Sending swag to a global team seems simple at first. You choose the swag items, add your branding, and ship them out, and that’s it! Except, it’s not, because once you start looking at international delivery requirements, you quickly realize there’s a layer of logistics beneath the surface. Every country has its own rules for import duties and taxes that you have to learn. Some destinations charge your recipients upon delivery. Even the structure of your shipment can change how customs officers classify your company swag! Suddenly, sending swag for global teams feels overwhelming and complicated.

That’s why it’s important to understand the main aspects or factors that you need to consider when sending global swag.

What factors should you consider when sending global swag?

Global swag shipping always involves a few core factors. 

1. Swag relevance and recipient preferences

When you send swag to your remote team members or international clients, you must first identify the cultural or local relevance of your swag item. It’s important that you understand if your chosen swag item is something that your recipients can actually use, whether that’s based on their cultural/local background or personal preference. Just imagine sending a puffer jacket to your employee in Thailand without actually considering the country’s climate!

2. Customs and local tax and compliance

The second one is customs and local tax and compliance, which is more about logistics. Every country reviews incoming packages and applies import duties or taxes based on what items are inside. And yes, this applies to your swag items, too. Each country has its own thresholds, documentation requirements, and restricted categories. For instance, there are power banks in China that will be prohibited without the proper certification. If such details are overlooked, your swag shipments can be delayed or rejected.

3. Tariff classification

Tariff classification is the third factor. Branded swag like apparel, drinkware, or tech accessories can fall into different categories with different fees. That’s why it’s also important to know what types of swag items you wish to send to your global recipients. Will it be hoodies? Swag kits? Knowing this is important because a bundled swag kit with multiple items may require individual classifications for each product inside.

4. Shipment type

The last one is the shipment type. How you ship your swag items can greatly affect everything from cost to compliance. A single On Demand swag shipment sent to your recipient’s home moves through customs differently than a large multi-item bulk order headed to an event venue. On Demand orders are usually simple and quick to classify. On the other hand, bulk swag shipments contain more items and more documentation. That’s why understanding the difference between these shipment types is also an important factor to consider to help you decide which model fits your swag campaign.

Sending swag across borders always requires you to factor in such variables as discussed above. They can be overwhelming even for experienced teams or global enterprises if they’re handled manually. As such, a shipping model that accounts for all of these aspects up front becomes essential. This is where DDP comes in!

What is Delivered Duty Paid?

Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) means the sender covers all costs associated with global swag delivery, including shipping, tariffs, and import duties. With DDP, your recipients are never asked to pay anything upon the delivery of their swag. This makes DDP ideal for global teams and companies because it prevents confusion, surprise charges, or delayed packages. When you ship swag items without DDP, your employees and clients may face unexpected duties at their doorstep, which may lead to a bad swag experience.

While DDP takes care of the finance side of things, there’s another factor that makes global swag delivery even more efficient: location. Or more specifically, where your swag is stored before it begins its journey across the globe.

Why Global Warehousing Matters in Global Swag Programs

DDP covers duties and taxes. Warehousing determines speed and the likelihood of customs issues not even appearing in the first place.

A global warehousing network puts swag items closer to your teams and clients. By strategically storing swag items in multiple warehouses or locations closest to your recipients, swag shipments are much faster, and customs complications are minimized or even completely avoided. This infrastructure ensures that, whether you’re sending On Demand swag to remote employees or preparing bulk orders for events, your company swag arrives on time with no issues. Just imagine having an event in Japan, and your branded swag will have to be shipped all the way from the US! The shipping and taxes will be exorbitant, the carbon emissions are bad, and your items may not even arrive on time due to customs and import restrictions. A global warehousing network prevents all of that and guarantees that your swag arrives in a timely manner.

Global Swag Shipping Scenarios

If you’re still on the fence about the importance of DDP and global warehousing, here are some use cases to help you understand how these factors play out in real-life scenarios.

Scenario 1: Sending swag to employees in the US and Canada

Imagine you want to send company hoodies to a small team split between New York and Toronto. Shipping from a single US warehouse seems straightforward, but Canada applies import duties on apparel above a certain value. If you don’t account for this, your Canadian employees could be asked to pay at delivery, or worse, the package could get delayed at customs for weeks. In contrast, a US employee in New York receives the same hoodie without additional fees. Having your swag items in a Canadian warehouse eliminates this headache.

