DHL

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DHL is a global logistics and courier company providing international express shipping, freight transportation, and e-commerce delivery services.

Bonn, Germany
dhl.com
Owned by DHL Group

About DHL

DHL is a global logistics and courier company headquartered in Bonn, Germany, specializing in international express shipping, cross-border e-commerce delivery, and freight transportation by air, ocean, and road. Operating in more than 220 countries and territories, DHL serves both individual consumers and businesses with services such as express document and parcel delivery, time-definite and day-definite shipping, customs brokerage, warehousing, and supply chain solutions. Customers commonly interact with DHL when sending or receiving international parcels, e-commerce orders, or time-sensitive documents.

A DHL charge may appear on your bank or card statement when you purchase a shipping label online, pay for a shipment at a DHL service point, settle customs duties and taxes, or use additional services such as insurance, address correction, or remote area delivery. You might also see charges related to import fees that DHL collects on behalf of customs authorities, or for “Duties & Taxes Paid” options at checkout from an online retailer. In some cases, DHL may place a temporary authorization hold when you create a shipment online or update your payment details; these pending amounts typically adjust to the final billed amount once the shipment is processed.

To verify a DHL charge, start by checking recent shipments you’ve sent or received, including online orders where DHL was listed as the carrier or where you prepaid duties and taxes. You can log in or create an account at dhl.com, review your shipment history, tracking numbers, and any invoices linked to your email or account. If you still have questions, contact DHL customer service via the “Contact Us” section on dhl.com for your country, or reference the waybill/tracking number on your receipt or shipping confirmation email. Common billing issues—such as duplicate charges, unexpected customs fees, or name variations on statements (e.g., “DHL EXPRESS” or a local DHL entity)—can usually be resolved by providing your tracking number, shipment date, and the last four digits of the card used for payment.

Bank Statement Variations

2 known variations

These are the raw merchant codes that appear on bank and credit card statements that we've identified as belonging to DHL.

  1. DHL WSI SHIPMENT Mascot AU
  2. FEDEX EXPRESS AUSTRALI MASCOT AU

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did I get a DHL charge on my card if I didn’t ship anything myself?

You may be charged by DHL even if you didn’t directly create a shipment, for example when you pay import duties and taxes for a package being delivered to you. Some online stores also pass through DHL’s duties, taxes, or handling fees as a separate payment processed by DHL instead of the retailer. Check any recent delivery notices, email or SMS links from DHL about paying customs charges, and recent online orders that mentioned DHL as the carrier.

What types of DHL charges commonly appear on bank statements?

Common DHL charges include costs for international express shipments, domestic courier services (where available), duties and taxes paid on imports, remote area surcharges, and optional services such as insurance or delivery change fees. On statements, these may appear as “DHL”, “DHL EXPRESS”, or a country-specific DHL entity name. Business customers may also see monthly invoice payments if they’ve enabled automatic card billing for their account.

Does DHL use subscriptions or recurring billing for services?

DHL generally charges per shipment and does not offer consumer subscription plans like flat monthly shipping. However, business customers can have accounts where shipping charges and related fees are billed periodically (for example, weekly or monthly) to a stored payment method or via invoice. If you see a regular DHL charge around the same time each month, it may be an auto-paid business invoice or a scheduled billing arrangement for frequent shippers.

Why do I see a small or pending DHL charge that later disappears or changes amount?

DHL may place a temporary authorization hold when you buy a shipping label online or update your card details, which can appear as a small or pending transaction. Once the shipment is rated and processed (including weight verification, surcharges, and any duties or taxes), the pending amount is replaced with the final charge. If a shipment isn’t completed or a payment attempt fails, the authorization is usually released by your bank within a few business days.

How can I verify what a specific DHL charge is for and get a copy of the invoice or receipt?

Match the date and amount of the charge to any DHL tracking numbers or shipment confirmations in your email or online store orders. You can also go to dhl.com, select your country, and log in or create an account with the same email you used for the shipment to view invoices and shipment details, where available. If you can’t locate the charge, contact DHL customer service via the phone number or contact form listed on your local DHL website and provide the transaction date, amount, and last four digits of the card used so they can search their billing system.

How do I dispute a DHL charge or request a refund?

If you believe you were incorrectly charged—for example, for a duplicate transaction, a cancelled shipment, or unexpected fees—contact DHL customer service first rather than your bank. Provide your tracking or waybill number, payment confirmation, and a brief explanation of the issue so they can review the shipment rating, surcharges, and any customs amounts. If DHL confirms an error, they can process a refund or credit; processing times vary by country and payment method, but refunds to cards typically take several business days to appear.

How can I stop future DHL charges or avoid recurring billing on my account?

To avoid repeated DHL charges, ensure you don’t have any automatic payment arrangements or stored cards set to auto-pay on a DHL business account. You can log in at dhl.com (or through your DHL Express business portal) and remove or update saved payment methods, or request that your account be switched to invoice/bank transfer billing if applicable. For one-time consumer shipments, there is no ongoing subscription—simply do not create new shipments or pay future customs invoices to avoid additional DHL charges.

Why was I billed additional duties or fees by DHL after my package was delivered or shipped?

In some cases, duties, taxes, or surcharges are estimated at the time of shipment and later adjusted once customs or final shipment details are confirmed, leading to an additional charge. DHL may also bill you post-delivery for import fees they paid on your behalf when your country’s customs authority finalized the assessment. You can review the duty/tax breakdown and any handling or brokerage fees on the customs invoice; if the amount seems incorrect, contact DHL with your tracking number and invoice reference to request a review.

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