Products

We distinguish three common products:

Business rules (for all products)

• Receiver address fields required:
  Home number (only mandatory for Benelux shipments)
  Postcode (only mandatory for Benelux shipments)
  City
  Country code
  Street
  Last name/ Company name (at least one is required)
• Barcode requirements*:
  Type must be 3S
  Range must be 1-4 letter string
  Serie must be 7-12 digits
  Barcode must be 13-15 characters long

*Not mandatory for Parcels non-EU labels.

Business rules

• Insurance amount (type 02) is required. 
• Insurance amount entered cannot exceed the maximum allowed amount (€ 5000,-)

With the delivery option Pickup Points your customers can choose a pick up point (in Dutch: Ophalen bij PostNL-punt to pick up their parcels.

More than 4000 pick up points available in supermarkets, bookstores etc.

It is mandatory to use a frontend solution of PostNL to let your customers choose a pick up point. This frontend solution will return the correct information about the pick up point, which you will have to use in the Shipping, Labelling and/or Confirming API. Please check the specific documentation for more specific information.

Note:
It is also possible to let your customers choose pick up points in Belgium.
Please contact your PostNL accountmanager if you consider this option. For more information see the paragraph Pickup at PostNL Location Belgium.

Furthermore, in the Shipping, Labelling and/or Confirming API you will need to provide us with:

• the complete address of your customer
• the complete address of the pick up point

Confirming is essential for Pick up Points shipments. Without a confirming on time, it is not possible to process these parcels.

* These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.

Business rules

• Receiver address fields required:
  Company name or last name
  Street
  Home number
  Postcode
  City
• Ophalen bij PostNL locatie address fields required:
  Company name
  Street
  Home number
  Postcode
  City
• Receiver contact fields required (only for the product codes with Notification):
  Email address or mobile phone number

With this product you will have the possibility to send a shipment that fits into the mailbox of your customers and have some shipping status information during the shipping process.

Note: It is not possible to sent multiple shipments of this product (Multicollo) in one request to the Shipping or Labelling webservice.

Please use the latest version of the Shipping | Labelling API because a required coding line is added to the Mailbox parcel label template.

What is a coding line?
A coding line is a readable line of text, consisting of letters and numbers. It is printed on all postal items we process through our letter department and allows us to deliver your mail smarter and faster.

The coding line is based on parameters such as delivery date and address and therefore address-specific content of the coding line can change over time. To ensure its validity coding lines must be retrieved from an online PostNL solution. 

When the coding line has been successfully generated you will also see the Letter on the labels of the sorting center which you will need for productcode 2929 (BBP+ sorted).

Proces
You can only generate coding lines if you add the DeliveryDate during the labelling phase. The DeliveryDate can be in the format date <dd-mm-yyyy> or in the format date+time <dd-mm-yyyy hh:mm:ss>. The date is mandatory, but you can choose whether you want to add the time as well.

For a correct DeliveryDate you can use the next following working day.

Please use the exact same DeliveryDate during generating labels and confirmation.

Error codes of the coding line (default coding lines)
Please make sure that single Coding text requests are made with a minimum interval of 200 milliseconds between service calls. Also make sure to complete this process at least 3 times before falling back to the default coding line. This way you get as many good coding lines as possible on the parcels.

N0N coding line 

#000N0N#00#0000#

This default coding rule occurs if no proper coding rule is issued within the process before the labelling process continues.

X0X coding line

#0000X0X#00#0000#

This default coding rule can be caused by a foreign address, an address unknown (to PostNL), the presence of a PostNL service at that address (eg moving service) or an incorrect use of the DeliveryDate. If larger amounts of X0X coding rules are generated, it is often because the DeliveryDate is not correctly specified (see above).

This product offers you the ability to make sure that confidential and age-validation transactions can be secure. So if you have some product(s) were identification or age control is required, it is possible to let the deliverer check the ID.

Age validation

Combine these product codes with the following product option: 

• product option: characteristic 002, option 014

Pickup Points (ID check) 

It is also possbile to send the parcels to PostNL Pickup Points. You can use the below product codes. Please note that you also have to use the product options and business rules as described above.

ID Check products must be used in combination with a specific product option:

• Age validation requires product option: characteristic 002, option 014

PostNL offers the possibility of sending registered mail items. This is called Registered letter labels. This offers you the ability to make sure that confidential and age-validation transactions can be secure. So if you have some letter(s) were identification or age control is required, it is possible to let the deliverer check the ID.

