Delivered at Place (DAP) is an Incoterm where the seller delivers the goods to a named destination, ready for unloading, and carries all risk and cost of transport up to that point. The buyer takes over from there, handling import customs clearance, duties, and taxes, plus unloading. In short, the seller gets the goods to the buyer’s door but does not clear them for import.
How it works
Under DAP, the seller arranges and pays for carriage to the agreed place, which could be a warehouse, port, or the buyer’s premises. Risk transfers to the buyer only when the goods arrive at that named place and are available for unloading. If anything happens in transit, it is the seller’s problem. The named destination should always be as specific as possible, for example “DAP 45 Industrial Road, Buyer’s Warehouse Dock B” rather than just a city.
DAP vs DDP
The key difference is who handles import formalities. Under DAP, the buyer pays import duties and taxes and manages clearance. Under DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), the seller does all of that. Sellers often prefer DAP because clearing customs in a foreign country, and being on the hook for unpredictable duties, adds risk they cannot easily control.
Why it matters for B2B quoting
For a Shopify merchant selling to business buyers abroad, the Incoterm changes the true landed cost, so it belongs on the quote, not buried in a follow-up email. If your quote says DAP, the buyer knows to budget separately for duties and import clearance. Spelling this out avoids disputes and makes your total look accurate rather than misleadingly low.
When you build a quote, state the Incoterm and the named place directly on the line items or notes so both sides agree on who pays what. See related terms in the B2B quoting glossary.
Example
A US manufacturer quotes a German distributor DAP Hamburg warehouse. The seller pays freight to Hamburg and owns the risk until the truck arrives. The German buyer then clears the goods through EU customs and pays the import VAT and any duties.