Does DHL text you?

Updated November 2, 2026

Yes, DHL does text you. It sends delivery notices, and it says the only payments it requests by email or text are customs duties and taxes. So a DHL text about duties can be real, and scammers copy it. A text asking you to pay for anything else doesn't match what DHL describes. Before you pay, check the shipment by typing dhl.com yourself.

When DHL really texts you

DHL sends real texts, so a DHL text isn't automatically a scam. These are the ones DHL describes on its own pages:

Real DHL text	What it's for	What DHL says
Customs duties and taxes	Paying what an international package owes	"The only payments DHL requests via email or SMS are for customs duties and taxes." A one-time code goes to the recipient's registered contact before the payment is processed.
Delivery notices	Choosing when and where a DHL Express package arrives, through On Demand Delivery	Notices can come by text or email and include a link. Availability varies by country.

DHL Express's Canadian help page says it "will send you a notification via SMS or email with a link to pay your duties and taxes." So a real duty text can contain a link. That's why the link alone can't tell you whether a text is fake.

Customs charges are real, too. DHL says its fraud warning doesn't change what the recipient owes when charges are properly due at delivery. And since CBP made the end of the under-$800 duty exemption indefinite in June 2026, low-value packages coming into the US can owe duties too. Who really bills you for customs fees.

What number DHL texts from

DHL's pages give different levels of detail by country, and the US fraud page doesn't list a number:

Canada: "We send text messages using our short code 22345 so you can easily identify when the sender is DHL Express."
New Zealand: "DHL typically uses short codes (four or five digits) for text messages." The same guide says to be suspicious of texts from full mobile numbers, especially with foreign prefixes.

We only list numbers a company's own page confirms. If a text came from a number that isn't here, that doesn't tell you it's a scam. Check the shipment instead.

Signs a DHL text is fake

DHL lists the first four of these. No single sign settles it, but each one is a reason to stop and check.

It uses a shortened link, like one starting with bit.ly, which hides where the link goes.
The sender is a generic name, such as "Delivery," with no visible number.
The number has a country prefix you wouldn't expect. DHL's example is +235.
A payment request has no package number. DHL's New Zealand guide says genuine requests include it.
It asks you to pay for something other than duties and taxes, like a redelivery or address fee. The FCC also warns that scam texts may claim you owe a customs fee or tax before delivery, so a mention of customs doesn't prove a text is real.
You aren't expecting anything from abroad, and nobody told you they sent a package.
The link goes somewhere else. DHL lists dhl.com addresses and its other own domains, including del.dhl.com, and its Express help pages are on mydhl.express.dhl. Look-alike addresses can include the letters "dhl" anywhere, so read the whole address.

These texts do go around. In 2024, Newstalk ZB in New Zealand reported DHL looking into possible scam texts saying "Your shipment is held for Customs Clearance," and DHL told people not to reply if they were concerned. McAfee lists DHL among the names delivery scammers use, and "Pay a small customs fee" among common examples. An October 2026 article carried by KTBS says delivery scams spike between early October and January.

How to check safely

Don't reply, and leave the link alone for now.
Find the tracking number in your order confirmation, or ask the seller or sender for it.
Type dhl.com into Safari yourself and enter the number. For DHL Express, you can also enter the 10-digit waybill number at ondemand.dhl.com.
If you still can't tell, contact DHL customer support through dhl.com. DHL says questions about a shipment's status or an invoice go there, and its fraud mailbox generally doesn't answer them.

If you do owe duties, paying through the DHL site you opened yourself or through customer support keeps you away from a fake link. Treat the one-time code as private: if you didn't start a payment, don't read it out or type it in. What to do if you gave someone a verification code.

If you already tapped the link or paid

You only opened the page: close it and don't enter anything.
You paid with a card: call your bank or card company right away, using the number on your card, and ask them to stop or reverse the charge. DHL says it accepts no responsibility for payments made because of fraud, so your bank is the one to call.
You entered personal details or a sign-in code: follow what to do if you clicked a scam link.

Report it

Tell DHL: send a screenshot of the text, with the suspicious phone number, to [email protected].
Forward it to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block similar messages, then delete it. How to report spam texts on iPhone.
Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you lost money, you can also report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.

Questions

Does DHL text you for payment or import duties?

It can, but only for customs duties and taxes, according to DHL. It says a one-time code goes to the recipient's registered contact before the payment is processed. DHL's Canadian help page says the notice can include a link to pay, so a link alone doesn't make a text fake. If you're not sure, leave the link alone and check on dhl.com or with DHL customer support.

Does DHL text you before delivery?

It can. On its On Demand Delivery pages, DHL Express describes text and email notices with a link to choose how a package is delivered. Availability varies by country. Those notices aren't a reason to pay a redelivery fee: DHL says duties and taxes are the only payments it requests by text.

What number does DHL text from? Does DHL text from 72524?

DHL's Canadian help page says DHL Express texts from short code 22345, and its New Zealand guide says DHL typically uses short codes of four or five digits. Its US pages that we checked don't list a number, and we found no DHL page that lists 72524, so we can't say who uses it. Don't decide by the number alone. Check the shipment on dhl.com.

Does DHL text on WhatsApp?

It can. DHL's On Demand Delivery site lists WhatsApp as a notice option in a free account, and availability varies by country. DHL's fraud page also warns about social media accounts that move you over to WhatsApp or Telegram. If you didn't choose WhatsApp notices, check on dhl.com first.

Does DHL text you for a signature?

DHL Express packages need a signature unless you choose Signature Release in On Demand Delivery, one of the options its notices lead to. If a text asks for a fee to release a signature, that doesn't fit: DHL says duties and taxes are the only payments it requests by text.

Sources

Facts checked November 2, 2026.