Parcelforce is one of the UK's leading parcel delivery services. ShipStation API's integration with Parcelforce is available to UK-based ShipStation API accounts and provides access to both domestic and international shipping services when you connect your existing business account.
Interested in a Parcelforce account? Visit Parcelforce's Enquire about an account page to get started.
Connection Requirements:
-
UK-based ShipStation API account
-
An active account with Parcelforce via a Royal Mail Online Business Account (OBA)
-
A Royal Mail Account Number
-
A Posting Location number
Shipment Requirements:
-
All shipments through Parcelforce must include both a first name and last name in the Ship To and Ship From addresses as well as a Ship To Phone Number.
-
All shipments require both weight and dimensions.
-
You must generate sample labels with test credentials and have those sample labels approved by Parcelforce. Once approved, you can enter your production credentials to start creating real labels.
-
Daily sales order summaries.
Parcelforce requires you to create and print a Sales Order Summary, which you must then hand to the driver who picks up the parcels. You cannot close shipments with dispatch dates in the future, only past or current-date shipments.
You can generate your Sales Order Summary through the ShipEngine End of Day process. When you make your request to the /v1/manifests endpoint, the response will include a link to download the Sales Order Summary PDF.
International Requirements:
-
VAT and EORI numbers are required.
These are added in the Tax Identifiers Object when creating your international label.
-
Printed copies of the commercial invoice with required international shipments. Parcelforce provides the Commercial Invoice or CN23 form when required by the shipment.
The first time you connect your Parcelforce Worldwide account to ShipStation, you must connect it as a test account and generate sample labels that Parcelforce must approve. Once approved, you'll remove the test account connection and reconnect your account as a live connection.
To connect your Parcelforce Worldwide account in test mode for sample labels:
-
Click the Add Carrier button.
Select the Parcelforce tile and fill in the requested information to connect your Parcelforce carrier account to ShipStation API.
ShipStation API's integration with Parcelforce supports the following standard features:
|
Feature |
Supported? |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Domestic Return Labels must be enabled in your Parcelforce account. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
One label message of 30 characters or less is supported. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
ShipStation API's integration with Parcelforce allows for the following additional features:
|
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Consequential Loss |
Purchase Consequential Loss coverage to protect against loss, damage, or delay of the parcel. Compensation claims must be made through Royal Mail's Customer Service team within 14 days of posting. For more information on coverage for Consequential Loss, see the leaflet available at Post Office ® branches, or ask at the counter for Terms and Conditions applicable to Consequential Loss. |
|
Local Collect |
Designate that the recipient will pick up their parcel at a local postal facility. With this option, the Recipient address used for the parcel should match the local postal facility. See the Royal Mail page on Local Collect for more information and restrictions. |
|
Safeplace |
A shipping option that's available to add to Royal Mail tracked services. It designates that the parcel can be left in a safe location, and provide instructions for the delivery driver on where to leave the package. See the Royal Mail page on Safeplace for more information and restrictions. Safe Place is only available on Royal Mail tracked services and cannot be used in conjunction with services that require a signature. ShipStation can send a Safeplace message if specified in the Shipping Options. This field is limited to 30 characters. |
|
ShipStation API syncs with your active Royal Mail services |
Royal Mail offers a wide range of different services to dispatch your parcels. ShipStation will sync with your Royal Mail account daily so that only the active services for your Royal Mail account appear in ShipStation. NoteShipStation will only enable services if the services have been approved for your OBA account. If you need to enable or disable Royal Mail services, you must do so through your Royal Mail OBA account page. Contact your Royal Mail account representative if you have any questions about which services are available for your account. |