Scenario 2: Shipping On Demand swag to global recipients

Now, picture an employee recognition program where you want to send branded tumblers, notebooks, or socks to your remote employees in Singapore and Brazil. Both countries have their own customs thresholds for small parcels. In Singapore, packages under a certain value often pass through with no duties, but in Brazil, even a single tumbler can trigger import taxes, depending on its cost. If you fail to consider these things, your recipients may face unexpected fees or delays, which can create frustration instead of excitement. In this scenario, it’s important to factor in local regulations, item type, and value when planning global swag sends.

Scenario 3: Delivering bulk swag items to global teams and clients

For this last scenario, you’ll be sending 500 branded kits to an international conference in Germany. These kits include a t-shirt, a water bottle, and a notebook per attendee. Shipping as one bulk pallet is cheaper than sending items individually, but customs requires you to provide detailed documentation for every item. If your paperwork isn’t correct, then the shipment could be held, delaying the event. Additionally, if you’ll be sending from a single US warehouse, the transit times will be longer, and the shipping costs will be higher compared to storing the kits closer to Europe ahead of the event. 

All of these scenarios further emphasize the importance of choosing a strong and truly global swag management platform.

PerkUp’s Global Swag Fulfillment

And that’s what PerkUp is: a true global swag management platform.

PerkUp combines Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) shipping and a global warehousing network to ensure that every global swag delivery is smooth and predictable. PerkUp’s On Demand swag items’ pricing, for instance, already includes taxes and shipping costs. Bulk swag items, on the other hand, are stored in warehouses closest to your teams and recipients to avoid customs issues and delays. 

For larger, more complex shipments, PerkUp handles import duties and tax requirements, and any additional duties are reimbursed, keeping your global swag program seamless and transparent.

What this means is that, by choosing PerkUp as your swag management platform, you never have to worry about hidden fees or your global recipients being charged unexpectedly for a custom swag delivery. This approach makes it easy to manage branded swag (whether that’s On Demand swag or bulk swag), especially for teams and recipients in multiple countries.

On Demand Swag Shipping

As mentioned above, PerkUp’s On Demand swag approach is designed for simplicity. Every On Demand swag price already includes the item, taxes, shipping, and basic decoration. Apparel items of all sizes can be sent directly to recipients’ homes or offices. Because shipments are sent DDP, your recipients never have to pay duties themselves. In countries where DDP isn’t available, your recipients may need to pay upfront, but they will be reimbursed promptly by PerkUp’s support team. This ensures your swag On Demand items arrive smoothly, no matter where your team or clients are located.

Bulk Swag Fulfillment

For bulk company swag, PerkUp manages DDP shipping to events, offices, and other centralized locations. Thanks to PerkUp’s deep knowledge of its swag products and destinations, customs issues are rare and far in between. Larger shipments, especially those from warehouses to multiple events, can be more complex due to scattered delivery locations. Even in these cases, shipping fees will still be included in the order, and any additional duty payments are reimbursed, keeping your team’s swag campaign simple.

Key Takeaways

Managing global swag doesn’t have to be complicated, especially if you choose swag platforms that handle everything—from swag and packaging to logistics and warehousing—for you.

Take PerkUp, for instance. The platform’s global warehousing network, Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) shipping, and expert bulk and On Demand fulfillment all enable you to send your branded swag no matter where your recipients may be—all without delays or hidden fees! Even if you’re sending custom swag to an event, kits for employee milestones, or bulk company swag to multiple offices, PerkUp makes global swag predictable and stress-free. 

Ready to streamline your global swag program? Explore PerkUp today and see how effortless it can be to deliver swag to your teams and clients worldwide!

FAQs about Import and Duty Fees

What does delivered duty paid mean?

Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) means PerkUp covers all costs for international shipments, including taxes, tariffs, and import duties, so you or your recipients don’t have to pay. With PerkUp, even if your recipients end up paying, the platform will reimburse the amount paid.

Does delivered duty paid include tariffs?

Yes, tariffs and import duties are included in DDP shipments, whether you’re sending On Demand swag or bulk company swag.

How do you pay for import duties and taxes?

With PerkUp, you don’t have to! Duties are included in On Demand and bulk shipments or reimbursed if needed, making global swag delivery simple.

What happens if a country doesn’t allow DDP shipments?

In countries where DDP isn’t available, recipients may pay upfront but are promptly reimbursed through PerkUp’s support team.

Does global warehousing affect delivery speed?

Yes. Strategically placed warehouses store swag closer to your recipients, reduce shipping times, and minimize customs delays, while also lowering carbon emissions.