Details about ShipStation's Parcelforce Worldwide integration. Includes requirements, connection process, features, and integration notes.
Parcelforce Worldwide is one of the UK's leading parcel delivery services. ShipStation's integration with Parcelforce Worldwide provides access to both domestic and international shipping services when you connect your existing business account.
Interested in a Parcelforce account? Visit Parcelforce's Enquire about an account page to get started.
Note
This article explains how to connect and use your existing Parcelforce Worldwide account with ShipStation. For details on ShipStation's included Parcelforce services, visit our Parcelforce from ShipStation help article.
Connection Requirements:
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An active account with Parcelforce Worldwide
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Parcelforce ExpressLink username, password, and contract number
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SFTP username and password (optional, but required for tracking within ShipStation)
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Department ID (optional: usually this is "1")
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You must generate sample labels with test credentials and have those sample labels approved by Parcelforce. Once approved, you can enter your production credentials to start creating real labels.
Shipment Requirements:
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All shipments through Parcelforce Worldwide must include both a first name and last name in the Ship To and Ship From addresses as well as a Ship To Phone Number.
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All shipments require both weight and dimensions.
Manifesting Requirements:
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End of Day forms are required for Parcelforce Worldwide shipments and must be printed. You can create your forms using ShipStation's End of Day process.
International Requirements:
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Three printed copies of the commercial invoice (provided for qualified international shipments) must be included with the shipment. Parcelforce will also return a CN23 form to ShipStation based on the shipment's customs information.
The first time you connect your Parcelforce Worldwide account to ShipStation, you must connect it as a test account and generate sample labels that Parcelforce must approve. Once approved, you'll remove the test account connection and reconnect your account as a live connection.
To connect your Parcelforce Worldwide account in test mode for sample labels:
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Select the Parcelforce Worldwide tile and click Connect.
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Enter your Parcelforce Worldwide ExpressLink Username, ExpressLink Password, Contract Number, and Department ID, and choose an Account Nickname to identify the carrier account in ShipStation. Then, click the checkbox for Test Account.
Note
No need to enter the SFTP Username or SFTP Password at this time.
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Click Connect.
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Create a pack of sample labels for each Parcelforce Worldwide shipping service your account is approved for (using the Parcelforce Worldwide test account). If you're unsure what services your account is approved for or need guidance on what should be included on the sample labels, please contact your Parcelforce Worldwide account representative.
Once Parcelforce Worldwide approves your sample pack, you can remove the test account and reconnect as a live account:
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Go back to
Settings > Shipping > Carriers > Your Carrier Accountsand click the Settings link for the Parcelforce Worldwide account. -
Click Remove Account.
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Click Add Carrier.
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Select the Parcelforce Worldwide tile and click Connect.
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Enter your Parcelforce Worldwide ExpressLink Username, ExpressLink Password, Contract Number, SFTP Username, SFTP Password, and Department ID, choose an Account Nickname to identify the carrier account in ShipStation.
SFTP Username and Password
The SFTP Username and SFTP Password are not required but are necessary for auto-tracking to function in ShipStation.
If you do not include the SFTP credentials, you can still create labels and track shipments through Parcelforce Worldwide directly.
However, ShipStation will not be able to auto-track the shipment and features like the Branded Tracking Page will not work as expected.
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Click Connect.
You can now create live Parcelforce Worldwide labels for your shipments.
