GLS Contact Information

Whether you ship occasionally or daily, opening an account at GLS is free and easy.

Individuals and business users can open an online account with a credit card and be ready to ship today. 

Individual/Personal Accounts

• Personal accounts are opened online with a credit card.
• The invoice balance is charged to your credit card at the end of each billing cycle.
• We will send you a billing invoice each week. The invoice will only be generated if you have a shipment during the billing cycle.
• We accept the following major credit cards: American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa.

Business Accounts

Shipping type: Select Priority / Ground Parcel or Freight. If you ship both parcel and freight you will need to open a separate account for each shipping type.

How much do you estimate spending each month? 

• $10 - $100 per month: Select Credit Card
• $101 - $5,000 per month: Select Credit Card or Check/ACH Debit
• $5,000+: Select Check or ACH Debit
• After selecting the Credit Card option, complete the online application, and you will receive immediate confirmation that your account is opened and ready to use.
• If you select Check or ACH Debit, complete the online application, and you will be contacted by an Account Executive within two business days.   

To begin shipping, log in to the GLS Customer Portal with the username and password you created.

Locate a drop box via the Customer Portal or GLS website. Packages placed in a drop box must contain a GLS-compliant, bar-coded shipping label.

External Packaging Materials

• Always use high quality corrugated cardboard boxes for parcels. For fragile or heavy items, double-wall or tri-wall constructions are recommended.
• Avoid reusing old boxes as they may have lost some of their rigidity. If a box is reused, be sure to remove any labels, hazardous materials indicators, or other previous shipment markings on the box that are no longer applicable.
• Under-filled boxes may collapse, and over-filled boxes may burst. Prevent this by choosing a box with the right size for the content being shipped.
• You can order the following complimentary GLS supplies via the Customer Portal.
  • Priority Envelope (9.5x12.15) — cardboard
  • Priority Pak (12.5x16) — plastic
  • Online Label Pouch – for use with labels printed via the Customer Portal

Internal Packaging Materials

• Internal packaging provides shipment protection during the delivery process. Good internal packaging should have the ability to protect the product from shock and vibration and then return to its original shape to provide further cushioning. There are several internal packaging materials and methods to consider before shipping a package:
  • Bubble wrap, foam wrap, airbags, cardboard, crumpled paper, corrugated inserts, and foam peanuts/pellets are all commonly used as packaging materials.
  • All have different qualities, and it is important to use them appropriately.
  • Foam wrap, peanuts, and crumbled paper are not good packaging to fill large empty spaces.
• Bubble Wrap
  • Packing material made of air bubbles that are encased between two poly sheets as they are sealed together. This process allows encapsulated air to provide a cushion to protect against shock.
  • Encapsulated air provides good cushioning for lightweight items, is flexible, and cuts to wrap virtually any shape or size product.
  • It should not be used to wrap heavyweight products.
  • When using encapsulated-air plastic sheeting, use several layers to ensure that the entire product is protected, including corners and edges.
• Foam Peanuts
  • Use enough loose-fill peanuts to ensure that the contents cannot move when you shake the box. It is recommended that the box be overfilled slightly to account for the settling that will occur during shipping.
  • Loose-fill materials are not recommended for use with flat, narrow, or dense products that may migrate or shift within the package. Because loose fill materials may also shift or settle, any shifting of the product within the package could expose it to a higher probability of damage.
• Foam Wrap
  • Lightweight, soft, resilient foam sheeting material that provides excellent surface protection and cushioning properties. Ideal for protecting lightweight items.
• Corrugated Cardboard Inserts
  • The right thickness is of critical importance for the effectiveness of custom cardboard inserts. The cardboard partitions should be strong enough to protect your products from getting damaged. If you are transporting items, such as fragile glass bottles or ceramics, ensure that your cardboard inserts are strong and suitable for long-term use.
  • When shipping multiple items in a single package, always wrap each item individually and separate with corrugated inserts or other divider materials as appropriate.
• Crumbled Paper
  • Kraft paper (not newspaper or newsprint)can be wrapped and crumpled to fill empty space inside a package with light-to-medium weight, non-fragile items.
• Air Bags
  • Inflatable packaging that uses air pressure to hold products in place within a shipping container to provide an air barrier of cushioning.

