Spotlight: Parcelforce
Parcelforce API integration: book consignments from your own system
We connect Parcelforce to order systems, online shops and back offices, so a consignment is booked from the order itself and the label comes straight back to print. Nobody re-types addresses into the courier website, and every order carries its own tracking number. We have built and run this in a live order system, alongside APC and DX.
The problem
Re-typing every order into the courier website
Most businesses that ship with Parcelforce book each parcel by hand: open the despatch website, copy the customer's name, address and phone number from the order, enter the weight and service, print the label, then copy the tracking number back so someone can answer "where is my parcel?". It takes a minute or two per order, and one mistyped postcode means a failed delivery and a second shipment.
ExpressLink is being retired
Parcelforce's older ExpressLink API, which many order systems were built on, is being retired, and Parcelforce's online despatch tools have moved to Royal Mail Click & Drop. If your system books through ExpressLink, the connection needs moving. We have already moved our own Parcelforce integration across, including Parcelforce's new service codes.
What it changes
Booked from the order
Staff choose the service and the number of boxes and book the consignment from the order screen. Name, company, address, phone and weight all come from the order.
Labels straight back
The label comes back with the booking as a PDF, saved against the order, ready to print or download again later.
Tracking on the order
The tracking number is stored on the order and written to its history, so anyone answering a customer can see it.
Fewer failed deliveries
Addresses are sent exactly as the customer entered them, and if Parcelforce rejects a detail its reason is shown on the order before anything ships.
How it works
What a Parcelforce integration connects
What happens between your order system and Parcelforce, step by step
Your own Parcelforce account
Bookings are made under your own Parcelforce business account at your contract rates. We build the connection; we do not resell postage.
The right service and weight
Each delivery method maps to a Parcelforce service code, and the weight is split across the number of boxes, so every label carries the right service and weight.
Print labels from your own system
The label is returned as a PDF with the booking and stored with the order, so it can be printed from any browser or downloaded again.
Cancel and rebook
A consignment booked by mistake can be cancelled from the same screen, leaving the order ready to book again.
Parcelforce beside APC and DX
Where you use more than one courier, each has its own card on the order, and staff can switch an order to another courier when it is cheaper or quicker.
Errors shown, not hidden
If Parcelforce rejects a booking, its reasons are shown on the order, such as an invalid postcode, so staff can correct the detail and book again.
Parcelforce integration: common questions
Is the Parcelforce ExpressLink API being retired?
Yes. Parcelforce is moving business customers off its older ExpressLink API and onto Royal Mail's systems, and its online despatch tools have already moved to Royal Mail Click & Drop. Service codes have changed as part of the move.
If your system still books through ExpressLink, check the timing with your Parcelforce account manager and plan the change. We can move an existing integration across.
Can Parcelforce connect to Sage, Shopify or our own ERP?
Yes. The Parcelforce side is the same wherever your orders live: we read the order, book the consignment, and write the tracking number and label back.
Ready-made apps exist for the big shop platforms and suit a standard setup. A bespoke connection makes sense when orders live in your own order system, an ERP or Sage, or when you ship with more than one courier.
Do we need a Parcelforce business account?
Yes. Consignments are booked under your own Parcelforce account at your contract rates, and Parcelforce bills you directly. We build and look after the connection; we do not resell postage.
Can we print Parcelforce labels from our own system?
Yes. The label comes back with the booking as a PDF and is saved against the order. Staff print it from the browser, or download it again later if a label is lost or damaged.
Can we use other couriers as well as Parcelforce?
How much does a Parcelforce integration cost?
It depends on where your orders live and what needs to come back. Booking consignments and returning labels and tracking from one system is a contained job; several couriers, or orders spread across systems, take longer. We will scope it with you on a short call and give you a clear quote.
Ready to stop re-typing orders into the courier website?
Tell us which systems you need to talk to each other, and we'll tell you honestly what it would take.