Late deliveries or lost packages are more common shipping challenges than you might think. But what most businesses don’t realize is that not every dollar spent on lost shipping is gone. If a delivery arrives later than the service level promised, carriers like DHL offer refunds on eligible shipments.
The challenge? Most of those refunds go unclaimed.
Why? The refund process often seems complicated due to extensive documentation, time-sensitive windows, and eligibility rules. And unless you have a dedicated system or team to track delays and match them against service-level commitments, it can be easy to lose money.
DHL offers a Money-Back Guarantee for specific express services. For operations or finance teams managing hundreds of shipments, understanding when you’re eligible for a DHL refund and how much you can actually recover is key to a more cost-effective shipping process.
In this guide, we’ll explore DHL’s refund policy and how to get a refund from DHL.
Overview DHL Refund Policy
DHL’s refund policy involves a money-back guarantee in case of failed deliveries. Under it, if DHL fails to deliver a shipment by the committed delivery time, you may be entitled to a refund or credit, but only if the shipment meets specific criteria and the refund is claimed within a set timeframe.
DHL’s Money-back guarantee is applicable to select express services where delivery commitments are clearly defined. That makes it a valuable tool for businesses that depend on timely deliveries and also introduces a level of security in case of lost shipments or failed deliveries.
The money-back guarantee and refund policy apply to transportation costs only, excluding taxes, levies, fuel surcharges, and more. These shipping costs are calculated dynamically and can vary based on-
- Destination country or zone
- Mode of transportation
- Service level chosen (such as DHL Express 10:30 vs. DHL Import Express 12:00)
- Package weight and dimensions
- Optional services added at checkout
Eligibility Criteria for Refunds
The DHL refund policy applies to time-definite shipping services where DHL has provided a delivery commitment (such as “by 12:00 p.m. on Friday”). If they fail to meet that time, the shipment may be eligible for a refund.
The guaranteed services include-
- DHL EXPRESS 9:00
- DHL IMPORT EXPRESS 9:00
- DHL EXPRESS 10:30
- DHL IMPORT EXPRESS 10:30
- DHL EXPRESS 12:00
- DHL IMPORT EXPRESS 12:00
Under these services, DHL’s money-back guarantee is applicable to the transportation and 9:00 premium rate, 10:30 premium rate, and 12:00 premium rate charges paid by US-based shippers. Additionally, in case of multiple pieces within a shipment, the guarantee applies to every piece of the shipment.
Timeframes to Claim Refunds
To claim refunds, the shipper can notify DHL about the late, lost, or damaged deliveries within 14 calendar days of the shipment date by telephone or in writing. While doing so, you need to provide the following details-
- The account number (if any)
- The waybill number
- The date of shipment
- Complete receiver information
Within 30 days of notifying DHL of the late delivery, DHL will either provide the shipper with the credit or refund, offer reasoning for the non-eligibility of shipment under the guarantee, or provide evidence of timely delivery.
Exclusions and Limitations of the Refund Policy
However, the DHL refund policy and money-back guarantee will not apply in the following conditions-
Where the late delivery or delivery failure is due to any circumstances beyond DHL’s control, such as customs delays, incomplete or inaccurate shipment information, inaccurate receiver information, and more.
- Shipments linked to clinical trials using temperature-sensitive packaging
- Temporary exports or imports
- Shipments with goods exceeding the permissible weight or size limit
- Shipments with high-value content that need custom clearance
- On extra charges for any additional services requested, such as packaging.
How to Request a Refund from DHL
With DHL, claiming a refund is a simple and straightforward process. Here’s what you need to do
1. Check the shipment eligibility
Before filing a DHL refund claim, review the shipment and deliveries that were completed later than the guaranteed time for the service used. Make sure the cause of the delay or lost shipment meets DHL’s money-back guarantee eligibility.
2. Gather documentation
To file a successful claim, you need to share a few documents to support the claim. These include-
- Air Waybill or tracking number
- Account number (if any)
- Date of shipment
- Receiver information
With the Parcel Audit and Shipping Refund platform from LateShipment.com, you don’t have to worry about manually collecting and submitting the documents for refund claims. The system automates refund claims for packages marked as late or lost and seamlessly submits the documentation on your behalf.
3. Submit a claim
Contact DHL’s customer service via email or phone within 14 days of a lost, damaged, or late shipment to register your refund request. Attach relevant documentation while doing so and submit the claim.
Read more: How to File a DHL Claim for Lost or Damaged Shipments
4. Track the claim
DHL will typically review and respond to the claim and take action within 30 calendar days of submitting the request. If approved, the refund is applied as a credit to your account or returned to your original payment method.
Now, you can manage the DHL refund process yourself or let automation take over to simplify and quicken the process. With LateShipment.com, you can automate shipping refund claims and recovery to recover every dollar that’s rightfully yours.
