Issuing Invoices for Sending Samples Abroad

As in all commercial transactions, one of the mandatory procedures during international sample shipments is issuing an invoice. Many companies send samples abroad that are not subject to any charge. Depending on the agreement, the international shipping costs of these sample shipments may also be paid by the buyer. Accordingly, preparing the invoice correctly when sending samples abroad is very important. Especially small mistakes made on invoices for samples sent overseas can unfortunately lead to major problems. Incorrect or incomplete information may delay the delivery of the sample to the buyer, resulting in both customer loss and time loss.

PREPARING AN INVOICE WHEN SENDING SAMPLES ABROAD

When sending samples abroad, issuing an invoice is the first required step. The invoice prepared for international sample shipments must be a proforma invoice. A proforma invoice is an invoice prepared for informational purposes and does not replace a standard commercial invoice. As a recommendation, sending your sample to the buyer free of charge can provide advantages for future collaborations with your potential customer. In return for sending the sample free of charge, you may request the buyer to cover the shipping cost.

ISSUING A FREE-OF-CHARGE INVOICE FOR INTERNATIONAL SAMPLE SHIPMENTS

If the sample shipment abroad is made free of charge, a proforma invoice prepared only in English will be sufficient. For customs procedures, the key point in this proforma invoice is that the value of the goods is declared as low or free of charge. The availability of the product must be clearly stated at the bottom of the invoice.

PROFORMA INVOICE FORMAT FOR INTERNATIONAL SAMPLE SHIPMENTS

When preparing a proforma invoice for sending samples abroad, the following items must be included:

• Buyer information

• Seller information

• GTIP (HS) code

• Type of goods

• Value of the goods

SAMPLE INVOICE USED FOR INTERNATIONAL SAMPLE SHIPMENTS

You can easily access sample invoices used for international sample shipments online. Alternatively, you can contact the QuickShipper team to easily obtain a proforma invoice sample and prepare it together with experts within QuickShipper.

PAID SAMPLE SHIPMENTS ABROAD

In some cases, customs authorities may not accept free-of-charge invoices and may request that a value be stated on the invoice. In such cases, customs duty is paid based on the tariff for the shipment sent with a declared value. This helps prevent the shipment from being held at customs.

It should not be forgotten that every product has a cost value, and this product value must be stated when creating the bill of lading through our panel at app.quickshipper.com.

Click to get detailed information about invoice preparation for international sample shipments.