There are two possibilities:

- Registered letters (1010, 1011, 1020, 1410, 1420)

- ID check labels (1175)

These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL account manager.

Offering dangerous goods (ADR shipments) with a statutory exemption, is only possible if a special business contract of carriage has been concluded with PostNL Pakketten. The transport of dangerous goods with a statutory exemption is permitted subject to certain conditions. Please contact your PostNL Pakketten account manager if you want to ship this goods. All the domestic product codes can be used in combination with dangerous goods, except the product codes for letters. The products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager. 

Combine these product codes with the following product option:

• product option: characteristic 136, option 006

Business rules

• Product option and Characteristic are required. 
• Field Reference must be filled with ADR/LQ (possibly followed by your own customer reference)

Return labels Belgium
PostNL also offers the possibility to create return labels for Belgium. See paragraph Return labels Belgium.

The Afhaalservice Basis and Plus (Pickup Basic and Plus) allows you to instruct a PostNL Parcels driver to go to a specific address on a specific date to retrieve (a) parcel(s). A maximum of 5 parcels can be collected per pick up, pick up requests with more than 5 parcels will be denied. The parcel(s) will then be delivered to an (antwoordnummer)address specified by you. The driver will provide the shipment label, so there is no option to create one via the API. For these products, the Confirming WebService must be used. For an example of a Pickup basic shipment, please refer to the Confirming WebService documentation.

*If you use the Pickup Plus service you must use both product codes (3151 and 3238).     

**If you use the Pickup Basic service you must use both product codes (3160 and 3238).

Pickup products have a specific structure different from regular parcels or Cargo shipments. Pickup products consist of two Shipments, the collection order and the delivery order. Both orders must be placed in a separate Shipment in the request. This means that a request for a pickup product will contain two Shipment segments. Please refer to the Confirming API documentation for an example of a pickup plus order and a pickup basic order.

• A customer with AddressType 02 is required.

PostNL Pakketten will deliver parcels on working days between 5.00 – 10.00 pm. It is mandatory to use a frontend solution of PostNL to let your customers choose a evening for the delivery. This frontend solution (timeframe webservice) will return the correct information about the delivery, which you will have to use in the confirming and / or labelling service. For example: for evening delivery you will need product options. Please check the specific confirming and / of labelling documentation for more information.

You will need to provide us with the delivery date of the parcel. This delivery date will be checked in our database. We cannot provide evening delivery for all addresses in the Netherlands. Therefore it is important to check if the stated delivery date and postal code are known in our database.

For evening delivery, confirming is essential. Without a confirming on time, it is not possible to process these parcels. Therefore, we advise strongly to use the method ‘generate label’ in the labelling service. Furthermore, you will need to hand over the parcels one day before the delivery date. If you hand over the evening parcels too soon or too late, they will be delivered the next evening.

* These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.
** It is mandatory to use a combination of product code and a product option. The PostNL frontend will return this product option.

Combine these product codes with the following product option:

• product option: characteristic 118, option 006

Business rules

• Delivery date is required:
  • Evening delivery must be allowed on the given delivery date

• Receiver address fields required:
  • Company name or last name 
  • Street 
  • Home number 
  • Postcode 
  • City

• Evening delivery must be allowed on the address specified
  • Receiver contact mobile or email is required

PostNL Pakketten will deliver parcels on sundays between 12:00 -18:00 pm. All postal codes (except P.O boxes) in the Netherlands are being served. Only the Wadden Islands are exclude from this service for the time being.

* These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager
** It is mandatory to use a combination of product code and a product option.

Combine these product codes with the following product option: 

• product option: characteristic 101, option 008

Business rules

• Delivery date is required:&
  • Sunday delivery must be allowed on the given delivery date

• Receiver address fields required
  • Company name or last name
  • Street
  • Home number
  • Postcode
  • City

• Sunday delivery must be allowed on the address specified

PostNL Parcels offers the possibility to deliver parcels on the same day if customers order before lunchtime*. This product is available on Monday till Friday and will be delivered in the evening between 6.00 – 10.00 pm. We cannot provide same day delivery for all addresses in the Netherlands, therefore it is important to check if the postal codes are known in our database and allow evening/ same day delivery. This can be done by using the Timeframe WebService.

*This is a indicative time; for the exact time please contact your PostNL Pakketten account manager.

* These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager
** It is mandatory to use a combination of product code and a product option.

