DPU — Delivered at Place Unloaded (Incoterms 2020)
DPU — Delivered at Place Unloaded (Incoterms® 2020). Risk transfers after goods have been unloaded from the arriving means of transport at the named place of destination.. Freight included. Insurance NOT included.Generate compliant DPU documents in 60 seconds. Free up to 3/month.
infoDPU at a Glance
Responsibilities
- Risk Transfer
- After goods have been unloaded from the arriving means of transport at the named place of destination.
- Cost Responsibility
- Seller bears ALL costs up to named destination including freight AND unloading. Buyer bears import clearance, duties.
- Transport Mode
- Any mode (road, rail, air, sea)
- Freight Included
- Yes — seller arranges & pays main carriage
- Insurance Included
- No — buyer arranges if desired
- Category
- Arrival (Destination) (D)
When to Use DPU
- When seller can arrange unloading equipment at destination
- For bulk commodities requiring specialized unloading
- When buyer lacks unloading capability
When NOT to Use DPU
- When seller cannot arrange unloading at destination (use DAP)
- For containerized cargo where buyer unloads (use DAP)
articleDPU Explained — Practical Guide
What DPU Means in Plain Language
DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded (Incoterms® 2020)) is an Incoterms® 2020 term in Category D — arrival (destination). Under DPU, the seller after goods have been unloaded from the arriving means of transport at the named place of destination.and pays for main carriage to the named destination.
Step-by-Step: Who Does What
- Seller: Makes goods available at the named place.
- Export clearance: Seller arranges & pays for export clearance.
- Main carriage: Seller contracts & pays carrier to named destination.
- Risk transfers: After goods have been unloaded from the arriving means of transport at the named place of destination.. After this point, loss/damage is buyer's risk.
- Insurance: Buyer arranges own insurance if desired.
- Import clearance: Buyer arranges & pays for import clearance, duties, taxes at destination.
- Final delivery: Seller unloads at destination.
Common DPU Mistakes to Avoid
- Using DPU for sea shipments — mode mismatch invalidates the term.
- Not naming the precise place/port — "DPU China" is invalid; use "DPU Shanghai" or "DPU Guangzhou".
- Assuming insurance is included when it's not — only CIP and CIF include seller-procured insurance.
- Confusing risk transfer with cost transfer — they happen at different points in C-terms.
- Missing "Incoterms® 2020" in contract — without edition, old 2010 rules may apply.
local_shippingCarrier Implementation Notes for DPU
local_shippingFedEx
- • Terms of Sale field: DPU + named place
- • Freight prepaid — seller provides carrier docs
- • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
- • Air waybill (12-digit FedEx / 1Z UPS / 10-digit DHL)
inventory_2UPS
- • Terms of Sale field: DPU + named place
- • Freight prepaid — seller provides carrier docs
- • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
- • Air waybill (12-digit FedEx / 1Z UPS / 10-digit DHL)
deployed_codeDHL
- • Terms of Sale field: DPU + named place
- • Freight prepaid — seller provides carrier docs
- • Insurance: buyer's responsibility
- • Air waybill (12-digit FedEx / 1Z UPS / 10-digit DHL)
downloadFree: Incoterms® 2020 Cheat Sheet (PDF)
One-page reference: all 11 terms, risk transfer points, cost matrix, when to use each. Perfect for your desk or forwarding team.
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