Citypaq from Correos: the most flexible delivery method for your customers

With Citypaq from Correos, your customers choose where to collect their parcel and when to pick it up. It's a personalized delivery method that improves the shopping experience and strengthens loyalty to your brand. Correos is also one of the most-used carriers in Spain among both shoppers and sellers.

Observatorio Cetelem's detailed study of Spanish online shopping habits in 2019 found that 53% of shoppers used a pickup point to receive their order, and 64% would choose one over paid home delivery.

Offering delivery to a Citypaq point is genuinely valuable for your business's growth.

We've already covered the importance of a multi-carrier strategy for your e-commerce — this time, we're going a step further. Here's everything about the most flexible delivery method you can add to your shipping strategy: Citypaq from Correos.

What is Citypaq from Correos

Citypaq is one of the delivery services you can offer through Correos for your e-commerce. It's a network of automated lockers placed across the city where the carrier deposits the parcel, and your customer picks it up later.

Today there are more than 4000 terminals located at metro stations, gas stations, shopping centers, businesses, and even residential buildings.

These yellow lockers were introduced to give customers more freedom when collecting their order. With Citypaq, customers don't have to wait at home or visit a post office or pickup point within a fixed window.

These automated devices let customers choose when to collect their order, within a 5-day window — so the parcel waits, not the customer, changing the whole delivery experience.

According to IAB Spain's 2019 annual study, online shoppers increasingly look for convenience in how their order is delivered.

Offering a flexible delivery method that fits your customers' needs boosts conversion, builds loyalty, and increases both revenue and repeat customers.

How Citypaq from Correos works

One notable feature of Citypaq lockers is that they can be used by Correos couriers as well as couriers from other carriers.

1. When Correos makes the delivery

If you ship with Correos, your customer pays nothing to use the lockers as a pickup point. Correos guarantees delivery within the promised timeframe (depending on the shipping method) and notifies the customer once it's delivered.

Note that cash-on-delivery isn't available for Citypaq deliveries.

2. When another carrier makes the delivery

If another carrier handles the delivery — Correos Express, for example — Correos only provides the locker space and notifies your customer once the parcel is ready for pickup.

In this case, Correos doesn't guarantee a terminal will be available, so the carrier needs to reserve one. If the customer doesn't collect their order, Correos will ask them to retrieve the parcel from the locker.

Regardless of which carrier delivers, Citypaq isn't available for the Canary Islands or Portugal.

Package requirements for Citypaq

To use the automated lockers, parcels must meet these requirements:

• Small lockers: max 60 cm tall, 49 cm wide, 40 cm deep.

• Large lockers: max 74 cm tall, 42 cm wide, 60 cm deep.

• Regardless of locker size, parcels can't exceed 30 kg.

If a parcel exceeds the locker dimensions, it's redirected to the Correos office linked to that locker. Parcels must also be in good condition — visibly damaged packaging will be returned to you by Correos.

How your customers collect a parcel at Citypaq

Citypaq doesn't work like other pickup points. The automated lockers have no fixed hours — they run 24/7, unless they're located inside a shopping center or business with its own opening hours.

This gives customers real flexibility in when they collect their order. Before doing so, they need to register on the Citypaq website; without registering, they can't use the lockers. When collecting a parcel, they enter the username and password they registered with — essentially an electronic key that opens the locker.

Once Correos deposits the parcel, your customer gets an SMS or app notification that it's ready, with 5 days to collect it. If they don't, the parcel moves to the Correos office linked to that locker, and the customer gets a notification to collect it there within 15 days.

There are two scenarios for choosing a Citypaq point:

1. If your store is integrated with Citypaq, the customer picks their preferred locker from the options Correos shows at checkout.

2. If not, they enter their address, and the parcel goes to the Correos office linked to the nearest locker, which then forwards it to the Citypaq device.

As you can see, it's much smoother for your customer when your store is integrated directly.

Returns through Citypaq

Returning an order through Citypaq is simple: the customer opens the Correos app (or website), requests a return, and enters a code to get the locker address where they should drop off the parcel.

