ProShipping API - IOSS

[Chris_K_Sp]

Hi all,

I'll preface this with; this is fairly developer centric. I've used Pro-shipping for years and have integrated it into many facets of our dispatch logistics.

Recently (read, that July deadline) with the full wrath of the IOSS rules, Royal Mails confusion and lack of correspondence, I've had sporadic luck with getting our EU customers their packages succesfully. Here is my story, I will include some JSON examples for the more recent iterations that I believe work.

1. Ready for July. The PDFs online suggest using
   "PreRegistrationType" => "PRS" and your IM number as the PreRegistrationNumber. It also suggests using the DDP Incoterms. We set an Invoice Number, Invoice Date, Quoted Landed Costs and Shipping Costs based on the orders sent.
   Absolutely wrong. We had so many returns citing incorrect Customs Information.
   
   
2. Further research -> September. RM Representives suggest using "PreRegistrationType" => "OSS", using DDU as incoterms (as DDP is something totally different, as I'm sure some of you are aware now, thanks RM) and keeping our PRN as our intermediary number (We are with Deloitte, highly recommend if it suits your needs).
   
   Now this actually works, sporadiccally, and ignoring the CF that is Ireland right now. Number 2 does NOT show the IOSS logo which I was told (later on) that is totally necessary for most Post Offices around the world to accept as IOSS. So why were some getting through? No idea.
   
   
3. November, currently. I've learnt, from reading (again) through Proshipping articles, and the PS label creation website that:
   
   • If using IOSS, the QuotedLandedCosts are not needed in the API call.
   • The PRT should look like: "PreRegistrationType" => "IOSS" but absolutely no-where does it mention this.
   • All IOSS should be DDU.

Json Examples:

Here is my latest JSON example for Customs Information. If any one has one to compare (specifically one they know works ) I'll be more than happy to discuss and learn more.

CustomsInformation" => [
"PreRegistrationNumber" => "IMXXXXXXXXX",
"PreRegistrationType" => "IOSS",
"InvoiceNumber" => "XXXXXXXX",
"InvoiceDate" => "some_date",
"QuotedLandedCost" => $customsInfo["landed_costs"], //VAT - Worked out separately
"ShippingCharges" => $customsInfo["shipping"] //Shipping costs - From the customers order
]​

All EU are sent DDU, currently, all contain the HS Codes necessary and all other facets of the API call I think are correct.

If anyone thinkins this is incorrect, or has other light to shed on this shitshow, comment away!

Take care

​

 

[Chris_K_Sp]

I'll continue this as I find out more info!

So after some back an forth with the Pro-Shipping Team it seems that the Quoted Landed Cost is not needed in the API call.

Pro-shipping's documentation seems to be massively out of date online so I'll post the example API call for the IOSS that they sent me below:

"CustomsInformation": {
"PreRegistrationNumber": "IM1212121212",
"PreRegistrationType": "IOSS",
"ShippingCharges": "105.20",
"OtherCharges": "0.00",
"QuotedLandedCost": "0.00",
"InvoiceNumber": "1234567890",
"InvoiceDate": "2020-12-29"
},

Notice the zeroed QuotedLandedCosts, the PreRegistrationType and Number.

After a week of testing the only countries we're currently having issues with now are Spain (massive fees, not sure why). And we've also set up PDDP for Ireland which USES the QLC field. IOSS doesn't need it and I think that is why it's been causing so many issues for post offices thinking that we are sending them the charge to charge the customer. Maybe. More posts to come.

 

[Mr Dibb]

Thanks for the heads up.

We have mostly been using FedEx due to Royal Mails issues with the electronic customs. However the ones we have sent have gone through fine (or at least no complaints about charges) with the original PRS PreRegistrationType. I have changed it over to the IOSS PreRegistrationType anyway.

 

[DefinitelyMaybeUK]

And we've also set up PDDP for Ireland which USES the QLC field. IOSS doesn't need it and I think that is why it's been causing so many issues for post offices thinking that we are sending them the charge to charge the customer. Maybe.

Hi Chris, old'ish thread, but related - we're just looking at the PDDP to Ireland as RM swear blind it won't suffer the aggro we've seen with their IOSS hscode restriction list. But we're on Click and Drop...

The equivalent to your v3 QLC field looks to be a mandatory "Customs Duty Costs" field, but there's no sensible documentation as ever. I fail to see why this field is necessary as RM bills the sender the amount in-country customs say, so it seems pointless setting a value.

Where did you find that Ireland required QLC? Have you had any more issues?