Combine these product codes with the following product options (both product options are needed for this product):

• product option: characteristic 118, option 015
• product option: characteristic 118, option 006

Business rules

• Delivery date is required:
  • Sameday delivery must be allowed on the given delivery date

• Receiver address fields required:
  • Company name or last name
  • Street
  • Home number
  • Postcode

• Receiver contact mobile phone number or email address
  • Sameday delivery must be allowed on the address specified (use the timeframe webservice)

If your customer needs the parcel the next day as soon as possible and/or guaranteed, then you can use the product guaranteed delivery. There are four options: (1) on working days before 09:00 2) on working days before 10:00 (3) on working days before 12:00 (4) and on working days before 17:00. If the service has not been carried out according to our promises, you can request a reimbursement of the surcharge. Ideal for recipients who need certainty on their shipment.

This service is available for the whole Netherlands, excluding the Wadden Islands. There is no guaranteed distribution on Saturday and Sunday. To be able to use guaranteed delivery, please contact your PostNL Pakketten account manager for more information.

* These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager
** It is mandatory to use a combination of product code and a product option.

Combine these product codes with one of the following product options: 

• product option: characteristic 118, option 017 (delivery before 09:00) 
• product option: characteristic 118, option 007 (delivery before 10:00) 
• product option: characteristic 118, option 008 (delivery before 12:00) 
• product option: characteristic 118, option 012 (delivery before 17:00)

Business rules

• Delivery date is required
  • Guaranteed delivery must be allowed on the given delivery date

• Receiver address field required:
  • Street 
  • Home number 
  • Postcode 
  • City

• Guaranteed delivery must be allowed on the address specified
• Receiver contact mobile phone number or email address is required. 

Note: Due to the fact that in some cases another connection is required for this product. It is important to contact your PostNL accountmanager or partnermanager before implementing this product.

With the service ‘Instant/ On demand Bike Delivery’ you can book instant, within 2-hour delivery or 2 hour timeslots delivery to consumers in designated service areas within cities. The receiver can choose a timeframe of two hours themselves in the checkout of the webshop, when he/she wishes to receive the parcel, the first time slot starting at the first 15 minute interval available and ending 2 hours after the start of that timeframe (E.a. 13.15 - 13.30 - 13.45 - 14.00) During the delivery, the consumer will receive extra push notifications via e-mail with confirmation of order, confirmation of pick-up and confirmation of delivery. This way, the consumer is even better in control of receiving the parcel.

PostNL delivers the parcels from Monday to Friday in the chosen timeframe (two hours between 12:00-20:00 h).

This service is locally and only on request available in certain cities in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven). The zip codes are user specific and managed by the customer. Postal codes of every pick-up location have to be shared with PostNL and you will receive a service area specifically for each pick-up location. Every order must be checked in combination with the desired delivery area.

Before booking an order there must have been a confirmation at the pick-up location that the requested order is available on the location and that the location is going to be able to pick, package and label every order individually at a maximum of 15 minutes after the start of the requested pick-up slot.

When an address is not attainable in the chosen timeframe, for example in (traffic) situations and circumstances beyond the control of PostNL, PostNL cannot be held responsible failing in delivery within the chosen timeframe. The receiver of the parcel is responsible to choose a timeframe when its address is attainable.

This timeframe option can be combined with the following products:

* These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.
** It is mandatory to use a combination of product code and a product option. The PostNL frontend will return this product option.

Combine these products with on of the following product options:

• product option: characteristic 118, option 032
• product option: characteristic 152, option 025

• DeliveryTimeStampEnd and DeliveryTimeStampStart are required. This fields should contain the timeframe retrieved from the Timeframe webservice response.
• Delivery date is required.
• Sender address field is required:
  • Street
  • Home number
  • Postalcode
  • City
• Receiver address field required:
  • Street
  • Home number
  • Postalcode
  • City
• Max. dimensions is 60x60x40 cm
• Max. amount of parcels in one shipment: 2
• Max. total weight is 15KG
• Receiver contact fields required
• Email address is obligatory and mobile phone number is optional

* Can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.

Standard delivery to Belgium.
Please be aware: these products need to be added to your contract before using them. Contact your PostNL Pakketten accountmanager in order to check if additional action is needed.

