Royal Mail, the UK’s Universal Postal Service Provider, supports customers, businesses, and communities nationwide, ensuring essential postal services for everyone. Royal Mail uniquely delivers a ‘one-price-goes-anywhere’ service to over 29 million UK addresses, six days a week, making it the nation’s most extensive and reliable delivery network. Royal Mail’s GLS operates one of Europe’s largest ground-based parcel delivery networks, demonstrating the company’s significant European presence. Royal Mail’s successful public offering on the London Stock Exchange in October 2013, followed by its inclusion in the FTSE 100, marked a major milestone in its financial history. Over 700,000 individual investors demonstrated strong public confidence in Royal Mail by purchasing shares during its initial public offering. In a show of shared success, the vast majority of Royal Mail’s UK employees joined investors as shareholders, collectively receiving a 10% stake in the company.
Understanding your Royal Mail options and how to track your parcels is essential in today’s fast-paced world. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of Royal Mail services and tracking features to help you navigate the postal landscape with ease.
Tracking Your Royal Mail Parcel:
Tracking your parcel provides reassurance and allows you to anticipate its arrival. Here’s how to do it:
- Track your Royal Mail parcels conveniently at https://www.postoffice.co.uk/track-trace or utilize our integrated parcel tracking service.
- Our tracking service provides comprehensive monitoring for both domestic and international Royal Mail Great Britain deliveries.
- Your tracking number, a combination of numbers and letters, can be found on your postage receipt or within the sender’s delivery confirmation message. Here are examples of Royal Mail tracking number formats to assist you.
- Use our Track and Trace service to locate your Royal Mail letter or parcel.
- Enter your tracking number to check the delivery status of your parcel.
- To track your Royal Mail letters and parcels worldwide or within the UK, simply enter your tracking code in the search field at the top of this page.
- If you purchased an item on eBay, you can track your Royal Mail International Standard delivery here.
- Our comprehensive tracking service uses worldwide resources to locate your Royal Mail International Signed For parcel, providing updates on its location and status.
Understanding International Services:
Royal Mail offers a variety of international services, each with specific tracking capabilities:
- International Tracked & Signed provides tracking within the UK and after leaving the UK, with online delivery confirmation and signature upon delivery.
- International Tracked offers tracking both within the UK and internationally, along with online delivery confirmation.
- International Signed includes tracking within the UK and a signature upon delivery.
- Track both international and domestic parcels entering or leaving the United Kingdom with UK post tracking.
Finding Your Tracking Number:
Before tracking, you’ll need your tracking number:
- Locate your tracking number on your shipment confirmation email or postage receipt. The tracking number might also be referred to as a barcode or a reference number.
- Enter your tracking number at the top of this page and press the “Track Package” button to locate your parcel.
Royal Mail & GLS:
- Our universal parcel tracker provides complete tracking status for your Royal Mail parcel in both the originating and destination countries, including GLS and Parcelforce.
- Royal Mail partners with GLS for deliveries to certain European destinations. Track International Tracked & Signed items sent with GLS to the following countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
- For destinations outside of the listed countries, Royal Mail hands over your parcel to the destination country’s postal authority once it leaves the UK. Track your parcel on our website to also track it with the destination country’s postal service for a complete delivery picture.
Service Options & Delivery Times:
Royal Mail provides a range of services with varying delivery speeds and features:
- Royal Mail Tracked 24™ and Royal Mail Tracked 48™ are parcel services with delivery speeds of 24 and 48 hours, respectively.
- Enjoy full online tracking, SMS/email notifications for recipients, and compensation cover up to £100 for added peace of mind.
- Choose Royal Mail Tracked 48 with Signature if you require a signature upon delivery.
- Royal Mail Tracked 48 aims to deliver your parcel within 2 to 3 working days.
- The first SMS or email notification informs the recipient when the parcel is scanned at the Delivery Office, indicating that delivery will be attempted that day. A second notification confirms successful delivery. If delivery is unsuccessful, a “Something for You” card will be left, providing instructions for arranging collection or redelivery.
