Use local collect shipment service

Local collect is a convenient delivery service through which customers can have their parcels sent to a nearby post office or a designated collection point instead of their home address. Recipients can choose their preferred location for collection, making it easier to pick up packages at their convenience.

With the Royal Mail’s click and collect scheme, many of the UK’s leading small and medium size enterprises can offer their customers the option to collect purchases from a post office branch.

Royal Mail utilises the Local Collect API service to implement and manage this delivery option within its shipping framework. Through the API function, the following functions can be facilitated:

Collection point lookup: enables customers to search for nearby collection points to select the most convenient location for their delivery.
Parcel tracking: provides updates on the status of the parcel and notifications when it is ready for collection.
Integrations: allows businesses to offer the Local Collect service at the point of sale, so that the customers can retrieve an up-to-date list of Post Offices and Royal Mail customer service points, where the item can be held awaiting collection, thereby enhancing the overall customer experience and streamlining the shipping process.

In SAPIENT, the local collect shipments can be created using the Royal Mail Create Shipment API.

To make the LocalCollect shipment request, it is necessary to provide the following information:

The destination's CompanyName value must be set to either c/o [Location] Post Office or c/o [Location] Enquiry Office.
The ServiceEnhancements code—LocalCollect must be used.
The Email or SMS notification service enhancements must be used by providing the destination's ContactPhone or ContactEmail information, so the end consumer can be notified when their item is ready to be collected from the post office.