*   Can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.
** It is possible to let your customers choose pick up points in Belgium. It is mandatory to use a frontend solution to let your customer choose a pick up point. See for more information the paragraph Pickup Points (Dutch domestic products).
*** Business rules Insurance amount (type 02) is required and cannot exceed the maximum allowed amount (€ 5000,-)

PostNL offers the possibility to create returns labels for Belgium.
You can request return labels in the same two ways for Dutch domestic return shipments (Label in the box and a single label). You can request a return label directly, or you can request a return label with your regular shipping label (label in the box). Both examples are shown below.

Single label variant
The return labels for Belgium require some specific fields to be used:

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02
• Countrycode: BE
• Product code: dependent on the origin country. If your company is located in the Netherlands, you must use product code 3250. If your company is located in Belgium you must use product code 4882.

Label in the box
For the label in the box variant, you adjust your regular shipping label API call with some extra parameters. This results in an output of two labels, one initial shipping label and one return label.Label in the box return labels require some specific fields to be used:

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02
• return address: Shipment/Address/AddressType 08
• product code: regular product codes
• return barcode: Shipment/ReturnBarcode

For the return process in Belgium, a printed label on the box is required. Labels can not be printed within the PostNL pick-up points.

*No separate product code, created your return label at the same moment as you create the shipment label.
** These product codes can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.

Business rules
Address type 1 Contact fields required: Email address *

*To receive a digital confirmation of handing over the parcel to PostNL.

Product codes 4940, 4944, 4950 and 4952 can still be used for the Parcel EU product until further notice.

* This product code is only available for destination France and can only be used after consulting your PostNL account manager.

Per the 1st of January 2023 we renewed our International Parcel portfolio . In order to profit from our new international services, we ask you to adjust the way of pre-alerting. Instructions are available here.

Parcel EU shipments are available ‘2C’ recipient is a consumer or ‘2B’ recipient is a business. Next to this there are three services available:

• A Parcel Track & trace is a parcel with track & trace.
• A Parcel Track & trace insured is a parcel with track & trace, proof of delivery and insured up to €50,-
• A Parcel Track & Trace Insured Plus is a parcel with track & trace, proof of delivery and insured up to €500,-.

Read more about our international parcel solutions.

For an example API message of this product, view our example messages in the postman collection.

The barcode type for the above barcodes is 3S and the barcode length contains 13 characters. PostNL automatically provides you with the correct shipping label. Track & trace and billing for all parcel EU shipments are based on the 3S barcode.

Parcel EU is available to the following destinations: AT, BG, HR, CY, DK (1), EE, FI, FR (2), DE, SI, GR, HU, IE, IT (3), LV, LT, LU, MT, CZ, PL, PT (4), RO, SK, ES (5), SE

1. Excluding Faroe Islands and Greenland
2. Including Monaco and Corsica. Excluding Andorra
3. Excluding San Marino and Vatican City
4. Including Azores and Madeira
5. Including Balearic Islands. Excluding Canary Islands, Melilla and Ceuta

To recognize the Canary Islands (5):

Las Palmas has country code IC and zip codes start with 35. Santa Cruz has country code IC and zip codes start with 38. Melilla has country code IC and zip code starts with 52.

Parcels to the Channel Islands, the Canary Islands can only be sent with the Parcels non-EU product: Ask your account manager about the available options.

Business rules

• Barcode requirements
  • Type must be 3S
  • Range must be 1-4 letter string
  • Serie must be 7-12 digits
  • Barcode must be 13 characters long
• Receiver country must be a Parcels EU country
• Receiver address fields required
  • Company name or last name
  • City
  • Country code

With this product you give your customers abroad the opportunity to return a shipment free of charge. This can be done through a local post office in 23 European countries. Parcels are then fully traceable. 

Check the PostNL site for more information and the countries where this service can be used.

*You have to use the Shipping API v1 for this product.

Note: The output is .pdf. It is not possible to creat a .zpl format label.

Business rules

Receiver contact email address is required.

Product codes 4945 and 4947 can still be used for the Parcel Non-EU product until further notice. Please note for destination UK (DDP) and US (DDU) we also have specific solutions.

Per the 1st of January 2023 we renewed our International Parcel portfolio . In order to profit from our new international services, we ask you to adjust the way of pre-alerting. Instructions are available here.

For Parcel Non-EU there are three services available:

• A Parcel Track & trace is a parcel with track & trace.
• A Parcel Track & trace insured is a parcel with track & trace, proof of delivery and insured up to €50,-.
• A Parcel Track & Trace Insured Plus is a parcel with track & trace, proof of delivery and insured up to €500,-.

