Royal Mail launch new service in ‘biggest changes to daily delivery since launch of the post box’

Royal Mail have launched a parcel collection service which will see parcels and mail collected from people’s homes reports the BBC.

This comes as there has been an increase in online shopping – especially throughout the pandemic – and as Royal Mail are set to make a loss this year.

Royal Mail said the new service is ‘one of the biggest changes to the daily delivery since the launch of the post box in 1852’ and they will join the likes of DPD, Hermes and DHL who already offer this service.

The service is now available after being trialled in parts of the west of England and will be on offer every day except Sunday for a charge of 72p per parcel plus the cost of postage, with pre-paid packages also being able to be collected for 60p per item.

So how does it work?

This ‘Parcel Collect’ service is Royal Mail’s solution to those customers who didn’t want to wait in queues at the post office.

It will operate six days a week and customers will be able to send a maximum of five parcels at a time.

You need to book in advance for the service which you can either do via the website here or through Royal Mail’s app and bookings can be made five days in advance up to midnight the day before collection.

It costs 72p per parcel plus postage costs and customers will need to pay for the service online as well as print their own labels.