Common Challenges in the Refund Process
Even when a shipment clearly qualifies for a refund, many businesses still miss out, not because the policy is complex but because execution is hard. Identifying eligible delays, navigating claim deadlines, and verifying costs across carriers can quickly become complicated.
Here are the most common challenges a business might face during the refund process;
1. Lack of real-time visibility
Most teams don’t monitor deliveries in real-time down to the promised delivery hour. So even if a package promised for Express 12:00 is delivered a bit late, it might slip under the radar entirely. Or if a shipment is lost or damaged during transit, teams might miss it while managing hundreds of other shipments.
Without accurate delivery data and service-level awareness, identifying delay-based refunds is nearly impossible.
2. Manual processes
Many operations still track delays and refunds manually, relying on spreadsheets, emails, or customer service reports. Worse, shipping data, billing, and delivery performance are often split across departments or systems, creating silos where nobody has full insight into the refund requirements.
The alternative? A parcel and shipping invoice audit software like LateShipment.com tracks all shipments for any delays, loss, or damage, automates documentation, and recovers refunds to ensure quick redressals.
3. Unclear documentation requirements
To file a refund, you need precise documentation: tracking numbers, invoices, timestamps, and service-level promises. Unless that information is captured accurately at the time of shipment and recorded, it may be incomplete or inconsistent by the time a claim needs to be submitted.
4. Tight claim deadlines
DHL typically offers a 14-day window from the shipment date to submit a claim. For e-commerce businesses handling bulk shipping processes, it can be easy to miss this window. If missed, even by a day, this can invalidate the claim, regardless of eligibility.
5. No systematic claim tracking
Once a claim is filed, tracking it through resolution is another hurdle. Without a centralized system like LateShipment.com to monitor approvals, rejections, or disputes, teams often lose visibility into the status of open claims, which results in delays or even duplicated efforts.
Best Practices for Managing Shipping Refunds
With the right strategy and systems in place, e-commerce businesses can consistently recover what they’re owed without draining time or resources.
Here’s how to manage your shipping refund process to not lose another dollar again
1. Consider automation
If your team doesn’t have the bandwidth to manage refunds consistently, automating the refund and claim submission process is your best bet. Tools like LateShipment.com automate end-to-end refund processes across carriers, including DHL, FedEx, UPS, USPS, and more.
From identifying service failures and submitting claims to automating refund documentation and tracking the status, automation can manage it all and free up your team to focus on bigger strategic wins.
2. Centralize shipment and billing data
A platform that centralizes your shipping, billing, and tracking data into one centralized dashboard can help streamline the claims and refund process. Consolidated data is essential to identify discrepancies and delays so your teams can act proactively and not miss any claim deadlines.
3. Set up alerts for service-level failures
Another way to manage the refund process is to automate alerts for any late, lost, or damaged deliveries across multiple carriers. For instance, if you’re shipping with time-definite services like DHL Express 12:00, triggers that compare actual delivery time with the promised SLA can help identify issues immediately.
This way, you can rest assured you will not miss any refund opportunities.
4. Track refund status
Once a claim is submitted, it is important to track its status regularly to seek quick redressal. If, in any case, the claim gets rejected, you will be able to immediately escalate and dispute the issue – perhaps through automation.
At the same time, make sure to monitor the refund claims to see what gets approved, what gets rejected, and why. Over time, this data will help optimize service-level selection, refine carrier contract negotiations, and benchmark internal processes to ensure high-quality delivery services to the customer.
Conclusion
Every late or lost shipment impacts operational efficiency, but what affects your e-commerce business even more is when eligible refunds go unclaimed. DHL’s Money-Back Guarantee offers a way to recover shipping costs for service-level failures, and understanding the process is critical to ensure timely redressal.
However, to truly capitalize on refund opportunities, businesses need more than awareness; they need systems that manage the process for them. Systems that track delivery times, flag service failures, and tackle the refund process completely.
That’s where LateShipment.com comes in.
Our Shipping and Parcel Invoice Audit Software is built to do the heavy lifting. It works behind the scenes to monitor delivery performance across carriers, detect SLA failures automatically, automate refund claims, and recover refunds without manual effort.
For your business, this means faster refunds, fewer operational issues, and streamlined carrier management. Learn what LateShipment.com can do for your business – book a demo today!
FAQs about DHL Refund
Can I get a refund if my DHL package is delayed due to customs?
No. Delays caused by customs inspections or clearance procedures fall outside DHL’s control and are not covered under the Money-Back Guarantee.
Does DHL notify me if I’m eligible for a refund?
DHL does not proactively inform shippers about refund eligibility. You need to monitor delivery times and file claims proactively.
Is there a fee for filing a refund claim with DHL?
No, DHL does not charge a fee to submit a Money-Back Guarantee claim. However, processing time and claim eligibility requirements can vary by country or service type.
What happens if my claim is denied?
Yes, if you believe a claim was denied in error, you can contact DHL’s customer support to request a review. You can also automate this process via LateShipment.com, which will track your refund status and dispute any denied claims with supported documents.
