Buy a label

Steps

1. Open My labels and select Buy Label. Or, on the Dashboard, pick the service, size and weight under Send a parcel, enter the Deliver to postcode and the Parcels, and select Buy Label: the parcel shows as one line, with Edit to change it, and you start at the recipient. The same works for two or more parcels from Get a price on the home page: sign in when asked, and Buy label opens with the parcel as one line. One parcel can be bought there without an account: see Buy a label without an account.
2. Pick the Service: Next day (Royal Mail Tracked 24) or Standard (Royal Mail Tracked 48). Then pick the Size and the Weight; each weight shows its price for that service, which is the final price.
3. Under Parcels, set how many identical parcels go to this recipient. Each gets its own label, and the total is the price times the parcels.
4. Enter the Deliver to postcode. Once it's found, the town fills in: add the street address, then the recipient's Name and, for delivery updates, their Email or Phone. Select Continue.
5. Under Send from, pick a saved address or New address. It's also the return address. A sender phone number is required.
6. Describe the Contents, enter their Value and confirm the parcel holds no batteries, liquids, pastes, powders or magnets. Select Continue.
7. Check the receipt. Select Edit to change anything, then select the Pay button that shows the price and pay on the secure payment page.

Prices include any VAT. When a label carries VAT, its receipt shows the Price excluding VAT, the VAT and the VAT number.

Back on the label, its Progress shows Confirming payment, then Creating label while it's made, then Label created, usually within a minute. The label then shows on the page, with Print and Download. You get a notification and an email when it's ready. A new sender address is saved to the account for next time. With several parcels, you land on the first label: its Parcels card lists every label in the order with its status.

More than 200 parcels

Labels are created one after another, so a large order takes a few minutes. Before you pay, the receipt shows about how long, such as About 2 minutes to create. After you pay, you can leave the page: the Parcels card counts the labels done, and you get an email when they're ready. Select Open All to see every label in the order, 100 a page. Print All and Download All open a menu of files of up to 200 labels, such as Labels 1–200. A file marked Ready opens at once.

On the Dashboard, Last 30 days counts the labels ready to print, being created and held up. Select a count to see those labels.

Sizes and weights

• Small parcel: up to 45 × 35 × 16 cm and 2 kg
• Medium parcel: up to 61 × 46 × 46 cm and 20 kg
• Tube: up to 90 cm long and 7 cm across, and 20 kg

Each size card shows its measurements. Pick the weight band that covers the parcel's weight, packaging included. A weight a size can't take isn't offered for it.

Buy the same label again

Open the label, select ⋮, then Buy Again. The postcode, size, weight and service are filled in.

Troubleshooting

• "Postcode not found.": check the postcode for a typo, then enter it again.
• "Check the addresses and parcel details, then try again.": a postcode or address line wasn't accepted. Check both addresses, then try again.
• "This label isn't available right now. Try again later.": this size, weight and service can't be sold at the moment. Try again later, or choose the other service.
• "The label service didn't respond. Try again in a few minutes.": the check couldn't finish. Wait a few minutes, then select Pay again.
• The label shows Failed: the carrier couldn't create it, and you get an email. It stays paid for. Select Retry, or Edit and Retry to correct an address the carrier refused. To get the money back instead, select ⋮ and Request Refund.
• The label shows Taking longer than usual: the carrier hasn't confirmed it yet, or the team is checking it. You get an email once it's ready or it fails.
• You left the payment page without paying: the label stays awaiting payment. Open it from My labels and select the Pay button again.