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DHL (Old) integration

  • Updated

In this article you will find information about the connection of DHL (Old) to xentral.

In this type of shipping, xentral can create package labels directly via Shipping and print them automatically.

You can also book orders using this shipping method and process them via logistics.

Note

We recommend you use the successor to this shipping method called DHL, instead of this older method. You can find more information about the DHL shipping method here.

Features

DHL (Old) offers you the following features:

  • Sends the tracking number back to possible shops

  • Sending bulky goods

  • Information on cash on delivery

  • Delivery by 8 or 12 a.m

  • Prints the return label

Settings in the account

In order to be able to send via intraship or with an account via the DHL business customer portal, you have to create an additional account in the portal.

This can then be stored in xentral.

You can get the contract or API data in your business customer account or from your DHL account manager.

The creation of an additional account is necessary because the access data of the main account must be changed regularly. If you don't create an additional account, the interface configuration would have to be adjusted every time.

Also note that only a * may be used as a special character in the user's password.

In addition, you need to ensure that the user has all privileges shown in the image below.

DHL-1.png

Note

After confirming to DHL, DHL will send an email to you containing the tracking number etc.

Click here for more information.

Settings in xentral

To make the settings, use this path:

Administration > Settings > Shipping methods > DHL (Old) > Module: Select DHL (Old)

Fill in all fields completely (only fill the cash on delivery fields if necessary)

Otherwise problems could arise when shipping abroad.

Also enter your API access data

Fill in the following fields:

  • Designation: Choose a designation for the shipping method. This is displayed in xentral, among other things, in the order for selection in the drop-down menu.

  • Type: Enter the type/field description. You can generally choose this as you like, provided it is not necessary for the shop mapping or other mappings. Ideally, you keep the default setting.

  • Module: Select DHL (Old) from the drop-down menu.

  • Project: Optionally select a project, provided that a separate DHL shipping method is created for each project.

  • Active: By checking the box, you activate the shipping method and make it visible and usable.

    No postage check: If you check this box, no postage check will be carried out in the order.

  • Package label printer: Select the standard printer that prints the package labels from the drop-down menu.

  • Printer export: Select the default printer from the drop-down menu, which will print the export papers.

  • Dispatch mail: Select the behavior of the dispatch mail from the drop-down menu. Standard behavior means that a standard tracking mail is sent, no dispatch mail means that no tracking mail is sent with this type of dispatch and your own text template means that your own text template is used for the dispatch confirmation for this type of dispatch, regardless of the project and logistics process.

  • User: Enter your user name for the DHL business customer portal.

  • Signature: Enter your password for the DHL business customer portal.

  • EKP: Enter the valid DHL customer number. This is on every invoice or in the business customer portal. Just enter the number without "EKP".

  • Partner ID domestic: Enter your partner ID domestic. You can find this for your booked products in the business customer portal (EKP + 4-digit ID : use the last two digits here, for DHL-AT use the last 4 digits if a 2-digit error message is returned.

  • Partner ID world: Leave this field empty if the ID is identical to the partner ID domestic. Alternatively, enter the 2-digit or, for AT, the 4-digit ID. Note: Make sure that the 2-digit or the 4-digit number is entered both times. Do not mix the number of digits!

  • Partner ID EU or Connect: This field deals with the dispatch from DE/AT to European countries (complete EKP with ending 5401 in DE or 8701 in AT). Enter the partner ID EU.

  • Always use world for EU: If you check this box, you will always use the world interface for shipments to other EU countries. This means that the Partner ID World is used for countries in the EU.

  • Use premium shipping: If you check this box, you will always use the premium shipping from DHL.

  • Retouren Account: Enter the 14-digit DHL return account number for the created returns. You can find your account numbers in the Versenden portal under: Contract data : Contract options. This field is optional and you only need it if the product "return account", i.e. classic returns, not online returns, has been booked. This field also prints a return slip with every parcel label. Do not confuse this with the extra DHL return portal, this is not addressed here.

  • Preselection of return label: By ticking the box, the return label is preselected. This setting prints the return label and the package label.

  • Consignor company: Enter the name of the company that represents the consignor. This data must be identical to the data in the DHL portal. This field and all subsequent fields that deal with the sender are the data of the parcel sender that is printed on the label.

  • Consignor street: Enter the street of the sending company.

  • Consignor street number: Enter the street number of the sending company.

  • Sender postcode: Enter the postcode of the sending company.

  • Consignor city: Enter the city of the sending company.

  • Sender country: Enter "germany" for Germany, "austria" for Austria.

