Carrier SLA reference · Germany
Germany carrier claim deadlines and liability limits
Claim windows, liability limits and required evidence for the four carriers that move most German domestic parcel volume, transcribed from their own published conditions and from the HGB.
Four carriers, four euro figures, four different meanings
Every secondary source reports one euro figure per German carrier and calls it "the liability". All four mean something different, and the difference decides how a mid-value claim settles. DHL Paket and Hermes publish EUR 500 as a floor: below it the statutory weight cap is waived and the real loss is paid, above it 8.33 SDR per kilogram takes over. DPD publishes EUR 520 as a ceiling that bundles liability and an automatic insurance, then limits it again to the lower of purchase and current value. GLS publishes EUR 750 as a ceiling that switches off entirely if the shipper holds its own transport insurance. Reading a floor as a ceiling understates a claim; reading a ceiling as a floor overstates it.
The liability regime behind the numbers
Most disputes about carrier compensation are really disputes about which regime applies. A carrier applying a statutory cap is not lowballing, and knowing which one governs your shipment tells you whether a low offer is negotiable or simply the law.
HGB Frachtrecht
Handelsgesetzbuch, §§ 407 ff. · Domestic road transport within Germany.
8.33 SDR per kilogram
Compensation for loss or damage is capped at 8.33 units of account (SDR) per kilogram of gross weight under § 431(1) HGB, and liability for missing a delivery deadline that was actually owed is capped at three times the freight charge under § 431(3). The notice deadlines in § 438 look like CMR but bite differently: visible damage must be reported at delivery and concealed damage within 7 days, and missing either does not end the claim outright, it raises a presumption that the goods were delivered complete and undamaged, which shifts the burden of proof onto you. Delay is the strict one: a delay claim expires entirely if not notified within 21 days of delivery. Notice after delivery must be in text form. Claims time-bar after one year under § 439 HGB, or three years where the carrier acted with intent or equivalent fault.
§§ 431, 438 and 439 HGB (gesetze-im-internet.de)Claim deadlines at a glance
The shortest published deadline per carrier, and what each pays with no additional cover bought. Where a carrier publishes nothing, the table says so rather than guessing.
| Carrier | Type | Regime | Tightest deadline | Standard cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DHL Paket (Deutschland) | Parcel | HGB | At deliveryVisible damage or partial loss, from delivery | EUR 500 paid in full; above that, 8.33 SDR/kg |
| Hermes Germany | Parcel | HGB | At deliveryVisible damage or partial loss, from delivery | Under EUR 500 paid in full; above that, 8.33 SDR/kg or CMR art. 23 |
| DPD Deutschland | Parcel | HGB | At deliveryVisible damage or partial loss, from delivery | EUR 520 per parcel, liability and insurance combined |
| GLS Germany | Parcel | HGB | At deliveryVisible damage or partial loss, from delivery | EUR 750 per parcel, or EUR 2,500 for CashService |
"Tightest deadline" is the shortest published window the sender has to meet, which is usually a damage window rather than a loss window. Carrier response commitments are excluded here and shown on the carrier pages instead. Deadlines differ per event: open a carrier page for the full breakdown.
Every German carrier, in detail
Parcel
DHL Paket (Deutschland)
DHL settles proven direct damage in full up to EUR 500 per parcel, because below that figure it waives the statutory weight cap. Above EUR 500 the German statutory limit of 8.33 SDR per kilogram applies instead. Visible damage must be reported at delivery and concealed damage within 7 days.
Deadlines and evidenceHermes Germany
Under the myHermes Business conditions Hermes waives the statutory cap where proven direct damage is under EUR 500 per parcel, paying purchase price ex VAT for new goods and current value for used. Delay is not compensated at all unless Hermes confirmed a delivery time in text form.
Deadlines and evidenceDPD Deutschland
DPD pays the statutory HGB amount and its automatic insurance makes up the difference to the actual loss, with liability and insurance together capped at EUR 520 per parcel. Compensation is limited to the lower of provable purchase value and current value, and higher cover up to EUR 13,000 is generally unavailable when shipping online or via a Pickup parcelshop.
Deadlines and evidenceGLS Germany
Where the shipper has taken out no transport insurance, GLS pays above the statutory cap up to EUR 750 per parcel, or EUR 2,500 for CashService parcels. The amount is the lowest of purchase price, current value for used goods, or auction price. GLS applies the statutory notice deadlines and all claims time-bar after one year.
Deadlines and evidenceFrequently asked questions
Is DHL liable up to EUR 500 per parcel in Germany?
Not as a ceiling. Its conditions say DHL will not rely on the statutory liability limits where the damage is no more than EUR 500, so claims below that are paid in full. Above EUR 500 the statutory cap of 8.33 SDR per kilogram under section 431(1) HGB applies instead, which on a typical parcel is far less than EUR 500.
How long do I have to report damage to a German carrier?
Visible damage is due at delivery and concealed damage within 7 days, under section 438 HGB. Missing those raises a presumption that the parcel arrived intact rather than ending the claim outright. Delay is different and absolute: the claim expires if not notified within 21 days.
Why does the same EUR 500 mean different things at DHL and Hermes?
It does not, between those two: both treat EUR 500 as a floor. The trap is Hermes publishing a flat EUR 500 cap on its consumer pages while its business conditions treat the figure as a floor, so a shipper reading the wrong document reads the opposite rule.
Other markets
This page summarises publicly published conditions for reference. A negotiated carrier contract, a rate-card annex or a service-specific annex can override any of it. Always check the deadline in your own agreement before relying on a figure here.