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Parcelforce Worldwide

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ShipStation Content Team

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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.

ShipStation offers two ways to connect to Parcelforce Worldwide: with our discounted rates in the pay-as-you-go ShipStation Carrier Services, or by connecting your existing business account.

Interested in a Parcelforce account? Visit Parcelforce's Enquire about an account page to get started.

Note

This page explains how to connect and use an existing Parcelforce Worldwide account to ShipStation. Learn about the pay-as-you-go option on our ShipStation Carrier Services page.

Parcelforce Worldwide Requirements

Connection Requirements:

  • An active account with Parcelforce Worldwide

  • Parcelforce ExpressLink Username, Password, and Contract Number

  • SFTP Username and Password (OPTIONAL, but required for tracking within ShipStation)

  • Department ID (OPTIONAL: usually this is "1")

  • You must generate sample labels with test credentials and have those sample labels approved by Parcelforce. Once approved, you'll be able to enter your production credentials to start creating real labels.

Manifesting Requirements:

  • End of Day forms are required for Parcelforce Worldwide shipments and must be printed. You can create your forms through ShipStation's End of Day process.

International Requirements:

  • Parcelforce returns a CN23 form to ShipStation based on the shipment's customs information.

  • ShipStation will provide a commercial invoice from Parcelforce when required. Print three of these and include them with the shipment.

Connect a Parcelforce Worldwide Account to ShipStation

To connect your Parcelforce Worldwide account to ShipStation:

  1. Go to Account Settings.

    Closeup of ShipStation toolbar with outline marking the Settings icon.

  2. Select Shipping, then choose Carriers from the sidebar.

    Settings sidebar with Shipping section open and Carriers section highlighted.

  3. Go to the Your Carrier Accounts tab, then click Add Carrier.

    Carriers Settings, Your Carrier Accounts tab. Arrow points to Add Carrier link.

  4. Select the Parcelforce Worldwide tile and click Connect.

    Parcel Force logo on tile with button that reads, "Connect".

  5. 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, and click the checkbox next to Test Account.

    Note

    No need to enter the SFTP Username or SFTP Password at this time.

  6. Click Connect.

  7. Using the Parcelforce Worldwide test account, create a pack of sample labels using each Parcelforce Worldwide shipping service your account is approved for. 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.

  8. Once Parcelforce Worldwide approves your sample pack, go back to Settings > Shipping > Carriers & Fulfilment, and click the Settings link for the Parcelforce Worldwide account.

  9. Click Remove Account.

  10. Go to the Your Carrier Accounts tab, then click Add Carrier.

    Carriers Settings, Your Carrier Accounts tab. Arrow points to Add Carrier link.

  11. Select the Parcelforce Worldwide tile and click Connect.

    Parcel Force logo on tile with button that reads, "Connect".

  12. 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'll still be able to 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.

  13. Click Connect.

Available Features for Parcelforce Worldwide Integration

ShipStation's integration with Parcelforce Worldwide supports the following standard features:

Key: Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes. = Supported; Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No. = Not Supported; Grey dash icon. Not applicable. = Does Not Apply

Common ShipStation Features

Feature

Supported?

Domestic Shipping

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

International Shipping

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Electronic Customs Submission

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Return Labels

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Estimated Rates

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Carrier Insurance

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Tracking

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

End of Day (Electronic)

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

End of Day (PDF)

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Label Branding

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Label Messages

Red X mark. Unsupported feature. No.

Multi-package Shipping

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Multiple Accounts

Green checkmark. Supported feature. Yes.

Parcelforce Worldwide Available Services

Parcelforce Worldwide Domestic Services:

  • Express 9

  • Express 9 Courier Pack

  • Express 9 Secure

  • Express 10

  • Express 10 Courier Pack

  • Express 10 Exchange

  • Express 10 Secure

  • Express 10 Secure Exchange

  • Express 24

  • Express 24 Courier Pack

  • Express 24 Exchange

  • Express 24 Large

  • Express 24 Secure

  • Express 24 Secure Exchange

  • Express 24 Sunday

  • Express 48

  • Express 48 Large

  • Express AM

  • Express AM Courier Pack

  • Express AM Exchange

  • Express AM Large

  • Express AM Secure

  • Express AM Secure Exchange

  • Express AM Secure (B2B)

  • Express PM

  • Express PM Exchange

  • Express PM Secure

  • Express PM Secure Exchange

  • Express Collect

  • Euro Priority Home (PO Boxes)

  • Parcel Rider

Parcelforce Worldwide International Services:

  • Euro Economy

  • Euro Priority

  • Euro Priority Pack

  • GlobalBulk Direct

  • Global Economy

  • Globalexpress

  • Globalexpress Envelope Delivery

  • Globalexpress Pack Delivery

  • Globalpriority

  • Globalpriority Returns

  • Globalvalue

  • Ireland Express

Parcelforce Worldwide Package Types:

  • Package

  • Custom Packages

Confirmation Options:

  • Adult Signature

  • Delivery Confirmation

Additional Features for Parcelforce Worldwide

ShipStation's integration with Parcelforce Worldwide allows for the following additional features:

Feature

Description

SMS and email notification options

You can indicate in ShipStation if the courier should send an SMS or email shipment notification to yourself or your customer.