Read more about our international parcel solutions.

For an example API message of this product, view our example messages in the Postman collection.

The barcode type for the above products is a single internationally recognized S10 barcode and the barcode length contains 13 characters. Parcels non-EU S10 barcodes can only be generated via the API, using the Barcode method. Details are mentioned in the Barcode Webservice documentation.

PostNL automatically provides you with the correct shipping label. Track & trace and billing for all parcel Non EU shipments are based on the S10 barcode. The labels are printed on A5 paper (two or three forms A4, depending on the type of goods shipped).

Country codes

Parcels non-EU covers all countries except for the countries as mentioned in previous and Dutch/Belgium domestic sections. Please be aware of the specific exceptions as mentioned in the Parcels EU section.

Business rules

• Receiver address fields required
  • Company name or last name
  • City
  • Country code
• Parcels non-EU product code
  • Barcode type must be S10
  • Either receiver or sender country code must not be an Parcels EU country
  • Customs segment
  • For shipments to the USA the contact segment must contain either a phone number or an e-mail address.
  • At least one Content segment
  • Shipment type (the following types are possible: Documents, Commercial Sample, Commercial Goods, Returned Goods)
  • You must use the field “HandleAsNonDeliverable” with the value “false”.

* These product codes can only be used after consulting your PostNL account manager.

Per the 1st of January 2023 we renewed our International portfolio .

For (letterbox)packets three services are available:

• A (letterbox)packet Basic is a packet without extra services
• A (letterbox)packet Track & trace is a packet with Track&Trace.
• A Packet Track & Trace Insured is a packet with track&trace, proof of delivery and insured up to €50,-.

Read more about our international parcel solutions.

For an example API message of this product, view our example messages in the postman collection.

The barcode type for the above products is a single internationally recognized S10 barcode and the barcode length contains 13 characters. S10 barcodes can only be generated via the API, using the Barcode method. Details are mentioned in the Barcode Webservice documentation.

PostNL automatically provides you with the correct shipmentlabel. Track & trace and billing for all shipments are based on the S10 barcode.

Note: You have to use the latest version of the Labelling API (2.2) or Shipping API (V1).

Cargo products allow you to send pallet shipments to several European countries. PostNL Pakketten offers the following Cargo services:

• Benelux Freight: pallets with destination Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg 
• Euro Freight: pallets with destination Europe, except Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. 
• Guaranteed delivery (only domestic shipments) 
• Cargo pickup 
• Half Europallets 
• Roll cage containers
  
• ADR-shipments

The following conditions applies:

• Pallets can only be sent to B2B addresses, not to Post office boxes or consumers. 

*  These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.
** For ADR shipments, please ask your PostNL Cargo accountmanager for the documentation.

Country codes Eurofreight

Barcode type
Cargo barcodes can be generated via the PostNL API, using the Barcode method. Details are mentioned in the Barcode method documentation. The barcode type is 3S and the barcode length is 15.

Multiple or different items in one shipment
When having a shipment with different load carriers for the same receiver address.(Pallets in combination with a Roll Cage Container in one shipment for example), use the ‘content’ field (in Shipments -> Shipment, String [0-35]) to let us know which load carrier the item will be on. Remark: This is not a necessary field for shipping a standard pallet or parcel plus. Always consult your account manager before implementing the load carriers. The following carriers can be used for with the different product codes:

Remarks for the truck driver
Do you have a specific remark for the truck driver, for example ‘Please ring at the blue gate’, use the ‘Remark’ field (in Shipments -> Shipment, String [0-255]).

Combine one of the above product codes with one of the following product options:

• 118;007 for delivery before 10 am
• 118;008 for delivery before 12 am
• 118;013 for delivery before 14 pm
• 118;028 for delivery between 07:00 – 08:00
• 118;017 for delivery between 08:00 – 09:00
• 118;012 for delivery between 08:00 – 17:00
• 118;029 for delivery between 09:00 – 18:00
• 118;040 for delivery between 10:00 – 18:00
• 118;030 for delivery between 12:00 – 18:00
• 118;041 for delivery between 14:00 – 18.00

* These products can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.
** It is mandatory to use a combination of product code and a product option.

Combine these product codes with the following product option:

• product option: characteristic 135, option 001

These product codes must be combined with a pickup address (type 04)

Business rules

• Customer number is required.

