Customers sending small parcels via 115,000 postboxes in the UK can now receive a proof of posting receipt thanks to the launch of a new service by Royal Mail.
Using the Royal Mail app, customers can select ‘proof of posting’ and, through GPS and the customer’s phone location services, the postbox they are at will appear. They then scan their barcoded label, select ‘post now’ and will receive their proof of posting confirmation message.
According to Royal Mail, the new service enhancement has been launched as a growing number of customers are sending smaller parcels and packets due to the popularity of selling clothes on second-hand fashion marketplaces.
A large proportion of parcels sent by Royal Mail customers fit in a postbox, making it a convenient option for those who have paid for postage online and printed a label, or who have a preprinted return label.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said, “It is really important for customers to be able to prove when and where they posted their items, as well as having convenient drop-off locations. This new service ticks both boxes.
“We are seeing more and more customers using secondhand marketplaces to sell clothing and these items are likely to fit in a postbox. With the convenience of a UK-wide network of 115,000 postboxes located within half a mile of 98% of addresses, customers don’t need to go out of their way to drop off their parcel.”
Royal Mail is expanding its number of parcel points to meet growing demand as people send and receive more parcels. In December, the company announced it was launching its own locker network, in addition to giving customers access to around 1,200 lockers and 6,500 Collect+ points at convenience stores in the last year.