FAQs

Frequently asked questions and answers

Regular shipment

National parcels usually reach their destination within a standard delivery time of less than 24 hours (excluding islands). In Europe, standard delivery times are generally between 24 and 96 hours. GLS delivers Monday to Friday during normal business hours.

GLS provides companies with IT dispatch systems that correspond to their requirements and parcel or freight shipment volumes. The systems can be adapted to senders’ IT systems.

More information

GLS offers reliable European parcel and freight delivery to its customers, as well as worldwide express delivery for parcels.
More information can be found in the product descriptions in the section Regular shipment .

Simply enter the starting point and destination of your consignment into the GLS shipping planner. The available product and service combinations will be displayed immediately.

Go to Shipping planner

A parcel may not exceed the following dimensions:

Length: 200 cm
Width: 80 cm
Height: 60 cm
Combined length and girth: 300 cm

Calculation of max. combined length and girth: 2 x height + 2 x width + 1 x longest side

The maximum weight is 31.5 kg for Parcel delivery.
Questions? Please contact GLS for more information.

All parcel shipments can be tracked with the online tracking function (Track&Trace). To check the status of a parcel, you go to Track&Trace .
You can contact our customer service for the follow-up of freight shipments.

For shipments within the Benelux countries you can use the online tracking function. If you wish to get a delivery certificate or proof of delivery for all your other shipments, please contact our customer service by mail.

If you wish to revise the delivery address you have given, please contact us online on working days from 8AM to 6PM

Precisely how much it costs to send a parcel depends on your wishes and requirements. If you send parcels regularly, you will get an individual offer from GLS.

Contact GLS

You can find all excluded goods in our General Terms and Conditions under article 3.

Parcels that cannot be placed on the sorting belt

Some shipments cannot be transported by the conveyor belts in our automatic parcel sorting systems because of their size or outer packaging. GLS sorts and scans these “non-conveyable” consignments manually in the depots and distribution hubs. This incurs a surcharge. This includes among others:

  • Sacks, tyres, rolls, bales of cloth, canisters, plastic buckets, wooden boxes
  • Parcels with protruding parts of any kind
A surcharge applies for this additional manual handling.

Oversized goods, pallets or groupage

For large items, pallets or groupage, GLS Belgium offers reliable freight services throughout Europe.
Even for very heavy, oversized or unusual shipments, GLS has got customised solutions for your special needs.

Please go to Freight delivery or contact our customer service for more details and information.

Depot finder

Yes. Extra pickup and delivery times can be arranged in consultation with our FreightSolution department.
For more details and information, please contact GLS .

GLS no longer provides cash on delivery services where the goods are delivered against payment to the consignee. You will find all information related to COD in our General Terms and Conditions under article 6.

GLS is liable for loss or damage of parcels in its custody. Liability does not include consequential damages like loss of profit. If the sender takes out no transport insurance, GLS compensates the value of the goods beyond the statutory limitation of liability up to a maximum of € 750 per parcel. Value of the goods is defined as the purchase price, for second-hand goods the current value or for goods dispatched on occasion of an auction the auction price, depending on which amount is the lowest in the individual case. You can find further information in the Terms and Conditions of GLS Belgium .On request, an additional insurance can be foreseen. Simply contact our GLS Sales Service for more information.

GLS is committed to the responsible use of resources, the reduction of emissions, and the optimisation of waste disposal. All GLS subsidiaries have obtained the ISO 14001 certification for their environmental management systems. GLS coordinates and promotes all activities to protect the environment across the Group within the framework of the Climate protect initiative.

More information

GLS Customer Service and / or your contact at the GLS depot will be happy to help you. Send your question by completing the contact form.

Occasional shipment

As a private customer or a company that occasionally sends small numbers of parcels, you can send your parcels from any GLS Parcel Shop or organise your shipping process using online franking via GLS One.

