Frequently Asked Questions
If you are new to our DSV Developer Portal, or still getting familiar with our API integration products, you may find some helpful tips and answers to your questions about our products below. For answers to any other questions you might have, we recommend reaching out to our support team at developer.support@dsv.com
Problems logging in to the DSV Developer Portal?
If after filling in the 'Sign in' form and clicking Enter or 'SIGN IN' you are routed straight back to the start page without an error and was not signed into your Developer Portal account. Please ensure that your Operating System, and Microsoft Teams account (if applicable) are set to the correct time zone. We have seen instances where if a PC was set to the inaccurate time zone - e.g. London – when based out of Germany, login issues may occur. If this does not help, please reach out to support.
What are the different API keys?
Each API product that you subscribe to on our developer portal will have with a primary and secondary service key. These keys are also known as “DSV-Subscription keys” and will provide you with access to a particular API Product and environment, for instance you will have separate Subscription keys for our Booking API in each of the environments (TEST, QA, PROD) available for it.
Your DSV-Service-Auth key, which will be used to gain access to your data within the DSV system will be received in your communication with our IT support team, as they guide your initial onboarding to the API product(s) you have selected.
Will the API Subscription keys expire?
No, the API Subscription keys will not expire.
Where can I find my API Subscription key?
All your DSV-Subscription-keys are available under your Developer Portal’s profile.
Are there any additional authorizations required (beyond the Subscription key)?
Yes, depending on the API used, you will be asked to authenticate via Basic Authorization, additional API key & token, or oAuth 2.0. You will find those requirements in the particular API’s Specification content, and additionally described under each API Guide (under Documentation the tab).
Why are some of my API bookings failing? (Dangerous Goods)
When you send in a booking request that contains dangerous goods, some of the fields can become mandatory. For example, UN code 1993 requires information about the National and International Technical Name, which makes these fields business mandatory even if they technically are optional.
If you set “autobook” to false, you can read in the message and return a Draft ID in the response. If you now login to myDSV Demo UI (https://demo.mydsv.com/frontpage) you can find your draft booking and make changes to it before submitting it.
Trying to submit the booking manually without making any changes to it will show you exactly where the issues are with your request. Using the above example with UN code 1993 you will be informed that the input for “Technical name international” and “Technical name national” fields are mandatory. With this input you can now update your request and try to resubmit it.
When will I be able to see the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) numbers for my shipment?
When sending a tracking request shortly after the booking the SSCC numbers are not showing. While timing will depend on the specific booking, shortly after being created the SSCC numbers should become visible in the API Tracking response. If the number isn’t visible after 30 minutes, please reach out to support.
Can I print references on the DSV Label?
The packages / references / SHIPPER_REFERENCE and CONSIGNEE_REFERENCE types are visible on the label. Please note that the value inserted to this field will be truncated if too long for the label. You can also add your own SSCC in packages / trackingNumbers. The number of SSCCs must match the quantity provided for the package. If trackingNumbers are not sent in the booking DSV will create an SSCC for the package instead.
The value in packages / shippingMarks will show up in 'Marks' (Package level Marks and Numbers)
Why am I getting a “Drop Off service value must be set” error message?
If you are receiving an error message when submitting an API Booking request that states "Drop Off service value must be set" it is because the dropOff field is mandatory if your country has this option available.
Select the Pickup mode:
false = Pickup by DSV
true = Cargo handover to DSV at Warehouse or Terminal (only available when “Drop Off” service is available)
Add the "dropOff" field to the "product" section:
{
"autobook": true,
"product": {
"dropOff": "<true/false>",
"name": "Air"
}
XPress: What is the size of the XPress label?
This is a User setting in XPress and cannot be influenced by the API request. XPress labels can be received in two different formats.
If the format is PDF the sizes are fixed to either A4 or 10*15.
If the format is ZPL the size will depend on the printer configuration
XPress: How many digits can I put on “Invoice Line - Net Weight” Field?
If your provided weights as low as “0.0016” and you receive an error response saying: "Invoice Line - Net Weight should be greater than 0" it is because Xpress will only accept 2 decimal places for the net weight so for this to work the net weight per line should be set to the minimum of 0.01.
XPress: Quote Service Why do I get "Shipment Shipper Organization not found" or "Rate not found" responses?
For the XPress Quote Service we need either an organization with a default debtor or that the organization is receivable. a Default Debtor must be added to your account on XPress, in the “Organization” menu and “Shipper” tab.
XPress: Why am I not receiving Economy Service information?
Errors related to a lack of Economy Service information are likely due to the “grossWeight” field, where there is an acceptable weight limit on the network being exceeded. For example, the UPS Network limit is 70kg per piece, so if the weight input in the field exceeded this limit, an error would occur.