Royal Mail Shipment option with the notification options for Email and SMS checked.

The fields will populate automatically if the email and phone number are imported with the order. If they were not, you must enter the phone or email address into the provided fields manually. This will send the details to the courier when you create the label. The courier will use the information to send the notifications. Notifications are not sent by ShipStation.

You can add SMS and email notifications to multiple orders at a time. Select your orders, then choose Other Shipping Options from the Bulk Update menu. Select the Notification options you wish to update. ShipStation will update the options for all selected orders.

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.

Manual Handling Surcharge

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.

Other Available Options

For a comprehensive list of other shipping options and which carriers support them, please review our Available Shipping Options by Carrier article.

The Available Shipping Options by Carrier article lists all the shipping options available when using ShipStation. However, your carrier may offer shipping options that ShipStation does not include. If an option is not included in this list, that means the option is not supported in ShipStation.

The carrier can be used to create domestic shipping labels.

The carrier can be used to create international shipping labels.

ShipStation will submit international customs declarations electronically to the carrier.

The carrier can be used to create domestic return labels.

ShipStation will display estimated shipping rates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.

Shipment insurance, provided by the shipment's selected carrier, can be added to the shipment in ShipStation. This insurance would be in addition to any default coverage already provided by that carrier.

Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.

ShipStation will manifest the day's shipments for the carrier and submit the manifest electronically. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. A printable file may or may not be available when submitted electronically - see End of Day (PDF).

ShipStation can manifest the day's shipments for the carrier and create an End of Day PDF that you can print and provide to the carrier. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. The file may or may not be submitted electronically - see End of Day (Electronic).

ShipStation can print the store's logo on shipping labels created for this carrier. Label branding may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

ShipStation can print information on the label as a label message (configure in Label Document Options). The carrier may or may not support all 3 label message fields and label messages may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

This carrier can be used to create multi-package shipments, where multiple labels are created for a single shipment and the individual packages are linked together in a single shipment record with a master tracking number.

You can connect this carrier to ShipStation multiple times using different accounts and choose which account will be used to create each shipment.

Additional Details for the Parcelforce Worldwide Integration

  • ShipStation can display Parcelforce Worldwide rates for specific shipments but not via the Rate Calculator.

  • All shipments through Parcelforce Worldwide must include a Ship To Phone Number.

  • Parcelforce Worldwide requires both a first name and last name in the Ship To and Ship From addresses.

  • Weight and dimensions are required for all shipments.

The carrier can be used to create domestic shipping labels.

The carrier can be used to create international shipping labels.

ShipStation will submit international customs declarations electronically to the carrier.

The carrier can be used to create domestic return labels.

ShipStation will display estimated shipping rates for the carrier based on the connected account information and shipment details.

Shipment insurance, provided by the shipment's selected carrier, can be added to the shipment in ShipStation. This insurance would be in addition to any default coverage already provided by that carrier.

Shipping labels created for this carrier will include a tracking number that can be used to view the shipment status on the carrier's tracking website. Tracking may not be available for all shipping services.

ShipStation will manifest the day's shipments for the carrier and submit the manifest electronically. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. A printable file may or may not be available when submitted electronically - see End of Day (PDF).

ShipStation can manifest the day's shipments for the carrier and create an End of Day PDF that you can print and provide to the carrier. The End of Day process may be mandatory or optional, based on the carrier and your account with them. The file may or may not be submitted electronically - see End of Day (Electronic).

ShipStation can print the store's logo on shipping labels created for this carrier. Label branding may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

ShipStation can print information on the label as a label message (configure in Label Document Options). The carrier may or may not support all 3 label message fields and label messages may not be available for all services supported by this carrier.

This carrier can be used to create multi-package shipments, where multiple labels are created for a single shipment and the individual packages are linked together in a single shipment record with a master tracking number.

You can connect this carrier to ShipStation multiple times using different accounts and choose which account will be used to create each shipment.

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