 

[Chris_K_Sp]

Since moving over to PDDP we've had 0 issues with Ireland. We were also fortunate enough to have some Irish friends willing to be test subjects to allow for any unforseen issues!

To your QLC question, it was based of a fairly long back and forth email chain between [email protected], but from their words:

"
If you use a PDDP service you can Integrate a landed cost calculator (e.g. AURA from Hurricane), you can collect VAT (and duties if applicable) from your EU customer in checkout and RM will invoice you for it, at a later date, along with a handling fee.

The EU customer then receives their product without interruption before delivery

If you use the IOSS service, in your API request please use IOSS and use an IOSS service the IOSS logo will appear on the label and no Quoted landing costs are required.
"

There was no real documentation for this (as you know!), but from those few paragraphs it seemed that RM needed to know the Landed Costs prior to label generation for PDDP and not IOSS.

To me, it seemed that RM would use our QLC as an accurate representation of what the customer paid, then charge a handling fee on top and bill us for it, and why ask to setup Hurricane if the numbers aren't going to align when it comes down to the fees being settled?

And in our testing we used the QLC field (populated with Hurricanes estimation) for PDDP with positive results, everything got through without fuss.

It's worth mentioning PDDP also required their email/phone number and a different service code to IOSS (DE6). It did'n't require the IM number, instead required our EORI. If everything works you get a little black circle with PDDP in it (similar to IOSS)

---

That's what we have setup currently. We already have Hurricane and log almost everything to do with an EU customer's order now so there's a decent 'paper' trail so we already have the information to hand and are able to use it in our API calls to pro-shipping and Deloitte sales data.

This has actually sparked a question from me:
You say the Irish Customs office actually have the final say in how much the incoming package costs (despite our given info), where did you find/hear that information?

The whole IOSS/PDDP situation seems like a giant IOU system, with something like Hurricane trying to work out what we should be charging. What worries me is years down the line we'll receive a bill for all the customs we still owe! Best not to think about that...

 

[DefinitelyMaybeUK]

Many thanks. I haven't used Aura (as yet), but depending on the range of items sent and destinations it's obviously got it's uses - it's not mandatory according to the main blub:
https://www.royalmail.com/business/international/guide/delivered-duties-paid-ioss
We've raised the QLC (customs duty costs) question with Click and Drop, but no news so far. It's good you've had no further issues, but yes, the interpretation is that PDDP may need a QLC! We've sent a test parcel to Ireland, but with a 0.00 QLC field - this could be another one for the An Post return stack We've used the tracked MPR service, not untracked DE6 as you did.

It's interesting you can submit your EORI under PreRegistationType in V3, but Click and Drop waters this down and only allows a default setting so hopefully will still appear in the electronic data (it's on the CN22/3's). Tel and email are all there, and the label has the PDDP symbol.

You say the Irish Customs office actually have the final say in how much the incoming package costs (despite our given info), where did you find/hear that information?

This is based on the DDP overview, see page 3 "item conveyed", but jury is out until it actually happens:
https://www.royalmail.com/sites/royalmail.com/files/2021-11/RM-Duties-Delivery-Paid-Guide-V3.1.pdf
Have you ever been billed vat/duty from RM which is different from your QLC value?

 

[DefinitelyMaybeUK]

Duplicate post removed

 

[Chris_K_Sp]

I got round to checking our PDDP invoices against the tax that Aura had worked out, they do differ! By around a few pence. So you're right, Ireland do have the final say in how much an item costs coming in. At least Aura is accurate.

Thanks for the PDF. It seems increasingly difficult to find up to date info with RM so the more PDFs I accrue the better.

Good luck with your tests, a lot of the time when I was talking through with ProShipping help they would use 0.00 as the QLC, so perhaps there's something in that for PDDP, as Ireland are dealing with it.

The latest trouble I've been having is with Spain. ADTpostales are stopping every single one of our parcels (we do spices/recipes) and charging our customers exorbitant amounts of handling charges to receive anything. We've had to stop sending entirely. Apparently it's widespread, if you want a bit of a laugh then have a read https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.adtpostales.com

Cheers

 

[DefinitelyMaybeUK]

Thanks for looking and confirming customs are likely coming up with the final figure and the QLC could well be irrelevant. Have chased click and drop again and apparently a popular question, but no explanation why it's needed so far. Our test parcel has stalled in Dublin, will update when it arrives (somewhere).

Good luck with Spain - That's the worst feedback I've seen a definite case of when 1 star is too much!