More information

The Parcel Shop price list applies for sending parcels with GLS. Prices depend on the parcel size. Lower prices apply for shipments prepared online via GLS One.

Prices

National parcels are generally delivered within a standard delivery time of less than 24 hours. Standard delivery times lie between 24 and 96 hours all over Europe. GLS delivers Monday to Friday during normal business hours. Find out here where your parcel is right now - and when delivery is expected to take place.

Parcel tracking

You can hand over your parcel at any GLS Parcel Shop. In Belgium there are about 700 Parcel Shops and 190 Parcel Lockers, so there is sure to be one near you. Simply use our Parcel Shop finder to search for one.

Parcel Shop finder

You can find the next GLS ParcelShop right in your area. Simply use our practical ParcelShop finder and look up directions.

ParcelShop finder

Yes. With online franking via GLS-ONE, GLS offers you a practical and reliable portal for managing your deliveries online. Start directly with the dispatch or register optionally to use the additional functions of GLS-ONE.

Go to GLS-ONE

A parcel may not exceed the following dimensions:

Length: 200 cm
Width: 80 cm
Height: 60 cm
Combined length and girth: 300 cm

Calculation of max. combined length and girth: 2 x height + 2 x width + 1 x longest side

A parcel may weigh a maximum of 31.5 kg.

When packing goods, you need to consider the type, weight and resilience of the goods being sent. Outer packing, internal padding, adhesive tape and parcel labelling are all important.

More information

Insufficiently or not customarily packed goods are generally excluded from delivery by GLS. Computers (e.g. desktop computers or notebooks) are only transported in their proper original packaging. Also excluded from delivery are among others:

  • Parcels with a goods value of over € 5,000
  • Goods that require particularly careful handling (e.g. fragile goods)
  • Perishable or temperature-managed goods
  • Live animals
  • Particularly valuable items (e.g. gold, precious metals and stones, real jewellery and pearls, works of art, antiques)
  • Telephone cards and pre-paid cards for mobile phones
  • Firearms and essential weapon parts as well as ammunition
  • Dangerous goods of any kind
  • Tobacco and spirits

Further information can be found in the shipping guidelines as well as in the General terms and conditions.

General terms and conditions

With the parcel tracking function you can track your parcel online at any time. Simply enter the parcel number or Track ID.

Parcel tracking

GLS is liable for loss or damage of parcels in its custody. Liability does not include consequential damages like loss of profit. If the sender takes out no transport insurance, GLS compensates the value of the goods beyond the statutory limitation of liability up to a maximum of € 750 per parcel. Value of the goods is defined as the purchase price, for second-hand goods the current value or for goods dispatched on occasion of an auction the auction price, depending on which amount is the lowest in the individual case. You can find further information in the terms and conditions of GLS Belgium.

You can send as many parcels as you like.

If recipients are not present at the first delivery attempt, the GLS driver will ask a neighbour to accept the parcel. If that is not possible, the driver will take it to the nearest GLS ParcelShop, where it will be available for collection for the next nine working days. If parcel delivery is not possible to a neighbour or a GLS ParcelShop the driver will return the parcel to the GLS depot (distribution centre). A second delivery attempt will be made the next working day.

In any case, the delivery driver leaves a notification card for the recipient. If a second delivery attempt is also unsuccessful, the parcel is returned to the sender after a storage period of nine working days.

GLS is committed to the responsible use of resources, the reduction of emissions and the optimisation of waste disposal. All GLS subsidiaries have obtained the ISO 14001 certification for their environmental management systems. GLS coordinates and promotes all activities to protect the environment across the Group within the framework of the Climate protect initiative.

More info

Contact our customer service via glsforyou, your contact centre for Belgium.

Contact

Recipients

Parcels within Belgium are usually delivered within 24 hours. In Europe, standard delivery times generally lie between 24 and 96 hours. GLS delivers Monday to Friday during normal business hours. Parcel tracking shows you the expected delivery date.

