A MAJOR parcel company has launched a new delivery service that is easier and cheaper than the Royal Mail.
InPost, a company with 9,200 parcel lockers in the UK, has today unveiled the service, with prices starting from just £1.99.
This is much cheaper than the Royal Mail’s lowest price of £3.25.
Until today InPost was only available to customers when they bought goods online or sold items through second-hand websites such as Vinted.
The launch follows criticism of the Royal Mail, which hiked the price of first-class stamps to £1.65 in October.
Customers have also complained that they have waited weeks for parcels to arrive or their item has been lost altogether.
InPost users will be able to send parcels that weigh up to 15kg through the service.
It will cost £1.99 to post a small 8 x 38 x 64cm package. Medium items of up to 19 x 38 x 64cm will cost £2.59.
Meanwhile, large items of up to 41 x 38 x 64cm will set you back £3.99.
In comparison, the Royal Mail charges £4.09 to send a 1st class parcel, or £3.25 for a second class one.
Prices for tracked 24-hour delivery start at £4.25 while tracked 48-hour delivery starts at £3.39.
Neil Kuschel, boss of InPost UK, said: “With Send, consumers can send a wide range of items, from special gifts to everyday parcels, with the confidence that they will get to the recipient safely and securely.
“Whether it’s dropped off at their chosen locker or delivered straight to their home, there are no more queues, no more labels, just a lot of locker love!”
How to use it
The new InPost “Send” service will allow customers to post parcels from any InPost locker or shop, known as an out of home site.
Their parcel can be delivered to another out of home point or directly to a home address.
How are postage prices decided?
ROYAL Mail typically increases the price of stamps annually.
Normally, it gives customers advance warning of around a month before pushing up prices.
Last year the hike was announced in March.
Royal Mail said it was hiking the price of postage due to the decline in the number of people sending letters.
The number of letters being posted has dropped 60% since 2005 and around 20% since the start of the pandemic.
It also blamed rising inflation for the increase.
To use the service all customers will need is the InPost app and the address of the person they are sending to.
There is no need to print a label as users generate a QR code using the InPost app.
This is scanned at the locker or shop to help track the parcel.
The sender and receiver will be able to track the parcel using the app, which will give them peace of mind.
Deliveries can be made to secure lockers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which can ensure parcels do not go missing from customers’ doorsteps.
Delivery to a locker can also help to reduce the need for multiple delivery attempts or a “we missed you” note.
The lockers have boomed in popularity in recent years.
InPost has set up 3,000 lockers in the past year alone.
Meanwhile, Royal Mail is planning to up the number of parcel lockers it has this year.
The company wants to increase its number of out of home drop-off locations, including lockers and parcel shops, to more than 21,000 by the end of March.
What other postal services are available
Several other companies offer parcel delivery within the UK and Northern Ireland.
Among them is Yodel, which charges £2.25 (excluding VAT) to send a package.
To use the service, customers book their parcel delivery online, print the label at home or in store, and post their item.
The parcel will be collected by a driver who will deliver it to your recipient’s door or their local Yodel store within three to five working days.
Meanwhile, Evri charges £2.62 to send a package.
Unlike other couriers, items can be sent overseas to 200 destinations, including the USA, Spain, and Portugal.
To send a package, customers simply visit one of Evri’s 16,000 ParcelShops and lockers or book a courier to collect the item from their front door.
At DHL prices start at £2.79 and items can be delivered the next day.
The company delivers to more than 220 countries and territories around the world.
To use the service customers simply drop off their parcel at a local DHL Service Point or book a collection with DHLitNow.
