Overview
Royal Mail v3 is an established brand with more than 500 years of history, from its beginning as a postal service exclusively for the King and his Court to the international delivery service it is today.
This article provides support information for Royal Mail v3 shipping through EasyPost, including shipment options, usage details, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Standalone Tracking
Standalone tracking refers to tracking shipments not created through EasyPost but registered with EasyPost for tracking updates.
Standalone tracking is available for customers who require tracking without label creation.
- A standard per-tracker fee of $0.02 USD applies. Speak with a CSM to discuss having this feature enabled.
- Standalone tracking only returns events that occur after the tracker is created. Historical events prior to tracker creation are not included.
Returns and QR Codes
Domestic return shipments are supported through the following service levels:
TrackedReturns24TrackedReturns48
QR code returns can be generated through the /forms endpoint by setting the form_type to label_qr_code.
QR codes are available only for Royal Mail Tracked Return Services.
Shipment Options
EasyPost supports the following shipment options for Royal Mail v3. These options can be passed in the shipment.options object when creating a shipment:
| Option | Description |
carrier_insurance_amount |
Requests compensation coverage. Available tiers up to £750, £1000, or £2500. Applies to Special Delivery products. |
delivery_confirmation |
Values: SIGNATURE,NO_SIGNATURE, ADULT_SIGNATURE, CHECK_ID. Defaults to NO_SIGNATURE. |
carrier_notification_sms |
Sends SMS updates to recipients for eligible tracked services. |
carrier_notification_email |
Sends email updates to recipients for eligible tracked services. |
holding_instructions |
Adds “safeplace” delivery details to nominated neighbor information. |
hold_for_pickup |
Requests Local Collect. |
category_code |
Required for shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework. Accepts integer values 1-9. |
Drop-off Requirements
Drop-off locations vary depending on the service selected:
- Most business account shipments can be dropped off at a Post Office.
- Tracked 24/48 services must be dropped off at a Royal Mail Customer Service Point or collected directly by Royal Mail. Tracked 24/48 shipments cannot be dropped off at a Post Office.
Windsor Framework
The Windsor Framework is an agreement between the UK and the EU that modifies the Northern Ireland Protocol, which governs trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. More information about this is available in our Blog Post: How the Windsor Framework Impacts Your Shipments to Northern Ireland.
At EasyPost, the Business Transaction Type (the commercial transaction type of the shipment) can be one of the following:
| Term | Description |
| B2C | Business to Consumer |
| B2B | Business to Business |
| C2B | Consumer to Business (e.g., Returns shipment) |
The specific type is determined from the Address Object's Residential Field and the is_return flag as follows:
| from_address.residential | to_address.residential | is_return | Transaction Type |
true |
false |
false |
C2B |
true |
true |
false |
B2C |
false |
false |
false |
B2B |
false |
true |
false |
B2C |
false |
false |
true |
B2B |
false |
true |
true |
C2B |
true |
false |
true |
B2C |
true |
true |
true |
B2C |
Note: Leaving the residential field null evaluates to false.
Troubleshooting
| Error Message | Description / Resolution |
| Item Weight is required for dutiable shipments | Each customs item must include a weight of at least 1 gram. |
| A service contract does not exist for the given service | The Royal Mail account lacks an active contract for the selected service. |
| Example error routing not found for requested data | Internal mapping or routing issue. Contact EasyPost Support for assistance. |
Limitations
- Pickups are not supported through the EasyPost API.
- Manifested shipments cannot be refunded.
- Trackers created after delivery will not receive prior tracking events.
- Local Collect (
hold_for_pickup) is partially supported.
FAQs
Q: How does a Parcelforce customer access services through Royal Mail?
Parcelforce services are now provided through Royal Mail v3. Customers with an existing Royal Mail account will typically see Parcelforce services listed under that account.
In some cases, Royal Mail may configure Parcelforce services under a new OBA account. If that occurs, the new OBA account must be added separately as a Royal Mail v3 carrier account in EasyPost.
Q: Why am I seeing $0.01 rates?
A $0.01 rate indicates that a valid rate card has not yet been uploaded for the Royal Mail v3 account. Once a rate card is received from Royal Mail, users should contact support@easypost.com for assistance in installing the rate card into the account.
Also, not all services may be negotiated with Royal Mail. Any service that has not been added to a customer's rate card will return a $0.01 rate, and the standard rate will be invoiced to the customer.
Q: On an international shipment, I’m receiving two labels. How do I manage them?
The standard procedure for Royal Mail partner labels is to adhere only the Royal Mail (primary/originating) label to the outside of the package.
The partner label (secondary) goes in the shipment pouch or with the accompanying documentation/manifest, not adhered to the package. The partner carrier applies its label during handover for last-mile delivery.
This avoids scanning conflicts and ensures proper logistics flow. Both labels are generated via SAPIENT for tracking, but physical handling prioritizes the originating label externally.