Digital postage innovator Stamp Free has launched a new consumer parcel shipping service that enables deliveries to be booked via WhatsApp.
AppFree provides a convenient way for consumers to interact with parcel shipping and returns services for any carrier, without the need for a delivery firm’s dedicated app.
Although carrier and retailer apps have been developed to offer greater convenience, a survey by mobile product consultancy Heady.io revealed that almost 80% of consumers abandon their transactions due to the requirement to install a brand’s app.
Research carried out by Stamp Free also discovered that 55% of UK consumers find the current methods of sending online returns frustrating, with 50% saying they would be put off using a retailer or carrier if they were required to download an app. Over 84% would use a returns platform delivered through WhatsApp, increasing to 88% for parcel shipping.
This antipathy toward downloading apps led Stamp Free to develop the AppFree platform, which eliminates the need for dealing with multiple apps and websites. Customers can now manage all their parcels and returns from any retailer and carrier and receive tracking updates through a single WhatsApp-enabled product.
Built on Stamp Free’s AI-based intelligent character recognition system, AppFree can be used with Stamp Free’s proprietary label-free postage offering or integrated with the existing label- or QR-based parcel sending and return systems used by any of the selected carriers and retailers.
“This innovative AppFree platform, harnessing our technology but delivered through WhatsApp, marks a pivotal moment in consumer convenience,” said Tim Higginbotham, chief information officer at Stamp Free. “By fusing convenience, speed and simplicity with the power of AI technology, we have reimagined the customer journey, delivering a service that meets the evolving needs of individuals, retailers and carriers alike.”
Alan Barrie, chair of Stamp Free, added, “Managing parcels and returns via AppFree powered by Stamp Free’s technology and WhatsApp is giving an alternative, convenient and more sustainable choice to consumers and supports the continuing investment in the first mile. Sending parcels can really be as easy as sending a text.”
This article originally appeared in the September 2023 issue of Parcel and Postal Technology International. To view the magazine in full, click here