Everything you need to know to ship with InPost

InPost Italia is the ideal shipping solution for e-commerce businesses that want to deliver - quickly and safely - small and medium-sized products to customers across Italy, islands included.

Shipping with InPost lets companies and individuals benefit from a particularly innovative, secure, and sustainable shipping system.

However, what really sets InPost's offering apart from that of other Italian carriers is above all the convenience of the delivery service, which lets users choose from a vast network of pickup points.

In this article we'll analyze InPost's service in detail, how InPost Lockers and InPost Points work, and what the opportunities are for online stores.

Here's the table of contents:

• Shipping with InPost: the company

  • Environmental sustainability in InPost's logistics

• How (and where) to ship with InPost?

  • InPost Locker: what they are and how they work

  • InPost Point: what they are and how they work

• InPost for businesses

  • How to create an InPost business shipment

  • InPost: costs and surcharges

  • Benefits of InPost for e-commerce

• Your partner for managing InPost shipments

Shipping with InPost: the company

Innovation, reliability, and sustainability are some of the terms that best describe the InPost shipping service.

The company, which has been on the market for more than 22 years, has set itself the goal of changing people's buying habits by providing simple, affordable, and highly technological shipping solutions, with particular attention to the environmental impact of the related logistics system.

InPost is in fact a pioneer in delivering an impeccable 24/7 delivery service through locker cabinets and InPost Points (whose total number today exceeds 4,000 in our country alone), and it has become one of the main Italian players betting on this practical and much-appreciated option.

Environmental sustainability in InPost's logistics

Shipping with InPost is a green choice from many points of view:

1. Reduced consumption and emissions: by delivering many parcels to a single point (Locker or InPost Point), a traditional B2B-style delivery logic is used that limits vehicle mileage and helps reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from transport vehicles.

2. Fewer traffic jams and less noise: all the shipments for a given area are funneled to a single point and delivered at the same time, limiting traffic and the noise pollution caused by couriers coming and going.

3. An end to the last-mile problem: the last logistics step (that is, home delivery) is also the most expensive but, in this case, it's solved by concentrating shipments at a single point.

4. Return procedure with a paperless option: you can return items in an eco-friendly way without printing the label on paper. Just select the "paperless return" option available during the online return procedure.

5. Encourages eco-friendly behavior from customers: according to InPost research, 62% of those who need to collect a parcel don't go out specifically to do so but fit the action into their routine, thus optimizing the use of private vehicles.

How (and where) to ship with InPost?

Shipping with InPost is particularly convenient not only for consumers but also for businesses, since it helps improve customers' shopping experience by avoiding pointless frustration and waiting during the delivery phase.

The company's pickup points (InPost Point and InPost Locker) are located in strategic places that can be looked up on the company website via a handy interactive map and include businesses of public interest that can be easily reached by car or on foot.

The service also provides a sophisticated yet simple order-tracking function, as well as returns management, which can be done directly via a locker cabinet or InPost point.

Now let's look in detail at how to ship via InPost Locker and InPost Point.

InPost Locker: what they are and how they work

InPost Locker in front of a supermarket

Available 24/7, lockers are highly technological self-service dispensers that act as a storage and pickup point for orders and are now considered among the most practical, fast, and secure options after home delivery.

Usually, they're placed in accessible, high-traffic locations such as:

• supermarkets,

• banks,

• train or metro stations,

• tobacconists,

• gas stations, etc.

These cabinets are automatic, sturdy, and break-in-proof, since there's no lock accessible from the outside. Also, to ensure even more safety during shipping and pickup operations, the lockers are equipped with LED lighting and, often, security cameras are also present in the surrounding area.

How to collect with InPost Locker

The customer just needs to scan the QR code or enter the combination of phone number and personalized six-digit pickup code sent to the customer by email and/or SMS when the shipment is ready for collection.

The customer only has to hold the QR code up to the monitor or type in the codes, and the door will open, letting them take out the parcel or envelope.

How to ship with InPost Locker

With InPost Locker you can ship parcels up to a maximum weight of 25 kg by selecting from three sizes (S, M, L) based on the size of the available doors, keeping in mind that the maximum allowed size is 41 cm x 38 cm x 64 cm.

Shipping a parcel to a Locker is very simple. You just print the shipping label, pack the goods, and follow these instructions:

1. Go to the locker and select "Touch HERE" on the monitor;

2. Select "Send a parcel / return";

3. Scan the barcode on the parcel label or type it in manually;

4. Wait for the compartment to open to insert the shipment;

5. If the compartment is too small, don't close it right away but select a larger size on the screen;

6. Now you can close the too-small compartment and scan the barcode on the label again to open the larger compartment requested;

7. Insert the parcel, close the door, and confirm the operation on the screen.

Benefits of shipping via InPost Locker

Here are the main benefits of InPost Locker:

• the ability to collect 24/7 within 5 days of the parcel's arrival at the locker;

• the ability to fit shipping/pickup into your daily itinerary;

• zero queues, waiting, or missed deliveries;

• simple and fast returns;

• complete security thanks to the unique code and the security of the locker technology.

