GCOS is designed to support a Courier service that consists of an Exporting Agent, the Carrier (, and an Importing Agent acting as a Customs Broker. A courier service is a ‘one stop shop’ for you to import goods you buy over the internet. You purchase an item and inform the Courier. The Courier provides shipping instructions, which you use to inform Supplier, the rest is managed by GCOS.
- The primary advantage to a Courier using GCOS , is the speed in which goods can be cleared by Bahamas Customs and made available to the purchaser. This is possible because the local Courier can prepare most of the information required by Bahamas Customs before the items physically arrive in the Bahamas.
The following features are supported within GCOS:
For the Forwarding Agent
- Packages can be received or picked up from Suppliers with the information recorded in GCOS.
- Packages are weighed, measured, and labelled.
- Packages are assigned to locations in warehouse.
- Packages are given routing instructions based on the consignee’s instructions to Courier. (e.g. Urgent by air, consolidate with other packages, ship by sea, etc.).
- Supplier’s invoices can be received as pdf documents and attached to the package information.
- A supplementary manifest can be created, and packages assigned to them as consolidated or individual shipments.
- Supplementary manifest can be forwarded to Shipping Agent.
- GCOS provides management of all charges for services performed by Forwarding Agent and shipping.
- All information managed by Forwarding Agent is available to the Importing Agent.
For the Importing Agent.
- GCOS allows you to maintain the information required by Bahamas Customs for clients importing goods. Clients using the Courier are expected to be registered with the Customs BESW system.
- Using the information captured by Forwarding Agent, GCOS supports all the requirements for importing goods into the Bahamas. You can classify items showing on Supplier’s invoices and prepare and send Customs Declarations electronically to Customs BESW system.
- GCOS allows you to send an email to the client informing of progress in their incoming package(s) and charges they will incur before package(s) can be released for pickup or delivery.
- GCOS supports delivery to client.
- GCOS supports all the accounting required and is VAT compliant.