Some couriers now want to know exactly who's sending the box. Here's how to verify a sender with an NIN, what it costs, and why you only have to do it once.
Some couriers require a verified sender. That means a real person whose ID has been checked and who actually owns the package. Senders in Nigeria verify with their NIN. It costs ₦390 from your wallet, and a verified address stays verified for future shipments. Only senders are checked. Receivers are not.
Note: Sender verification is required by DHL Express, Ship to Naija, Terminal Express and Terminal Premium.
Who's actually sending this box?
Picture it: a package lands at a courier's hub. The name on the sender line belongs to a busy shop assistant who has never seen what's inside. For some couriers, that's no longer good enough.
With TruShipper sender verification, the sender on a shipment for these couriers must be a real person whose identity has been checked. That person must also be the actual owner of the package.
In practice, that means three things:
- No more stand-in senders. Businesses and their staff can't put their own details as the sender when shipping for agents or customers.
- The sender owns the shipment. Whoever is named as sender is responsible for it.
- Misrepresenting the sender is against the policy and can get your account suspended.
How to verify a sender for international shipments
You verify with their NIN, the National Identification Number, and verification is fast. Enter the sender's 11-digit NIN, and we check it instantly with our identity provider. The sender's first and last name must match the NIN record. Capital letters, accents and word order don't matter. If it matches, the address is marked Verified on the spot.
Where it shows up when you book a shipment
Verification is part of the normal booking flow, so there's nothing extra to hunt for.
Step one: add your sender. You'll see a reminder that the sender must be the real package owner. You'll also see a note that some couriers need a verified sender, and that verification costs ₦390. The ID field is optional at this point, so shipments that don't need it keep moving fast.
Step two: pick a courier. If your courier requires a verified sender and yours isn't verified yet, you'll get a prompt. It says something like: "DHL requires a verified sender. Add the sender's identity details to continue, or choose another carrier." Tap "Add sender details" to go back and verify. Or tap "Use another carrier" to pick a courier that doesn't need it.
How much does sender verification cost?
Each verification costs ₦390. The fee is deducted from your business wallet when the sender's NIN is checked. It's a separate wallet charge, not part of the shipment price.
Heads-up: the fee is taken as soon as the NIN record is found, even if the name then doesn't match. So double-check the spelling before you submit.
Verify once, ship again and again
The best part is that you don't pay every time you ship.
Verification sticks to the saved address. That address stays verified for future shipments, and it shows a Verified badge in your address book.
If your business uses the same NIN on another address, you won't be charged again. The name still has to match.
Verifications are private to each business, though. If a different business uses that same NIN, it pays its own fee.
What you can and can't edit after verification
Once a sender is verified, their first name, last name and ID are locked. That's the whole point of verifying them.
Their phone number and street address can still be changed, and the address stays verified.
Sender verification FAQ
Does the receiver need to be verified too?
No. Only the sender is checked.
Can my staff put their own name as sender for a customer's package?
Not with couriers that require a verified sender. The sender must be the actual package owner, and misrepresenting the sender can lead to account suspension.
Is the ₦390 added to my shipping cost?
No. It's a separate charge from your wallet, taken when the NIN is checked.
Do I pay again the next time I ship from the same address?
No. The saved address stays verified for future shipments.
Next time you book, add the sender's NIN on the Sender step. It’s fast, and it keeps every courier option open. And because the verification stays with the saved address, you won't pay for that sender again the next time you ship.