ShipStation's integration with Parcelforce Worldwide supports the following standard features:
Parcelforce Worldwide Domestic Services:
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Express 9
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Express 9 Courier Pack
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Express 9 Secure
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Express 10
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Express 10 Courier Pack
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Express 10 Exchange
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Express 10 Secure
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Express 10 Secure Exchange
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Express 24
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Express 24 Courier Pack
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Express 24 Exchange
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Express 24 Large
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Express 24 Secure
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Express 24 Secure Exchange
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Express 24 Sunday
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Express 24 Collection
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Express 48
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Express 48 Collection
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Express 48 Large
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Express 48 Large Collection
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Express AM
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Express AM Courier Pack
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Express AM Exchange
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Express AM Large
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Express AM Secure
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Express AM Secure Exchange
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Express AM Secure (B2B)
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Express PM
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Express PM Exchange
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Express PM Secure
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Express PM Secure Exchange
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Express Collect
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Euro Priority Home (PO Boxes)
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Parcel Rider
Parcelforce Worldwide International Services:
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Euro Economy
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Euro Priority
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Euro Priority Pack
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GlobalBulk Direct
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Global Economy
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Globalexpress
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Globalexpress Envelope Delivery
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Globalexpress Pack Delivery
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Globalpriority
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Globalpriority Returns
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Globalvalue
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Ireland Express
Parcelforce Worldwide Package Types:
Confirmation Options:
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Adult Signature
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Delivery Confirmation
ShipStation's integration with Parcelforce Worldwide allows for the following additional features:
|
Feature |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Ship to Jersey (Channel Island) using the Euro Economy service |
You can now ship to Jersey (Channel Island) using the Euro Economy service from Parcelforce Worldwide. Jersey is technically a territory of the UK, so shipments to Jersey require Customs Forms according to Parcelforce’s documentation. |
|
Saturday Delivery |
When creating Parcelforce Worldwide shipping labels, enable this option to allow for package delivery on Saturdays. See Parcelforce Worldwide's page on Saturday Delivery for more information and restrictions. |
|
Drop-off Options |
After creating your shipping labels, arrange a pickup with Parcelforce Worldwide directly, or drop parcels off at a local Post Office Branch or Parcelforce Worldwide depot. |
|
Package Dimensions |
While international orders may need package dimensions, domestic orders do not. We recommend using package dimensions for all shipments. |
Shipments sent with Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide include carrier SMS and email notification shipping options. If enabled for the shipment, the phone number and/or email address on the order will be sent to the carrier when you create the label. The carrier will then send SMS or email notifications (whichever you have selected) to your customer as the shipment approaches its destination.
Please note that these notifications are not sent by ShipStation.
You can enable one or both of these notification options on a per shipment basis, for multiple shipments at once using the Bulk Update option, or automatically using an automation rule.
To enable these notification options for multiple shipments:
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Make sure the shipments have been configured with a Royal Mail or Parcelforce Worldwide service.
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Select the shipments from the Orders grid.
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Go to the Bulk Update menu and choose Other Shipping Options.
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Select which notification option to enable (you can choose to enable one or both).
ShipStation will update the notification options for all selected shipments.
When using automation to set the SMS or email notification options, the shipment must first have the carrier set correctly. If the shipment does not have the carrier set first, the notification options will not be present to enable for the shipment.
Since automation rules apply to orders when they import, this means you'll need to use additional automation to set the carrier and service first. You can use any import automation to do this, like Service Mapping or Product Defaults. Or, you can create another automation rule that sets the carrier and service prior to the rule that sets the notification.
To create a rule that enables the notification options:
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Name the rule.
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Select Orders match these specific criteria and choose Carrier from the first criteria drop-down menu. Then, set the criteria so it includes either Parcelforce or Royal Mail (or both if you use both carriers).
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Set the Action Type to Set Notifications (Royal Mail / Parcelforce) and check which notification options you wish to enable - SMS, Email, or both.
Your rule should look similar to this example:
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Save the rule.
Going forward, ShipStation will now automatically enable these notification options for orders that import into Awaiting Shipment when Parcelforce and/or Royal Mail is set as the carrier.
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ShipStation can display Parcelforce Worldwide rates for specific shipments but not via the Rate Calculator.
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All items with a length between 1.1m and 1.5m or with a second-largest dimension greater than 0.7m attract the manual handling surcharge of £2.95. See ParcelForce's Pricing and Surcharge page for more information.