Parcel tracking

With the online parcel tracking function you can track your parcel at any time. Please note that GLS uses distribution centres, so the dispatch route may not always seem direct to you. To see where your parcel is right now, simply enter the parcel number or the Track ID.

Parcel tracking

GLS knows when an appointment is necessary and will get in contact to agree on the time of a freight delivery – even without a special order of the sender.

First, GLS will attempt to find a neighbour willing to accept and sign for your parcel. If no neighbour can accept your parcel, GLS will leave a notification card and take the parcel to the nearest GLS depot.

In any case, the delivery driver leaves a notification card for the recipient. If a second delivery attempt is also unsuccessful, the parcel is returned to the sender after a storage period of nine working days.

When ordering online you can often enter an alternative delivery address. This, for example, can be your place of work if your employer agrees to this. Many online shops also allow you to select a GLS ParcelShop as a direct delivery address.

Alternatively you can issue GLS with a signature release authorisation. This way the driver can leave the parcel at a freely-accessible location of your choice at your address. If you did not choose one of these options in advance, a neighbour might accept your parcel.

Yes. If you are not at home, the driver may leave your parcel with a neighbour. They will naturally have to sign for it. The driver will leave a notification card with the relevant information.

Yes. After the first delivery attempt you can redirect your Parcel to a ParcelShop. You then have nine working days in which to collect it from the ParcelShop. Note: To collect a parcel you will need a valid identity card or passport.

Simply use the GLS ParcelShop finder to search for a shop and directions.

ParcelShop finder

Yes. Just hand the person an informal written authorisation. It should include your name and address, as well as the name and address of the collector. You can also fill out the form on the notification card. The authorised person must bring the authorisation and a valid identity card or passport.

Yes, you can authorise GLS to leave a parcel at an agreed place, for example, in your garage. To do this, simply download the signature release authorisation as a PDF, print it out, fill it in and send it to your GLS depot - or hand it directly to the GLS driver. The signature release authorisation can be a one-off or general authorisation. You can also revoke it at any time in writing.

Download now

If the first delivery attempt is unsuccessful, you as the recipient can choose what happens next. Your parcel redirection options are as follows:

  • A second delivery attempt to your address - you choose on which day.
  • Delivery to another address, which you specify
  • Parcel delivery to a GLS ParcelShop of your choice
  • Issue a signature release authorisation. The GLS driver can deliver your parcel to the place you specify, even if no one is present.
  • Refuse acceptance: the parcel is then returned to the sender.
  • Collect the parcel yourself at the depot: The parcel remains in the depot and is available for collection for 10 working days. No second delivery attempt is made.

Many senders have booked an additional GLS service for returns. This means, when returning goods, you simply attach the enclosed return label to the parcel and hand it over at a ParcelShop of your choice. GLS then does the rest. If a parcel does not include a return label, you can still return it via a GLS ParcelShop but you will have to pay the standard ParcelShop charges.

ParcelShop price list

If your parcel or freight shipment is externally damaged, you can refuse to accept it. GLS will then return the shipment to the depot and inform the sender. If the contents are damaged, please contact the sender. GLS cannot and may not check the contents of sent shipments.

First of all check the status of your parcel using the parcel tracking function of GLS. To do this, enter the parcel number the sender has given you – if not, ask the sender for the number. Secondly, look for the notification card that a GLS driver leaves behind if no-one is at home at the first delivery attempt. The notification card will tell you where your parcel is – for example, with a neighbour or in a GLS depot. The Track ID will also be included on the card, enabling you to use the parcel tracking function and the GLS parcel redirection function.

If shipment tracking does not help you, get in touch using the contact form. We will gladly try to answer your question. The parcel number or Track ID helps us, so please have one of these ready.

Contact our customer service via glsforyou, your contact centre for Belgium

Contact

Your GLS team is happy to help you
Your GLS team is happy to help you
Every workday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

info@gls-belgium.com