11-09-2025
The move will make it easier for small businesses exporting small items and customers sending to friends and family abroad. Any parcel that has a label and fits can be sent in postboxes, whilst larger parcels can also be sent via Royal Mail’s new solar-powered ‘postboxes of the future’, 3,500 of which are currently being rolled out across the UK.
The app uses GPS and location services to identify which postbox the customer is at, allowing users to scan their parcel’s barcode and instantly receive confirmation of posting. Royal Mail initially launched electronic proof of posting for UK parcels earlier this year, but this update means the service can now be used for:
- International Tracked,
- International Signed,
- International Tracked & Signed,
- International Tracked & Signed Heavier, and
- International Tracked Heavier products.
How proof of posting works:
- Open the Royal Mail app
- Select ‘Proof of Posting’
- The app detects your location and identifies the postbox
- Scan your parcel’s barcode
- Tap ‘Post Now’ to receive your digital proof of posting
With postboxes located within half a mile of 98% of UK addresses, Royal Mail’s network is the most extensive parcel drop-off network in the country. Many parcels sent via Royal Mail fit easily into a postbox, making this a convenient option for customers who have paid for postage online or are returning items with a preprinted label.
Jack Clarkson, Managing Director of Out of Home and Commercial Excellence at Royal Mail, said: “Proof of posting at postboxes gives people the peace of mind of a receipt combined with the convenience of dropping off their parcel at the end of their street without having to queue. We’re delighted to expand the service to international parcels and make sending parcels abroad even more convenient. With Christmas just three months away, it’s perfect timing for people sending gifts to friends and family across the globe. If you have a Royal Mail label on your parcel, and it fits, put it in a postbox and we’ll do the rest.”
Royal Mail is on a drive to make sending and receiving parcels as convenient as possible for customers and is rapidly expanding its number of parcel points. On top of home delivery and collection, there are now almost 24,000 locations where customers can drop off and collect parcels, including 2,000 lockers, 7,800 Collect+ stores, 11,500 Post Office branches, 1,200 Royal Mail Customer Service Points and 1,400 parcel postboxes.
Source: International Distribution Services