Royal Mail International: A guide for online sellers

If you run an e-commerce business, then you are always looking for the most effective way to send your products to your international customers. As an international seller, you know that an unexciting but essential part of e-commerce is the right shipping solution. An international sale is not complete until your customers receive the goods.

Note that the Royal Mail Group has two main divisions: UKPIL and GLS. United Kingdom Parcels International and Letters (UKPIL) operates in the UK. Did you know that Royal Mail International is one of the preferred delivery services for many UK businesses that ship internationally?

Also, according to a recent study, 52.7 percent of survey respondents stated that Royal Mail International was their delivery provider of choice. And this was followed by Hermes International at 16.1 percent and DPD Group at 14.2 percent.

Royal Mail delivered about 1.22 billion parcels in 2019 through its core network. We have put together a comprehensive guide to Royal Mail services in order to make your shipping decisions easier. We will also demonstrate how you can save money by using Wise when sending and receiving international transfers.

What Kind of Postage Service do they Offer?

Royal Mail International offers many services. Some of them are as follows.¹

Tracked 24

Royal Mail International offers Tracked24, which is a one-day delivery service. It offers end-to-end tracking for both your business and your customers, which is convenient. Also, it is an excellent solution for sending out goods quickly.

Tracked24 also offers you peace of mind as you will get free collection as well as free management reporting. Also, your customers will get a text message or an email with the expected time of delivery, which is excellent.

Tracked 48

Tracked48 is another reliable postage service that guarantees a two-day delivery with convenient end-to-end tracking for your business and the customer. As a result, it is perfect for sending orders that will likely reach your customer quickly.

1st Class and 2nd Class Mail

You can use1st Class mail for next day delivery. On the other hand, 2nd Class mail is usually delivered in 3 working days. And note that both of these options offer the Signed For service.

International Business Tracked

This service is excellent as it offers worldwide delivery, and also allows you to track your shipment, offering reassurance for both your business and your customers. However, it does not offer the extra security measure of a signature on the delivery of your goods. This means that it is the right choice for products with a low value. Amazon and eBay sellers use delivery with Royal Mail extensively. This is because Royal Mail International for eBay and Amazon sellers offers an effective, simple, and efficient shipping solution for all of its UK sellers.

Note that with various branches, shipping and collection options, Royal Mail delivery ensures Amazon and eBay sellers that their customers will get their items when they want them.

How to Get Started?

A Royal Mail OBA (Online Business Account) is important for e-commerce businesses as they begin sending out large volumes of parcels and packages. You will receive considerably better postage rates. Also, keep in mind that an Online Business Account offers you access to an online portal, which is great. This is where you can easily and quickly manage your shipping expenses, business mailing, invoicing, and reporting.²

The great thing is that as an Online Business Account (OBA) holder, you can easily gain access to many benefits, including business rates while saving a lot of time by managing your whole Royal Mail operations from one place.

Follow these steps to get started and avail the benefits Royal Mail International offers.

Step 1

To get started setting up your Royal Mail business account, you’ll have to register your interest by filling out this form.

Step 2

Then, you will be requested to provide information about your company, such as your company address and your personal details, including your name, age email address, and telephone number.

Step 3

Also, you will be requested to provide the number of packages you approximately send on either a weekly or monthly basis, the size of your packages, item value, tracking requirements, and whether you are VAT registered.

Step 4

After completing this form, a Royal Mail sales representative will contact you and will discuss your specific service requirements in more detail, before setting up your business account. You must keep in mind that it may take anywhere from ten to thirty business days for your Royal Mail Online Business Account to be set up.

How Much does it Cost to Send a Package using Royal Mail?

Theprice you will pay to send parcels and packages internationally depends on the following factors:

• The weight and size of your item
• The date that you want your product or item to arrive
• Whether you would like to track your item or receive confirmation of delivery

For example, you will have to pay £26.60 for a package weighing 10 kg.

How to Save Money on International Payments?

Here are the ways you can save money using Wise:

1. Receive foreign currencies for free using the multi-currency account.
2. Avoid exchange rate mark-up most banks or providers charge so you’ll end up getting more from the money you send and receive internationally.
3. Fair and reasonable service fees as well as mid-market rates – a main market differentiator - cheaper payments to vendors and suppliers abroad.

Wise never hides extra fees and charges in its exchange rate. On the other hand, some banks charge exchange rate mark-up, which is why they are not the best option for sending and receiving international transfers. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate with no mark-up and no hidden fees. And this means fair, transparent and low-cost transfers for your business, every time.

Here are some additional benefits of using Wise:

• Enjoy instant or next-day delivery for a majority of currencies
• Integration with Xeroand Quickbooks to ease your accounting
• Multi-currency debit card for faster and convenient payments
• Transaction costs are always transparent.
• Simple-to-use app

Summary

Royal Mail International is an ideal partner for eBay and Amazon sellers for many reasons. First, it helps your business deliver goods to your customers cost-effectively, quickly, and efficiently. By providing reliable and excellent services, Royal Mail International ensures that you can easily offer your customers some peace of mind and enjoy a higher profit margin.

Start saving today with Wise

Want to earn extra revenue? Join the Wise affiliate program and receive commission for recommending Wise to other online sellers.

Sources:

1. Royal Mail website
2. Algopix website