Parcel lockers offer a more secure, contactless, and fraud-resistant delivery method that’s becoming increasingly popular with sellers who want to protect their business and reduce losses.
Unlike traditional postal or courier services, even those with tracking and signature on delivery, parcel lockers provide a far more reliable record of delivery.
This blog provides advice for online sellers using parcel lockers and, in some instances, uses examples from the recent launch of our Royal Mail Parcel Lockers forwarding option.
With normal deliveries, even if tracking shows "delivered," disputes can still arise. Signatures may be forged, signed by someone else, or challenged. Parcel lockers avoid this problem because buyers need a unique code to collect their package. This creates a clear, timestamped record of pickup.
Our experience: At UK Postbox we discovered the level of security parcel lockers offer when we tested our new Royal Mail Parcel Lockers forwarding option. Essentially, there is a 'one-time' code. If your item is delivered after you open the locker, you will be unable to reopen the locker to retrieve your parcel.
False “item not received” claims are a common issue for sellers. Once a package is collected from a locker, there’s undeniable evidence of delivery. This makes it very difficult for buyers to dispute receipt or for platforms to side against the seller.
Our experience: With our services, we’ve seen how instant, timestamped delivery notifications provide sellers with clear proof and peace of mind. Parcel lockers add another strong layer of evidence, helping sellers resolve disputes quickly and confidently.
By reducing fraud, parcel lockers help sellers avoid unnecessary refunds, chargebacks, and time spent on customer complaints. Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay also recognise locker collection as strong evidence, which works in the seller’s favour during disputes.
Our experience: From running our returns address service, we know how costly disputes and losses can be. Our use of barcoding and digipics has shown that clear, verifiable proof reduces issues dramatically. Parcel lockers provide a similar level of built-in security, giving sellers confidence and stronger protection in the event of a claim.
Using parcel lockers helps sellers protect revenue, maintain a clean track record with selling platforms, and operate more efficiently. At the same time, buyers get a convenient, contactless, and secure pickup option. eBay's buyer protection.
Our experience: We’ve seen first-hand through our returns address service that positive buyer experiences directly translate into better reviews, stronger seller ratings, and repeat business. Parcel lockers enhance this by offering the same reliability and transparency buyers value.
Largely manufactured by Quadient, the parcel lockers available include InPost, Evri, Royal Mail, Amazon and DPD.
It’s easy. Every account has a dedicated Courier Point Address, where your parcels can be sent to. We can receive and scan your parcels, then notify you as soon as they arrive.
Through our online platform, you can choose to forward parcels to a buyer, consolidate multiple deliveries for shipping, or ask us to store them until they’re sold. Our forwarding options include delivery to parcel lockers (see right), where your customer will receive a notification with a pickup code, QR code, or PIN. This is a more secure, contactless, and fraud-resistant delivery method.
As outlined in our E-retailers page, our sellers use the following online platforms:
We have a range of virtual address and mail management services to help you succeed online. Visit our dedicated page for more information.