  • Consignor ISO code: Enter DE for Germany or AT for Austria.

  • Sender email: Enter your email address, which is identical to the one from the DHL portal.

  • Sender phone: Enter your phone number, which is identical to the one from the DHL portal.

  • Shipper Web: Enter your web address, which is identical to the one from the DHL portal.

  • Consignor contact person: Enter a contact person, this is usually required for export shipments.

  • Cash on delivery bank holder: Enter the name of the bank account holder, this must be identical to the data in the DHL portal. It is usually required for payment by DHL cash on delivery.

  • Cash on delivery account number: Enter the company account number, which is identical to the data in the DHL portal. This is usually required for payment by DHL cash on delivery.

  • Cash on delivery bank code: Enter the company bank code, which is identical to the data in the DHL portal. This is usually required for payment by DHL cash on delivery.

  • Cash on delivery Bank Name: Enter the name of the company's bank, which is identical to the data in the DHL portal. This is usually required for payment by DHL cash on delivery.

  • Cash on delivery IBAN: Enter the company IBAN, which is identical to the data in the DHL portal. This is usually required for payment by DHL cash on delivery.

  • Cash on delivery BIC: Enter the company BIC, which is identical to the data in the DHL portal. This is usually required for payment by DHL cash on delivery.

  • Activate cash on delivery fee: Activate the additional cash on delivery fee by checking the box.

  • Cash on delivery fee: Enter the amount that will be added to the invoice amount. DHL keeps this amount for itself as an extra fee.

  • Export or other: Enter a collective description of your goods. This field is a mandatory field for export shipments. This field will also appear on your DHL export papers for this shipment.

  • Standard weight: Enter the lowest possible weight in kg, e.g. 1 (= 1 kg). Alternatively, article weights can also be drawn, but complete maintenance of all article weights is a prerequisite here. The standard weight is automatically filled in in the shipping dialog. This weight determines the cost of the package tariff. With a connected scale, this weight is the minimum weight. If less is weighed, it is set to the minimum weight in the package label.

    Note

    The "standard weight" is currently 2kg, which is the smallest DHL package. If you want the weights to be added even below 2kg, you can enter a small number such as 0.05 as the standard weight, then the weights should also be added.

  • Round weight: If you check this box, the weight will be rounded to an integer when transferred. If the decimal place of the weight is ≥ 0.5 it is rounded up, otherwise it is rounded down. Note: This option is only rounded up when the data is transferred to DHL API. The parcel mask in xentral can still contain a decimal point, but the weight is already rounded off in the DHL business customer portal.

  • Standard length (in cm): Enter the standard length of the parcel in cm. Note: This size determines the cost of the package tariff.

  • Standard width (in cm): Enter the standard width of the parcel in cm. Note: This size determines the cost of the package tariff.

  • Standard height (in cm): Enter the standard height of the parcel in cm. Note: This size determines the cost of the package tariff.

  • Standard package: Enter the product code from the customer portal (e.g. in DE: V01PAK or AT: V86PARCEL), usually you enter "PL".

  • Standard product: Enter the abbreviation of the standard product, for Germany this is e.g. V01PAK, for Austria e.g. V86PARCEL.

  • Advance disposition: Select the advance disposition from the drop-down menu. This specifies via API how the parcel label is handled in the event of non-delivery. For some low-priced items, it can be worthwhile to reveal the package, i.e. it will then be auctioned by the shipping service provider.

  • Bulky goods: By ticking the box in the business customer portal, the option "Bulky goods" is set for this shipment or the parcel is marked as bulky goods and billed according to bulky goods. This function only works with routing coding. If you do not always want to have this selected in advance for the parcel label, create a new shipping method for bulky goods that has activated this action, e.g. "DHL bulky goods".

  • Switch off extra insurance: You switch off the extra fuse by ticking the box. This means that package insurance is not automatically selected from the net price. You also have to set this option manually in the parcel label dialog. Note: With this option you determine, among other things, the costs for the package tariff or the insurance surcharge. If you do not check the box, the check box for extra insurance for DHL will automatically be checked in the parcel label. As of May 2017, the extra 6 € for 500 € to 2500 € and 18 € for 2500 € to 25000 €.

  • Activate routing coding: Activate the routing coding for parcels by checking the box. Without this coding, DHL will charge a surcharge for incorrect addresses / non-routed addresses. Note: The routing coding is only possible for the new API from DHL. Please contact your account manager if the setting causes an error message.

    Send postage from order when exporting: Check this to send postage from the order for export packages.