- Experience fast, reliable parcel delivery across the UK with Royal Mail.
- Royal Mail 1st Class Parcels aims to deliver parcels weighing up to 20kg on the next working day, including Saturdays. This is a fast and cost-effective UK-wide delivery service ideal for customers sending less than 1,000 parcels annually.
- Online delivery confirmation is available for Royal Mail 1st Class parcels. Please note that this service does not offer full tracking. Online information will only be available at the point of attempted or successful delivery of your item.
- Get guaranteed next-day parcel delivery with Royal Mail. For time-sensitive deliveries, Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed® offers timed delivery options by 9am or 1pm the next day, complete with tracking and signature upon delivery. Saturday delivery is available for an additional charge. Enjoy guaranteed delivery by 9am or 1pm the next working day. This service includes online tracking and signature upon delivery for added security and visibility. Benefit from a money-back guarantee and inclusive compensation cover for extra peace of mind. Enjoy free, enhanced SMS and/or email notifications included with Special Delivery Guaranteed, keeping you informed every step of the way. Track your parcel’s journey from start to finish with online tracking and signature on delivery. Keep your customers informed with free SMS and/or email notifications with Royal Mail services.
- Royal Mail Second Class Standard on eBay offers a delivery method with limited tracking updates. Royal Mail 2nd Class Parcels offers UK-wide parcel delivery within 3 working days. This is a low-cost, reliable UK-wide delivery service for parcels weighing up to 20kg that aims to deliver your parcel within 2–3 working days, including Saturdays. Online delivery confirmation is available for Royal Mail 2nd Class parcels. Online delivery confirmation shows you when your item has been delivered or when delivery has been attempted. Please note that this is not a fully tracked service. Information will only be available online when Royal Mail attempts to deliver your item or successfully delivers it.
Understanding Tracking Status Messages:
Royal Mail uses specific terms to update you on your parcel’s journey:
- When you send mail with Royal Mail using a tracked service, your item is scanned at various points throughout its journey. “Advised” status indicates that Royal Mail has received details about your parcel in their system. Once the item enters the Royal Mail network and is scanned, the “Advised” status will change to “In progress.” “Addressee advised to collect from Post Office” means the driver left a card instructing collection from the Post Office. What should I do next? To ensure your parcel is delivered safely, we require a signature. If a signature cannot be obtained, a card will be left with details of the local Post Office where your parcel is held securely for collection the next working day. “Attempted delivery” means our driver tried to deliver your parcel but could not get a signature at the address. A card will be left detailing the next steps you need to take. Your parcel has likely been taken to a local Post Office for secure pickup (details on the card and website tracking), or returned to our depot. Refer to the card for information on whether a further delivery will be attempted automatically or if you need to contact us. “In transit” indicates that your item is currently moving through the Royal Mail network. This status message may apply to multiple stages of your parcel’s journey. Enter your reference number to see more detailed location and status information. “Delivered to your address or a neighbour” means the item has been delivered as addressed or to a neighbour. If the item is left with a neighbour, a “Something for you” card will indicate the neighbour’s address. This message might appear even if you have your item delivered to a work address or business. A “Something for you” card will be left if we could not deliver to the business address on the item. If you have not received the item or a card, please check with your colleagues or the post room to see if someone accepted it on your behalf.
Troubleshooting Tracking Issues:
If you’re having trouble tracking your parcel, consider these tips:
- There could be several reasons why tracking information is not showing. Please ensure the following: Allow at least 3-5 days to pass since you received the tracking number, as updates may take time to appear. Tracking systems require some time before updates begin to show. Verify that the tracking number entered is correct. If you are the recipient of the parcel, please verify with the sender that the tracking number provided is accurate. Tracking is only available on certain Royal Mail services, so confirm that the service used for your item offers tracking.
Understanding Royal Mail’s Infrastructure:
- The Princess Royal Distribution Centre, originally designed for road and rail integration, is now primarily a road hub. RDC stands for Regional Distribution Centre, which is a large warehouse for one or more companies. These locations experience a high volume of deliveries daily, making freight access challenging.
