UK shoppers on Shopify stores can now send their order to a Post Office instead of their front door.
Shopify added Royal Mail as a pickup point provider across the UK on October 15. The customer picks a location at checkout and collects the parcel there.
That's a good option to offer before peak. It also adds a new kind of order to your backend, with its own rules and one new way for parcels to come back.
Table of contents
What changed
Royal Mail is now a pickup point provider in Shopify across the UK. At checkout, customers choose a location from a map or a list.
They see each location's name, address, opening hours and price before they commit.
You turn it on under Settings, Shipping and delivery, then Pickup points under Additional delivery methods. You choose a UK location, turn on shipping to pickup points from it, and edit the rate to include Royal Mail at the price you set.
Shopify's Royal Mail guide says pickup delivery uses Royal Mail's Local Collect service, on both Tracked 24 and Tracked 48. Parcels go to Post Office branches or Royal Mail Customer Service Points.
What it means for the backend
1. You don't choose the counter
Shopify's guide says you can't choose which type of pickup point a shipment goes to. It can be a Post Office branch or a Royal Mail delivery office.
My read: your order confirmation and shipping emails should say "pickup point", not promise a Post Office. Check what your current templates say.
2. Uncollected parcels come back after 18 days
If the customer doesn't collect, Royal Mail holds the parcel for 18 days, then returns it to you.
That's a new return path that never touches your returns app. I'd decide now who spots these, whether the customer gets a reminder, and whether you refund or reship when one lands back in the warehouse.
3. The parcel has to fit Royal Mail's limits
Shopify's guide lists a maximum of 20 kg and 61 x 46 x 46 cm for Royal Mail. Royal Mail through Shopify ships only within the UK.
If you sell bulky items, check which products could end up on a pickup point order, and whether your shipping profiles keep them off it.
4. Labels and the people who pack
Buying Royal Mail labels in Shopify needs a UK-based fulfillment location. The guide also says to ship within 7 days of buying the label, using the post-by date on it.
If a 3PL or a shipping app buys your labels, I'd confirm they handle Local Collect orders before you switch the rate on. Pack one test order end to end.
5. Price it on purpose
You set the price customers pay for pickup. Royal Mail covers up to £75 for lost or damaged parcels, according to Shopify's guide.
I'd compare the pickup price against your home delivery rates and your free shipping threshold, so the cheaper option doesn't quietly cost you more.
The bigger picture: more delivery options, more order types
Shopify keeps adding delivery and label features this month: Flow buying labels, batch fulfillment and shipping moving into Markets.
Each one is useful. Each one also adds an order type your team, your 3PL and your support inbox need to recognise.
Uncollected pickup parcels are a good fit for an exceptions tracker: one row, one owner, one date. And they should sit next to your normal returns process, not outside it.
Setup checklist
- Check that you have a UK location that can turn on pickup points under Settings, Shipping and delivery.
- Set the pickup price and compare it with your home delivery rates and free shipping threshold.
- Keep oversized or heavy products (over 20 kg or 61 x 46 x 46 cm) off pickup point orders.
- Update order and shipping emails to say "pickup point" and to tell customers to collect within 18 days.
- Confirm your 3PL or shipping app can buy and print Local Collect labels.
- Agree who tracks uncollected parcels and what happens when one comes back: refund, reship or contact.
- Brief support on what customers see at checkout and what to say if they can't find their parcel.
- Place and pack one test order before peak.
Pickup points can save customers a missed delivery. The backend work is making sure the parcels that aren't collected don't go missing in your own building.
Source: Shopify Changelog, October 15, 2026 and the Shopify Help Center Royal Mail carrier guide. The backend advice is my own operator view.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on Royal Mail pickup points in Shopify?
Go to Settings, Shipping and delivery, then Pickup points under Additional delivery methods. Choose a UK location, turn on shipping to pickup points, and edit the rate to include Royal Mail at the price you want.
Where can customers collect their parcel?
At a Post Office branch or a Royal Mail Customer Service Point. You can't choose which type a shipment goes to.
What happens if a customer never collects the parcel?
Royal Mail holds it for 18 days, then returns it to you.
Are there size or weight limits?
Shopify's Royal Mail guide lists a maximum of 20 kg and 61 x 46 x 46 cm, and Royal Mail through Shopify ships only within the UK.