  • Take over tracking: By ticking you take over the tracking, the tracking number is automatically stored in the sales order and the delivery note in xentral when it is created and therefore no longer has to be scanned.

  • Logging: By ticking the box, the log file is stored on the server for further information.

Note

Check the package brands and prices created regularly, ideally at the end of the day. Pay particular attention to the field contents that help determine the parcel tariff, e.g. higher insurance, shipping weight or international shipments. The correct product is also drawn here.

DHL Austria (AT)

The same requirements apply to DHL Austria as to DHL Germany. Make sure to change the following fields:

  • Consignor country : Enter "austria" as the consignor country

  • Partner ID inland (mostly 01, possibly also 02, 03 etc.) : Enter your partner ID inland, you can find it with the products you have booked in the business customer portal (EKP + 4-digit ID). For DHL-AT (Austrian DHL Portals), use the last 4 digits if you get a 2-digit error message

  • Partner ID World (if empty, the domestic partner ID is used) : Leave this field empty if the ID is identical to the one above. Alternatively, enter the 2-digit ID or the 4-digit for AT

    Note

    Make sure that the 2-digit or the 4-digit number is entered both times. Do not mix the number of digits!

Also enter the country ISO code "AT" in the master data. Use the following path for this: Administration > Settings > System > Basic settings > Company address.

DHL-5.png

Note

Parcels that are sent within Switzerland are processed via Post.CH.

Package brands

In the following section you will find information about the DHL parcel brands.

Parcel stamp printing

Once you have made all the settings, you can print a package stamp on an old delivery note for testing. To do this, go to the delivery note and select the Shipping method DHL (Old) from the drop-down menu in the Delivery note tab on the delivery note.

Then click on the Parcel label tab on the delivery note and print a parcel label for the included items via Print parcel label.

Note

The extra insurance function mentioned above appears here again.

After your test print has been completed, you can then cancel the parcel stamp in the DHL business customer portal as follows.

Cancel parcel stamp

So that the fee for the parcel stamp is not collected or billed, cancel the test print directly in the DHL business customer portal. To do this, first log in with your access data. Then go to Parcel & goods and click Shipment overview.

dhl_shipmentoverview.png

You can find your shipment in the Complete shipments tab.

dhl_completeshipments.png

Simply click on the Delete icon in the corresponding line to cancel the shipment.

Printing the customs declaration

The interface allows automatic printing of the parcel label CP-71 and the customs declaration CN-23 for non-EU export deliveries. The latter are automatically printed out with export deliveries for parcel stamps. The customs tariff numbers of the items in the package are transferred to this.

Note

Note the following for the customs document CN-23:

  • The customs document is automatically made available via the interface and electronically registered with DHL

  • All items including customs tariff numbers, weight, table of contents and shipping costs are added up

You can find a list of all changes that have come into force since January 1st, 2021 - Changes to Customs

Tip

This process has been improved in regards to the listing of items, customs tariff numbers, weights, and shipping costs with the shipping method DHL . Consider changing your shipping method from DHL (Old) to DHL.

Error message when trying to generate the DHL parcel label in xentral

"DHL Login failed, the user of the web service could not be authenticated".

DHL requests a new password to be assigned at irregular intervals. You will therefore receive an error message when you try to print the parcel stamp in xentral. In order to be able to print them again, proceed as follows:

  1. Xentral shipping method DHL (Old)

    • Log in to xentral

    • In Xentral, go to the DHL (Old) shipping method via Administration > Settings > Shipping methods > Overview > Pen icon to edit DHL (Old)

    • Check and accept the DHL username (geschaeftskunden_api (Versenden/Intraship username)) and the signature that represents the DHL password (Dhl_ep_test1 (Versenden/Intraship Passwort)

  2. DHL business customer portal

    Log in to the DHL business customer portal with this data from xentral. There you will be asked to assign a new password. When logging in, the message appears that the password is incorrect. You will then receive two fields for assigning a new password when you log in. Assign a new password directly here and enter it in xentral.

  3. Enter new password in xentral

    You then only have to enter and save this password in the "Signature" field in xentral when using the DHL (Old) shipping method.

Mail of goods

DHL Warenpost is a service from Deutsche Post DHL, with which you can send small goods up to a certain size and weight inexpensively.

You can book insurance here and track your shipment using the tracking number. You can find more information here.

In order to be able to send parcels to customers as "DHL Warenpost" in xentral, select the DHL (Old) shipping method. Please explicitly state the following standard product type for the goods mail.

DHL-12.png

This means that each product has its own shipping method with the DHL (Old) module, but has different names/types.

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