Sometimes there's just not enough time in a day to make the trip out to post a parcel. Or sometimes it's just not worth the neighbours seeing your dodgy home-hair-dye results. Either way, for you to ship a parcel from home you barely have to lift a finger. All you'll need to do is gather a few bits and bobs to get your parcel ready for the journey and send it out the door like it's going off to uni!
At Interparcel we want to cater for all kinds of senders, so our wide range of services cover all of our customers shipping needs! We even offer contact-free collection and delivery services which means the courier will collect your parcel right from your doorstep and deliver without a signature instead they'll take you name and sign on your behalf! We offer these services so our customers can stay comfortable while sending parcels from home, so let's get into how you can do just that.
Things you'll need to send a package from home:
- Packaging material
- Packing tape
- Measuring tools
- One of Interparcel's quality services
- Free parcel labels
Step 1. Packaging material
You'll definitely need something to put your items in. This could be a cardboard box or a jiffy bag – there are lots of options out there these days. If this is a one-off parcel, maybe it's a care package to a loved one, an old cardboard box that snugly fits the size of your items is perfect. Just make sure whatever material you use when sending a parcel from home is strong enough to sustain a little bump or tumble as it gets placed on a conveyor belt at the depots.
If you're a regular sender as you run a small business remotely, you could consider more sustainable materials. These could be 100% recycled cardboard boxes, bio-based plastic shipping bags, or more unconventional materials like mushroom packaging. It's worth a second thought as customers and mother nature herself appreciate eco-conscious brands.
If you're struggling to find materials to pad out the inside of your parcel for protection, there's lots of stuff at you can use for sending deliveries from home that can do the job! Why not try shredding or tearing strips of old letters and documents you don't need – kill two birds with one stone and clear that filing cabinet. Or if you've got a packet of popcorn lying around, simply pop it in the microwave to pop the kernels and use it as home-style packing peanuts!
Step 2. Packing tape
Securing your items inside the box is a must. Packing tape and parcels are not mutually exclusive, so if you have any kind of strong tape around the house or in the garage this will work. However, make sure the tape you use to enclose your parcel is weather-proof so that in the event of wet conditions it won't become lax and useless.
Our general tip is the more tape, the stronger the parcel will be, so be generous. This can also be extra helpful when packaging irregular shaped or niche items so that the cardboard is reinforced and more equipped to support it's weight. But, make sure you don't tape over any barcode labels so the courier and depots are able to scan your parcel on its way!
Step 3. Measuring tools
This entails a measuring tape/ruler and a weighing scale. This part is very important as it will help us determine what home parcel collection services will be best for you. We need you to measure the dimensions (length, width, height) in centimeters and the weight in kg. If these measurements are wrong you might end up with a pricier shipping bill, so make sure they're accurate! Plus, when you get these bang on, you can access the most appropriate service with couriers that specialise in your type of parcel – so you'll be getting the best shipping service.
Step 4. Select a shipping service
Now you've got all the details, you'll need to pop them into our quote tool to have a look at all of our services and prices. There are lots to choose from – if you need to ship a parcel quickly from your doorstep, services like DPD Local and UPS can collect so you can send a parcel from your doorstep the same day. Or if it's not as urgent DX Economy is perfect as you can arrange collection for the day after.
Just pop in a collection time – you'll have to enter an earliest and latest time so the courier driver has a little leeway to get to you in time, and you're ready to go.
Apart from Collect who specialise in parcel collection and delivery from local convenience points, we have couriers that collect contact-free from your doorstep or collection services from allocated drop off locations. Even if you need to send a heavy item abroad couriers like Tuffnell's can collect and lift these items for you! Door to door international deliveries work just the same as shipments within the UK so by using our couriers for parcels bound for any destination can reduce your postage costs
Step 5. Get the right labels
Address Labels
When booking with us at Interparcel we provide you with address labels that enable the drivers and the depots to scan and process your parcels on route. These barcodes also allow you to receive tracking updates along the way so you can keep your recipients in the know.
If you're looking to send a parcel within the UK and don't have a printer to print labels, that's not a problem at all. DX, Parcelforce, CitySprint, and Tuffnell's all offer great services that don't require any labels printed or attached to the parcel. With their wide range of express and economy parcel collection and delivery services for all kinds of parcels, you can send just about anything throughout the UK.
Make sure when sending any package that you are clearly displaying the recipient's address and a return address on the outside of the package to avoid it being misread or illegible! So if you're using a door-to-door courier collection service that doesn't require a printed label make sure it's handwritten in clear legible text!
Customs Invoices
When using our courier collection services, we provide our customers with all the right labels and documents you need free of charge, its not as complicated as it seems! If you're sending it to a country outside the EU we'll make sure you have the right customs invoices.
These documents will need to be printed so make sure you have access to one before booking. You'll need to fill these in very carefully and clearly state the reason for sending, what it's used for, it's country of origin and its total value. This will make sure that your package is not held at customs or sent back to you which could incur additional fees. You'll have to print three copies of these and attach them to the outside of your package in a clear plastic bag.
Step 6. Then you wait
After you've done all of the above, you'll just have to sit back and relax while you wait for the courier to come and collect your parcel from your doorstep. You can use this extra time to reply to those unread emails, get the hoovering done or even do a bit of gardening!
After it's been collected, you can track your parcel through us to keep your recipient up to date with the whereabouts of their parcel or any delays it might face. We do this by issuing our customers with a unique tracking code which you can pop into our tracking tool. This feature is very useful in keeping your recipient(s) up to date with the status of their order so they can make sure to be in to accept it! Plus you can pass this tracking code to your recipients themselves so they can keep an eye on their parcels to save you time!
Interparcel is here to help you find services that suit every occasion or need. Our services provide thousands of people with discounted door to door shipping services that span internationally or just to the next village. We aim to give our customers choice and that why our wide range of couriers and services ensure you're getting the cheapest door to door courier service out there.
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