 
Packing Tips

• Leave No Empty Space
  • It is important to completely fill empty space within the box to avoid contents moving during transit which can cause damage to both contents and box.
  • Place void filler on the base of the box in addition to around the item you are shipping.
  • Ensure there are no gaps or movement.
  • When choosing void filling materials, always ensure that they provide sufficient support for the weight of the shipment contents. Otherwise, packing materials could sink or deflate under the weight eventually leaving empty space inside the box.
• Wrap Items Individually and Use Dividers
  • When shipping multiple items in a single package, always wrap each one individually and separate with corrugated inserts or other divider materials as appropriate.
  • Dividers are helpful to avoid damage caused by individual items making contact during transit, especially when items are stacked.
  • Small or loose items should be placed in an inner container or plastic bag to avoid the items from separating during transportation.
  • Bottles must be placed neck up.

Fragile Items

• The best packing method is double box
• We recommend using the original manufacture’s package as the inner box. The shipment cannot move within the original manufacture’s shipping container.
• The original manufacturer's packaging is usually designed for shipments on pallets instead of single-piece shipments. Select a new shipping container that is at least six inches (15.24 cm) longer, wider, and higher than the original manufacturer's box.
• Fill the bottom of the new shipping container with at least two to three inches of foam-in-place, polyethylene corner or edge pads, inflatable packaging, or loose fill peanuts.
• Place the original manufacturer's box on top of the cushioning material and in the center of the shipping container. Allow at least two to three inches of cushioning around the remaining five sides of the package.
• Fill the remaining empty space in the package with foam-in-place, polyethylene corner or edge pads, inflatable packaging, or loose fill peanuts.

Powders and Liquids

• Powders should be double bagged in strong plastic bags, securely sealed, and then packed inside another box with proper fill.
• Liquids must be in leak-free containers and protected with strong internal material such as Styrofoam. Seal in a plastic bag before putting into a strong double-wall box. Use corrugated inserts to separate multiple products.
• Seal semi-liquids with adhesive tape before placing them in a strong double-wall box.

Proper Tapes

• Shipping/packing/mailing tape — usually clear or brown
• Filament or strapping tape — includes fiberglass strands in filament tape that provide added support for boxes that can handle being jostled in transit.
• Do NOT use “scotch” (gift-wrapping) tape, masking tape, duct tape, electrical tape, or medical tape.

H-taping

• Ensure all seams are sealed using the H-taping method
• Apply one strip of tape along the center seam
• Apply two strips of tape across both edge seams
• Apply more strips of tape for heavier shipments
• Repeat the H-taping so that both the box’s bottom and top seams are sealed

Applying the shipping label

• Adhere the shipment label securely on the top surface of the shipment box. This will help us keep your shipment in an upright position as much as possible during transit!
• Ensure the label is visible on one surface and that the label does not cover any seams.
• Do not let other labels, tapes, or paperwork cover the shipment label.
• We never recommend using an old box, but if you do, ensure all outdated shipment labels are removed prior to use.
• If you need to apply other labels or stickers to your shipment, please avoid placing them on the same surface as the shipment label.
• Use a plastic self-adhesive clear-window pouch (GLS Online Label Pouch) to hold any loose documents that are required to be placed outside of the box.

If your shipment is missing, use either of the options below:

• Chat - Visit www.gls-us.com, and select Chat with an Expert (bottom right corner of page).

• Portal - Log in to the GLS Customer Portal, and on the navigation bar, select Support > Contact Us. Select the Category: Missing Package, and provide the information needed to start a trace. Click Submit.