Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation is a shipping carrier included with UK-based ShipStation accounts. Parcelforce Royal Mail provides domestic and international shipping services for parcels originating in the UK. Domestic services include England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, the Scottish Highlands, Islands, and Scilly Isles. International services include all European countries.
Parcelforce Worldwide Connection Migration
ShipStation's integration with Parcelforce has moved over to their new API services. Beginning January 21th, 2026 this updated integration will support their 'Building the Future' initiative and merchants who only use Parcelforce services.
If you ship with both Royal Mail and Parcelforce please see the Royal Mail from ShipStation guide.
To start creating labels for Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation, simply add your preferred payment method to ShipStation!
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A UK-based ShipStation account
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Activate ShipStation Carriers by adding your payment method.
You'll be prompted to enter your payment method the first time you attempt to create a label with any ShipStation Carrier, or you can add in advance in either your Carrier settings or Payments & Subscription settings.
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Add funds to your ShipStation Balance.
All ShipStation Carrier labels are purchased using the funds in your ShipStation Balance. The first time you add your payment method, you'll be prompted to add funds so you can begin purchasing labels right away.
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Weight and dimensions are required for all Parcelforce Royal Mail shipments.
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All Parcelforce Royal Mail shipments must include a Ship To and Ship From Phone Number.
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Parcelforce Royal Mail requires both a first name and last name in the Ship To and Ship From addresses.
To activate ShipStation Carriers, you must add your label payment method and agree to the carriers' Terms of Service. Once activated, you'll have access to all the carriers available for your account's country.
To activate ShipStation Carriers:
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Click the Get Started button.
Available carriers will vary by account country.
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Follow the on-screen instructions to enter your billing details, agree to the terms and conditions, and finish the setup.
Once completed, you can add funds to your ShipStation Carriers Balance and create labels with ShipStation Carriers.
Enable Auto-Funding For a Seamless Experience
We recommend enabling auto-funding to ensure your balance always has the funds for your label purchase needs.
ShipStation will sometimes add new carriers to the ShipStation Carriers roster! If you have already activated ShipStation Carriers and would like to start using the new carrier's services, go to Settings > Shipping > Carriers and click the Update button.
Agree to the new carrier's terms, and you're done! Once enabled, you can immediately start creating labels with the new carrier.
Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation supports the following standard features:
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Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation allows for the following additional features:
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Feature |
Description |
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Return Labels |
Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation supports the creation of domestic return labels using either the Express 24 or Express 48 services. Your customers will then need to drop these packages off at a local post office to be returned. |
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SMS and email notifications |
To enable SMS and email notifications, check the corresponding boxes under Other Shipping Options: |
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Parcelforce Collection services |
Parcelforce may charge for rescheduled pickups.If you are not available during a scheduled collection time, Parcelforce reserves the right to charge for the collection that was supposed to happen. |
Parcelforce Royal Mail Domestic Services
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Express AM
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Express10
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Express 24
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Express 48
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Express 48 Large
Parcelforce Royal Mail International Services
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Global Priority Europe
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Global Priority ROW
Parcelforce Royal Mail Package Types
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Package
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Custom Packages
Parcelforce Royal Mail Confirmation Options
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No Confirmation
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
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Required by the carrier |
Description |
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Movement Indicator |
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B2B, B2C, C2B, or C2C If no movement indicator is provided, the default is B2C. |
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Not-at-Risk flag |
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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.
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Sender UKIMS Number |
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Required only for B2B. It can be the UKIMS number of either the Sender or Recipient. |
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Receiver UKIMS Number |
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Required only for B2B. It can be the UKIMS number of either the Sender or Recipient. |
Data Expectations
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Movement Indicator |
Requirements |
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B2B parcels with UKIMS authorization |
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B2B parcels without UKIMS authorization |
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B2C/C2C/C2B parcels |
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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.
Common Post-Shipping Adjustments by Carrier
See the Common Adjustments by Carrier section of the ShipStation ShipStation Carrier Adjustments page for carrier-specific, post-shipping adjustments.
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Custom label messages and branding are not available for Parcelforce Royal Mail shipping labels. The Order Number will be printed on the label in the Sender Reference field.
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Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation supports both printing at home and the Bring My Label program where merchants can request the label be provided at the point of collection.
Should any of your Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation become lost or damaged in transit, you can file a claim within 80 days of the shipment date.
Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation offers standard carrier insurance amounts for lost or damaged packages. Coverage for domestic services is £150, and for international services it is £100.
ShipStation manages all missing or damaged goods claims for shipments sent with Parcelforce Royal Mail from ShipStation. Do not contact Royal Mail support to file a claim.
How to File a Claim
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Submit a ticket to ShipStation Support with the following information:
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Lost Package Claim: Tracking Number for the lost shipment.
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Damaged Package Claim: Pictures of damage to the package and evidence for proof of value for the item(s) that were damaged in transit.
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Certain courier-imposed fees may be assessed after you create a label and dispatch the parcel.
These fees include, but are not limited to:
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Excess weight surcharges
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Out-of-area surcharges
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Courier pick-up surcharges
These fees are assessed by the courier and reported back to ShipStation. Once ShipStation has received notification of these charges, they will be deducted from your ShipStation balance.