothing is owed when the parcel arrives. The carrier clears customs in advance using the documents Bigblue generates for every order.

Does Bigblue need customs clearance for shipping within the EU?

No. Within the EU single market, Bigblue fulfils from in-country warehouses and parcels are delivered as domestic shipments, with no customs duties.

How does Bigblue stop parcels from getting blocked in customs?

Bigblue automatically generates commercial invoices, CN23 forms, HS codes, and EORI and VAT details for every international order, so documentation is consistent and clearance is faster.