|
SMS and email notifications |
To enable SMS and email notifications, you must include phone and email address values in the corresponding fields in the request:
|
Parcelforce Domestic Services:
-
Express 9
-
Express 9 Courier Pack
-
Express 9 Secure
-
Express 10
-
Express 10 Courier Pack
-
Express 10 Exchange
-
Express 10 Secure
-
Express 10 Secure Exchange
-
Express 24
-
Express 24 Courier Pack
-
Express 24 Exchange
-
Express 24 Large
-
Express 24 Secure
-
Express 24 Secure Exchange
-
Express 24 Sunday
-
Express 24 Collection
-
Express 48
-
Express 48 Collection
-
Express 48 Large
-
Express 48 Large Collection
-
Express AM
-
Express AM Courier Pack
-
Express AM Exchange
-
Express AM Large
-
Express AM Secure
-
Express AM Secure Exchange
-
Express AM Sunday (B2B)
-
Express PM
-
Express PM Exchange
-
Express PM Secure
-
Express PM Secure Exchange
-
Express Collect
-
Euro Priority
-
Euro Priority Pack
-
Parcel Rider
Parcelforce International Services:
-
Euro Economy
-
Euro Priority
-
Euro Priority Pack
-
GlobalBulk Direct
-
Global Economy
-
Globalexpress
-
Globalexpress Envelope Delivery
-
Globalexpress Pack Delivery
-
Globalpriority
-
Globalpriority Returns
-
Globalpriority H M Forces
-
Globalvalue
-
Ireland Express
Parcelforce Package Types:
Confirmation Options:
-
Adult Signature
-
PIN on delivery
Starting 1st May 2025, Parcelforce will support B2B not at risk, B2B at risk, B2C, C2B, and C2C movement types for shipping from Great Britain (GB) to Northern Ireland (NI), aligning with the Windsor Framework .
Parcelforce adjusted their shipping solution (EDI and API) to support sending parcels to Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
API Users: While not required to create a label successfully, you can declare the movement_indicator in the windsor_framework_details object. If you know the shipper and recipient UKIMS numbers, you should declare them in the tax_identifiers object in both the ship_to and ship_from objects.
See the Gov.UK Guidance page about Declaring goods you bring into Northern Ireland 'not at risk’.
Windsor Framework Parameters
|
Parameter |
Required by the carrier |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Movement Indicator |
|
B2B, B2C, C2B, or C2C If no movement indicator is provided, the default is B2C. |
|
Not-at-Risk flag |
|
Parcelforce will declare the shipment to be At Risk or Not At Risk. The carrier will choose Red or Green lane based on the provided values.
|
|
Sender UKIMS Number |
|
Required only for B2B. It can be the UKIMS number of either the Sender or Recipient. |
|
Receiver UKIMS Number |
|
Required only for B2B. It can be the UKIMS number of either the Sender or Recipient. |
Data Expectations
|
Movement Indicator |
Requirements |
|---|---|
|
B2B parcels with UKIMS authorization |
|
|
B2B parcels without UKIMS authorization |
|
|
B2C/C2C/C2B parcels |
|
-
Parcel Contents Record: One or more Parcel Contents Records must be present for each Generic Parcel Information Record for International shipments to ALL destinations for Customs clearance, and for GB to NI shipments for Windsor Framework declarations. One record should be present for each type of content within each parcel (International shipments) or consignment (GB – NI Windsor Framework shipments). This record type is not applicable to GB Domestic, NI-to-GB, or NI-to-NI shipments.
-
By default, Parcelforce/Royal Mail shipments do not have a confirmation type selected.
-
Channel Islands: Parcelforce/Royal Mail requires customs docs for shipments to Guernsey and Jersey. Please use the country code GE and JE, respectively, and include the customs docs with the label. The shipment's customs docs will not work with GB as the country code.
Isle of Man (IOM) shipments do not require customs, and there is no option to select IOM as a country code.
-
ShipStation API cannot return estimated rates for Parcelforce/Royal Mail services, as Parcelforce/Royal Mail does not currently allow third-party apps, like ShipStation API, to connect to their Rates API.
-
Address line has a character limit of 35.
-
Only Label Message 1 is supported. It has a character limit of 20.
-
You must set pickups (daily and other schedules) within Parcelforce/Royal Mail, not in ShipStation API.
-
Parcelforce/Royal Mail's connection pop-up does not validate your input. If you enter incorrect details into the fields, Parcelforce/Royal Mail will contact ShipStation API during the “pending” phase. If this occurs, ShipStation API will then contact you so you can re-enter and resubmit it to Parcelforce/Royal Mail.
