Why use the delivery date API
Recommended starting point
A starting point in the Timeframe API to show customers the possible day and time of arrival.
Avoid showing impossible delivery dates
PostNL delivery days and dates are always up to date by using this service and takes into account ‘non-business’ days like Sundays and public holidays.
Find out the delivery date and send date of parcels
This API contains two methods; it calculates the expected delivery date for shipment and can calculates the date to handover or send the shipments.
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Documentation
View our exhaustive documentation.
Postman
All of our API's available as Postman collections.
Github
Find PostNL on Github.
Sandbox
Test your integration by copying the endpoint.
Guidelines
Learn more about the Delivery date API guidelines.
Using the methods
Based on the (first possible) shipping date you can determine the appropriate delivery date by PostNL. The delivery date can be requested through the GetDeliveryDate method.
You can use the GetSentDate method to determine the date that you need to supply the parcel to PostNL in order to have the parcel delivered to your customer on the date supplied to this service.
You can use Shipping Duration to define a delay in shipping the parcels to a PostNL location. Shipping duration means the duration it takes from the moment the order is created up until delivery to PostNL.
A value of 1 means that you prepare and send the shipment on the same day. A value of 2 means that there is a day in-between preparing the shipment and the shipment arriving at a PostNL location etc.
Best practice
Integrate all three PostNL frontend webservices into your checkout and empower your customers to choose the delivery option that suits them best.
First use the Deliverydate webservice (Get deliverydate method) to determine the available and possible delivery date(s), based on your shipping date. Use the received date from this service as a starting point in the Timeframe webservice to show customers the possible day and time of arrival. In this way you avoid showing not possible deliverydates. The postal code that customers enter by placing their order, determine the timeframes that apply to their address.
Use the Location webservice to show the nearest pickup point(s) based on the postal code or coordinates of the customers. The location(s) can be shown in a map if you want to make it visually more appealing.
The Visual assets can be useful to create a delivery options frame in your checkout.
Public holidays
This service takes into account ‘non-business’ days like public holidays.
Sunday sorting
It is possible to allow for Sunday sorting. With Sunday sorting enabled, Monday will also be a valid delivery day. When using this option, make sure you have selected Monday delivery in your contract.
Delivery options (GetDeliveryDate)
It is possible to specify which delivery options should be considered when returning a deliverydate using the field Options. The GetDeliveryDate method will also specify which delivery option is applicable to the returned delivery date in the Option field.
Only one delivery option can be specified at once (with exception of Sameday in combination with Evening).
Options | Description |
Daytime | Daytime delivery |
Evening | Evening delivery |
Morning | Morning delivery before 10:00 |
Noon | Morning delivery before 12:00 |
Today* | Delivery on day of handover to PostNL |
Afternoon | Afternoon delivery before 17:00 |
| * The Today delivery option will be returned on any given day (Mon – Sun), but will only be on the first following business day. |
Delivery options (GetSentDate)
It is also possible to specify the above delivery options when returning a sentdate by using the Options field.
Note: the given Options will not effect the response; it is always processed as Daytime option.