At PostNL we offer multiple return solutions. See below which solution fits the best and find out the implementation specifications.

*These product codes can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager. 

**No separate product code, create your return label at the same moment as you create the outbound shipment label.

Product should be combined with at least one or more return services.

The standard return term after pre-announcement is 20 days. Research has shown that most consumers return within this time frame and therefore this standard is set. An additional product option of 100 days return term is available upon request, please contact your account manager.     

Smart Returns 

PostNL offers the possibility of printing the Return label with a business reply number return address at a PostNL location. This is convenient for the returning consumer because it is a label free solution. By adding the provided product options in the API call PostNL will provide an additional barcode in the response. The barcode is shared digitally from the webshop to the returning consumer and is scanned at handover to PostNL.

Return labels require some specific fields to be used:

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01, always a business reply number 
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02
• product code: 2285
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 025 and if necessary, characteristic: 191 and option: 001
• sender contact information required: contacttype 02, with emailaddress of consumer. Consumer is sender, fill in the emailaddress to make sure consumer is informed.
• return barcode: Shipment/Barcode

Shipping & return label 

PostNL offers the possibility of returning your parcel with the same label as is used for the outbound parcel. The receivers can use this label option to return the shipments free of charge via a PostNL location or at the door when a PostNL driver comes to deliver another parcel.   

Available from Q4 (2022) upon request, please contact your account manager.

Return labels require some specific fields to be used:

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02
• return address: Shipment/Address/AddressType 08, always a business reply number
• product code of outbound shipment (eg 3085)
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 026 and characteristic: 191 and option: 001 
• return barcode: Shipment/ReturnBarcode 
• required contact information: contacttype 01, with email address of consumer. Fill in the email address to make sure consumer is informed.

Single Label 

PostNL Parcels offers the possibility of providing a single return label that allows consumers to send parcels to your Business reply number.  The return label is provided from the webshop to the returning consumer and is printed and applied to the parcel by the consumer.  The consumer can use this label to return the shipments free of charge via a PostNL location or return at the door when a PostNL driver comes to deliver another parcel. 

Return labels require some specific fields to be used: 

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01. Always a business reply number 
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02 
• product code: 2285 
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 027 and if necessary, characteristic: 191 and option: 001 
• sender contact information required: contacttype 02, with emailaddress of consumer. Consumer is sender, fill in the emailaddress to make sure consumer is informed.
• return barcode: Shipment/Barcode

Label in the box

PostNL offers the possibility of sending return labels along with parcels. We call this the ‘Label in the box return label’. The receivers can use this label to return the shipments free of charge via a PostNL location or return at the door when a PostNL driver comes to deliver another parcel.     

The barcode of the return label is linked to the barcode of the outbound shipment label. 

Return labels require some specific fields to be used:

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02 
• return address: Shipment/Address/AddressType 08, always a business reply number 
• product code of outbound shipment (for example: 3085) 
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 028 and characteristic: 191 and option: 001 
• return barcode: Shipment/ReturnBarcode 
• required contact information: contacttype 01, with emailaddress of consumer. Fill in the emailaddress to make sure consumer is informed.

*These product codes can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten account manager.

**No separate product code, create your return label at the same moment as you create the outbound shipment label.

Services
Product should be combined with at least one or more return services.

Product should be combined with at least one or more return services.

The standard return term after pre-announcement is 20 days. Research has shown that most consumers return within this time frame and therefore this standard is set. An additional product option of 100 days return term is available upon request, please contact your account manager.

Smart Returns 

PostNL offers the possibility of printing the Return label with a home address for returns at a PostNL location. This is convenient for the returning customer because it is a label free solution.  By adding the provided product options (see below) in the API call , PostNL will provide an additional barcode in the response.  The barcode is shared digitally from the webshop to the returning customer and is scanned at handover to PostNL. 

Return labels require some specific fields to be used: 

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01. Always a home address 
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02 
• product code: 3285 
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 025 and if necessary, characteristic: 191 and option: 001
• Sender contact information required: contacttype 02, with emailaddress of consumer. Consumer is sender, fill in the emailaddress to make sure consumer is informed.
• return barcode: Shipment/Barcode

Shipping & return label  

PostNL offers the possibility of returning your parcel with the same label as is used for the outbound parcel. The receivers can use this label option to return the shipments free of charge via a PostNL location or at the door when a PostNL driver comes to deliver another parcel.  

