DHL tracking status

DHL “On hold awaiting payment of fees”: what it means

The short answer

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DHL is holding your package until the duties, taxes or related fees on it are paid. Delivery restarts after payment, so check the amount against your order first. DHL usually pays customs on your behalf, then collects the amount from the receiver.

When to act: If the charge looks wrong, or there is no new scan 2 days after you paid, file a complaint and we send it to DHL.

Also shown as: “Payment is Received and Recorded for Shipment Related Fees”

What to do now

Compare the amount with your order: the value, the shipping, and any duty the seller said was included at checkout.
Type your tracking number into DHL's own tracking page before you pay anything, instead of following a link in a message. DHL warns of fake emails and texts that pass off as DHL, so a request that does not match your tracking needs a closer look.
Pay online through DHL On Demand Delivery, or at a DHL Service Point if you collect the package there.
On a DHL eCommerce UK order, check that the message names your sender and DHL eCommerce UK, as its FAQ says it should, and pay within the 14 days.
Keep the receipt and a screenshot of the tracking page, then watch for 'Payment is Received and Recorded for Shipment Related Fees'.
Still not sorted? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to DHL, so you do not have to chase it yourself.

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What does “On Hold Awaiting for Payment of Shipment Related Fees” mean?

DHL Express uses this line when import duties, taxes or related fees are still unpaid. DHL says it typically pays duties and taxes to the authorities on the receiver's behalf, then charges the receiver to complete the delivery. So the bill normally comes to you, even when the seller shipped the package. It does not mean anything is wrong with the goods.

DHL's tracking help offers payment through On Demand Delivery, or at a DHL Service Point when you collect. DHL eCommerce UK works differently: on a parcel from the EU, its FAQ says a request comes by email from its customs agent, Trans Global Freight Management, naming the sender and DHL eCommerce UK and listing the duty, VAT and an admin fee. The package can be held for only 14 days.

Why does DHL show it?

Import duty or tax is due on the value declared to customs
DHL paid the charges and is collecting them from the receiver
Duties and taxes are the receiver's responsibility on this shipment
An admin fee for customs processing, on DHL eCommerce UK
You paid, but DHL has not recorded the payment yet

How long does it last?

After payment, DHL records 'Payment is Received and Recorded for Shipment Related Fees' and arranges delivery. DHL publishes no time for this, and one DHL FAQ also asks for proof of payment. If the receiver will not pay, DHL's terms say it tries to return the package to the shipper at the shipper's cost.

Other DHL statuses

Shipment on holdKeep an eye on it
Clearance EventKeep an eye on it
ExceptionKeep an eye on it
Departure Origin DHL eCommerce FacilityNormal
En route to DHL eCommerce Distribution Center or awaiting processingKeep an eye on it
Tracking not updatingKeep an eye on it
Delivered but not receivedTake action
Delivery attemptedTake action
Awaiting Collection by ConsigneeTake action
Returned to ShipperTake action
Collection eventKeep an eye on it

All DHL statuses →

Who is responsible for a late or missing package from DHL?

When you buy online from a business, DHL is the seller's courier and the seller is DHL's customer, so putting a late, lost or missing order right, with a replacement or a refund, is in most cases for the seller. DHL's own documents fit that: its eCommerce FAQ calls the merchant its contract partner and says only the merchant can claim for a lost or damaged package, and its Express claims guide says that in almost all situations only the shipper can claim. If you are in the UK, the Consumer Rights Act (section 29) also keeps the goods at the seller's risk until they reach you or someone you named, unless you booked the courier yourself and the seller did not offer it as an option.

If you sent the package yourself, your contract is with DHL, under the terms you accepted when you booked. DHL Express's US domestic terms limit its liability to $100 or the package's actual value, whichever is lower, and its international terms set a limit per kilogram unless you arranged more cover. Both say DHL is not liable for loss caused by delay, apart from a limited money back guarantee on some international services, and that claims must reach DHL in writing within 30 days of the date it accepted the package. Those are DHL Express terms. Sending through DHL eCommerce UK or Evri Premium falls under that service's own terms.

Questions about “On Hold Awaiting for Payment of Shipment Related Fees”

Why do I have to pay DHL for customs?

DHL says duties and taxes are typically the receiver's responsibility. It usually pays them to the authorities on your behalf, then charges you before delivery. If the seller said duties were included at checkout, keep a copy of that page.

How do I pay DHL customs charges?

DHL's tracking help offers payment through On Demand Delivery, and you can also pay at a DHL Service Point when you collect. On a DHL eCommerce UK order, the request comes by email from its customs agent with a secure payment link.

What happens if I do not pay?

DHL Express's terms say it tries to return the package to the shipper at the shipper's cost if the receiver will not pay, and that a package it cannot return may be disposed of or sold. DHL eCommerce UK says it can hold a package for only 14 days.

I paid, but my DHL package is still on hold. What now?

One DHL FAQ says it needs the payment and proof of it before arranging delivery, so keep your receipt. Look for 'Payment is Received and Recorded for Shipment Related Fees'. If no new scan follows, file a complaint on Complain.biz and we send it to DHL.

Based on

DHL: Shipment Tracking Status Explained
DHL Express: Payment and Shipment Release FAQ
DHL Express US: tracking help, shipment in transit
DHL Express US: tracking help, pre-transit
DHL eCommerce UK: Frequently Asked Questions
DHL Express Terms and Conditions of Carriage (UK)
DHL: Fraud Awareness
Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29
DHL eCommerce: Tracking and Shipment Status FAQ (US)
DHL Express Claims Guide (UK)
DHL Express U.S. Domestic Terms and Conditions of Carriage