Differences between Citypaq and Homepaq

Citypaq isn't the only locker network Correos runs. Homepaq is another terminal network for receiving parcels, with a few key differences:

Homepaq

• Only installed in residential buildings.

• Customers have 3 days to collect their parcel.

• Delivery notification is sent by SMS.

• To open the locker, customers scan or manually enter the barcode from their notification.

Citypaq

• Installed in varied locations: shopping centers, metro stations, gas stations, businesses, etc.

• Customers have 5 days to collect their parcel.

• Notification arrives via the Citypaq app, email, or SMS.

• To open the locker, customers enter their electronic key (username and password).

Benefits of offering a Citypaq delivery point in your online store

Now that you know what Citypaq is and how it works, here are the benefits it brings to your e-commerce, focused on improving your customers' shopping experience:

1. Customers don't wait around for their order — no need to rearrange their schedule for a delivery window.

2. They can collect their parcel any time — lockers are available 24/7.

3. The terminal network is placed in strategic locations, so customers can easily find one, choose between several, and save favorites.

4. Delivery errors are nearly impossible, since the automated locker is always available to receive the parcel.

5. Delivery fits your customer's schedule, not the other way around.

6. Anyone can use Citypaq lockers — the design and technology make it simple.

7. Returns are easy — customers can return an order via a Citypaq point without visiting a Correos office, speeding up the process.

8. Offering a flexible delivery method tailored to your customers' needs increases your revenue.

Add Citypaq from Correos to your checkout with Sendcloud

Offering a service point like Citypaq is a strong move for your business. Automated lockers like these give your customers more flexibility and freedom while reducing shipping errors, like failed delivery attempts that delay orders.

These pickup points also boost your revenue — your conversion rate improves, since 69% of customers will have no reason to abandon their cart.

All that's left is adding Citypaq from Correos to your checkout. The easiest way? Sendcloud. Our software lets you combine carriers like Correos as part of a multi-carrier strategy.

Through Sendcloud, you can also ship domestic express orders with Correos Express, ship with MRW, or ship with SEUR — plus international carriers for shipments abroad.

You also get two options: use Sendcloud's pre-negotiated rates, or keep the rates you already have with the carrier.

To add Citypaq from Correos to your Sendcloud account, log in to the platform. Note that in the Sendcloud dashboard, Citypaq is listed as “Correos PUDO Delivery.” Select it and add it to your shipping options to optimize your checkout.

From there, watch your conversion grow thanks to a flexible pickup option for your customers.

Don't have a Sendcloud account yet? Sign up for free. Want our experts to walk you through the platform? Book a free demo.

Frequently asked questions about Citypaq

How many days can a parcel stay in a Citypaq locker?

Customers have up to 120 hours (5 days) to collect their parcel from the moment they're notified it's in the locker, by email and SMS. If they don't collect it within 5 days and the shipment was made with Correos, they then have 15 days to collect it at the locker's reference Correos office.

Can I only use Citypaq with Correos?

No — other carriers can use Citypaq lockers too, provided they have a prior agreement with Correos. Correos Express, for example, can deliver to Citypaq.

How can I integrate Citypaq into my online store?

It's simple with Sendcloud. You just need:

• A store on one of these platforms: Shopify, PrestaShop, WooCommerce, Magento, Amazon, Etsy, or eBay.

• A free Sendcloud account.

• Once connected, activate carriers like Correos and enjoy the shipping methods we integrate, including Citypaq.

• Start shipping!

Are there Citypaq lockers in every city in Spain?

Citypaq lockers are available in almost every Spanish city, and the network keeps expanding. Check the Citypaq website for the latest coverage.

Can Citypaq lockers hold large parcels?

The maximum size for Citypaq lockers is 74 cm tall, 42 cm wide, and 60 cm deep, with a 30 kg weight limit.

Is Citypaq available 24 hours a day?

In principle, yes — you can access Citypaq whenever you like. Keep in mind, though, that many lockers are located inside businesses with their own opening hours, so availability follows that schedule. If a locker is in a location open to the public 24/7, then it truly is available around the clock.