Available from Q4 (2022) upon request, please contact your account manager 

Return labels require some specific fields to be used:

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02
• return address: Shipment/Address/AddressType 08, always a home address 
• product code of outbound shipment (eg 3085) 
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 026 and characteristic: 191 and option: 001 
• return barcode: Shipment/ReturnBarcode 
• required contact information: contacttype 01, with emailaddress of consumer. Fill in the emailaddress to make sure consumer is informed. 

Single Label 

PostNL Parcels  offers the possibility of providing a single return label, that allows customers to send parcels to a home address for returns.    The return label is provided from the webshop to the consumer and should be printed by the consumer. The consumer can use this label to return the shipments free of charge via a PostNL location or at the door when a PostNL driver comes to deliver another parcel. 

Return labels require some specific fields to be used: 

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01. Always a home address 
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02
• product code: 3285 
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 027 and if necessary, characteristic: 191 and option: 001 
• sender contact information required: contacttype 02, with emailaddress of consumer. Consumer is sender, fill in the emailaddress to make sure consumer is informed.  
• return barcode: Shipment/Barcode

Label in the box 

PostNL offers the possibility of sending return labels along with parcels. We call this the ‘Label in the box return label’. The receivers can use this label to return the shipments free of charge via a PostNL location or at the door when a PostNL driver comes to deliver another parcel.     

The barcode of the return label is linked to the barcode of the outbound shipment label. 

Return labels require some specific fields to be used:

• address of receiver: Shipment/Address/AddressType 01 
• address of sender: Customer/Address/AddressType 02 
• return address: Shipment/Address/AddressType 08, always a home address  
• product code of outbound shipment (eg 3085) 
• product option: characteristic: 152 and option: 028 and characteristic: 191 and option: 001  
• return barcode: Shipment/ReturnBarcode 

required contact information: contacttype 01, with emailaddress of consumer. Fill in the emailaddress to make sure consumer is informed.

• Contacttype is 01. The consumer starts as the receiver of the outbound parcel. During the return journey PostNL will make sure that the contact information of the consumer is placed correctly. The consumer  can now also follow its parcel as a return parcel in track & trace and will receive digital proof of handover. 

• Contact type is 02. The consumer is now the sender of the parcel. The consumer will receive digital  proof of handover and can follow its return parcel in Track & Trace.

PostNL Extra@Home has introduced a unique service whereby large and heavy goods, also named XL goods, will be delivered and installed. These XL goods are furniture, televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.
Before the delivery takes place, customers will receive a text message or e-mail informing them of the delivery window (timeframe). On the day of delivery, the customers will receive a second notification with the exact time of delivery. Extra@Home knows 2 kinds of delivery: by one-man or two-men transport, depending on the dimensions of the order.

Specifications of the dimension criteria of Extra@Home products can be requested at eh-logistiek@postnl.nl. Products should only be addressed to private home addresses, so not to P.O boxes or pickup points.

Delivery will be on weekdays (Monday till Friday) between 08:00 and 21:00 and optional on Saturday (with a surcharge).

NL: Netherlands, BE: Belgium, LU: Luxembourg
* These articles can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten accountmanager.

Please always choose directly the correct product code for the order to prevent delivery problems.

Combine these product codes with the following product option if you want to send with COD:

• product option: chararteristic 003 option 003

Business rules  

• Shipment.Content is required 
• Shipment.Reference is required (this should be unique for each shipment as this will be used to generate the Extra@Home order reference) 
• Volume is required (approximation suffices) 
• Weight is required (approximation suffices) 
• Mobile phone number required for text messages with ETA; 
• E-mail adress required for link Customer Portal incl. Track &Trace.

The pickup service allows you to instruct a PostNL Parcels driver to go to a specific address on a specific date to retrieve (a) parcel(s). The parcel(s) will then be delivered to an address specified by you. The driver will provide the shipment label, so there is no option to create one via the API. For these products, the Confirming WebService must be used. For an example of a Extra @ Home Pickup shipment, please refer to the Confirming WebService documentation.

* These articles can only be used after consulting your PostNL Pakketten accountmanager.

Address type for pick-up
PostNL internal applications validate the receiver address. In case the spelling of addresses should be different according to our PostNL information, the address details will be corrected. This can be noticed in Track & Trace. Please note that the webservice will not add address details. Street and City fields will only be printed when they are in the call towards the labeling webservice.
The element Address type is a code in the request. Possible values for pickup orders: