DHL Paperless Trade (PLT) is a service that allows you to electronically transmit customs documentation (like commercial invoices, proforma invoices, and customs declarations) to DHL, instead of printing and attaching paper copies to the shipment. 


There are two available options

1. Activate the extra service "Generate Customs Invoice", and DHL will generate the invoice based on the data you send in the Articles section, Invoice data and CustomsDeclaration section.

Custom declaration generated by DHL can be downloaded with Download documents endpoint 


2. Include the invoice data and embed the Base64-encoded PDF invoice within the CustomsDeclarations object as part of the order creation request - Order
  Request example for option 1 - Articles and Customs del

{
  "ServiceId": 5,
  "CourierId": 10,
  "ShipmentDate": "2025-09-10T00:00:00+03:00",
  "ShipmentDateEnd": "2025-09-10T00:00:00+03:00",
  "AddressTo": {
    "Name": "Test TestCH",
    "ContactPerson": "Test TestCH",
    "Country": "CH",
    "CountyName": "Zürich",
    "LocalityName": "Zürich",
    "AddressText": "Tessinerpl. 9",
    "PostalCode": "8002",
    "Phone": "+41435111111",
    "Email": "testInno@gmail.com"
  },
  "Payment": 1,
  "Content": {
    "EnvelopeCount": 0,
    "ParcelsCount": 1,
    "PalettesCount": 0,
    "TotalWeight": 2.5,
    "Contents": "cotton garment - unisex",
    "Package": "",
    "OversizedPackage": false,
    "Parcels": [
      {
        "SequenceNo": 1,
        "Size": {
          "Width": 25,
          "Height": 5,
          "Length": 35
        },
        "Weight": 2.5,
        "Type": 2,
        "Reference1": "22549244",
        "Articles": [
          {
            "Quantity": 10,
            "Description": "Heros t-shirt  White  XS",
            "CountryOfOrigin": "NO",
            "Tariff": "6109100010",
            "WeightNet": 0.25,
            "WeightGross": 0.25,
            "PricePerPieceAmount": 2,
            "PricePerPieceAmountCurrency": "EUR"
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "InvoiceNumber": "INV-70003088",
    "InvoiceDate": "2025-06-10T00:00:00Z",
    "InvoiceValue": 20,
    "InvoiceValueCurrency": "EUR"
  },
  "Extra": {
    "DeclaredValueAmount": 4,
    "DeclaredValueAmountCurrency": "GBP",
    "CustomsDeclaration": {
      "Exporter": {
        "Name": "Testing",
        "ContactPerson": "Testing",
        "Country": "NL",
        "LocalityName": "Roelofarendsveen",
        "AddressText": "Kabelweg 1",
        "PostalCode": "2371DX",
        "Phone": "+31713328911",
        "Email": "noreply@test.com"
      },
      "Importer": {
        "Name": "Test Importer",
        "ContactPerson": "Test Importer Contact",
        "Country": "ES",
        "LocalityName": "Santa Cruz de Tenerife",
        "AddressText": "Jonstollie 11B, , , Geilo",
        "PostalCode": "38120",
        "Phone": "+34 619 15 91 08",
        "Email": "noreply@test.com"
      },
      "Reason": 10,
      "Incoterm": "CPT"
    }
  },
  "Parameters": {
    "Async": true,
    "GetParcelsBarcodes": false,
    "IncludeCourierResponse": false,
    "IncludePriceBreakdown": true,
    "IncludeAddressInResponse": false,
    "ConsolidateOrder": false,
    "ImportExternalOrder": false,
    "OverwriteLocationAddressWithSenderDetails": false
  },
  "ExternalClientLocation": "alexRO",
  "ExternalOrderId": "TEST",
  "SourceChannel": "TEST",
  "Observation": "Standard Delivery"
}