InPost Point: what they are and how they work

The wide network of InPost Points includes businesses like stationery shops, tobacconists, and cafés where you can collect and ship parcels quickly and safely.

As for the availability hours of InPost Points, the opening and closing hours of the individual businesses apply.

To collect with InPost Point

Collecting the shipment is very easy: just wait to receive the unique six-digit code by email, go to the arrival point, and show the code to the staff member, who will promptly hand over the parcel.

To ship with InPost Point

To ship a parcel from an InPost Point, you just go to the point nearest you and hand the staff member the packed parcel with the shipping label clearly visible.

When you pack the goods, apply the shipping label always being careful not to cover the codes with tape. Go to the InPost Point you chose and let the staff member help you.

Benefits of shipping via InPost Point

Here are the main benefits of InPost Point:

• assistance from the operator;

• reduced queues for customers;

• fast and safe shipping, delivery, and returns;

• the ability to fit shipping/pickup into your daily itinerary;

• the ability to collect the goods within 5 days of arrival at the point.

InPost for businesses

If you're interested in using InPost for your business, you can integrate the service by creating a dedicated ShipX API account or, in a few minutes, via Sendcloud, the e-commerce shipping software that lets you automate your shipments and adopt a multi-carrier strategy to choose the most convenient carrier each time.

With the InPost integration in Sendcloud you can send your products in two ways:

1. from your premises to an InPost point (both Locker and Point);

2. from one InPost point (both Locker and Point) to another.

You'll simply have to transport the parcels to the desired point or, if you want to ship from your store's premises, you can book a recurring pickup via Sendcloud (note that for pickups you need a minimum of 10 parcels to ship).

How to create an InPost business shipment

When creating the shipment with Sendcloud, you'll find the list of the nearest Lockers and InPost Points where you can make deliveries.

After selecting your chosen point and paying for the shipment, you'll only have to create the label to place on the parcel and hand it over following the simple steps you find in the previous sections ("shipping with InPost Locker/Point").

Remember that, for shipments with InPost Italia, you'll be required to add an Italian mobile number to the shipping label.

InPost: costs and surcharges

If you're in the process of comparing carriers, you'll want to know what the costs associated with using InPost are.

The costs of each InPost shipment vary based on the recipient's location but, for shipments to/from Sicily or Sardinia, a 5% surcharge on shipping costs must be applied (this surcharge will be shown on the invoice).

Also note that InPost Italia doesn't work with surcharges, but returns the shipment directly to the sender if the delivery times and conditions aren't met. This happens at the cost of a new shipment.

Below you'll find a list of the possible reasons for return:

• the parcel wasn't collected by the recipient within 5 days;

• the parcel weighs more than 25 kg;

• the parcel exceeds the maximum dimensions.

Benefits of InPost for e-commerce

Here are the benefits of the InPost Italia shipping service via the integration with Sendcloud:

• create domestic shipments in a few clicks;

• delivery from Monday to Friday;

• the ability to choose the nearest locker or InPost Point;

• the ability to have pickups from your premises Monday to Friday;

• estimated delivery time: 2 working days;

• tracking link available;

• satisfied customers (zero queues, simple and fast 24/7 returns).

Parcel specifications:

• maximum weight: 25 kg;

• size S packaging: 66.4 cm x 42 cm x 8.8 cm;

• size M packaging: 66.4 cm x 42 cm x 17 cm;

• size L packaging: 66.4 cm x 42 cm x 38.5 cm.

Your partner for managing InPost shipments

If you've decided you're interested in shipping your products with InPost Italia, it takes just a few clicks to integrate the service into the shipping platform Sendcloud.

By choosing this solution, in a few minutes you can get complete shipping automation for your online shop, so you can save time and money to dedicate to other important activities.

If instead you want to discover how shipping works with other carriers both in Italy and abroad, take a look at this list of useful guides and resources:

• Shipping with Poste Italiane

• Shipping with FedEx

• Shipping with BRT

• Shipping with GLS

• Shipping with TNT

• Shipping with DHL

• DHL Globalmail

In addition to automating shipments, Sendcloud will help you manage many other activities that are essential for your e-commerce.

For example, printing shipping labels, creating your customized returns portal, marketing throughout the delivery process, sending personalized emails with tracking links, and much more.

Book a free demo now to find out more! It takes just 15 minutes to discover all of Sendcloud's opportunities.