Everything you need to know about Royal Mail shipping
Offering Royal Mail or Parcelforce delivery is a brilliant way to reach customers beyond your local delivery area. With British Flower Market’s dynamic shipping system, you can define your own box sizes and prices — and the platform will automatically work out the best box (or combination) for each order.
We support Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Parcelforce Express 24 services, with automatic size matching, smart packing, and accurate pricing.
What Shipping Services Are Supported?
Royal Mail Tracked 24
Fast, trackable delivery — usually next working day. Ideal for most bouquet and cut flower orders.
2025 Size Categories and Prices:
Small Parcel (Max: 45 × 35 × 16 cm, 2kg) – £3.89
Medium Parcel (Max: 61 × 46 × 46 cm, 20kg) – £6.49
Perfect for flowers, dried arrangements and wreaths.
Parcelforce Express 24
Next working day courier service for bigger or heavier boxes.
Max Length: 150cm
Max Girth: (2 × Width) + (2 × Height) + Length ≤ 300cm
Max Weight: 30kg
Online Price (2025): From ÂŁ9.99
Great for large wholesale shipments and florist orders.
Setting Up Nationwide Shipping (One-Time Setup)
To use the Royal Mail / Parcelforce shipping option, log in to your Vendor Dashboard and:
Step 1: Enable Shipping
Tick “Royal Mail / Parcelforce Delivery” in the Shipping Settings tab.
Step 2: Define Your Boxes
Set up your custom box types. For each one, enter:
A box label (e.g., “Small RM Parcel”)
Internal dimensions: Length, Width, Height in cm
The shipping price you want to charge (you control this)
Tip: Try to match Royal Mail or Parcelforce limits, but you can also use your own packaging sizes as long as they are within the range for each Royal Mail size. .
Don’t Forget to Add Product Dimensions
Each product listing must include:
Length (cm)
Width (cm)
Height (cm)
These fields are essential for the system to calculate whether a product fits inside your defined boxes.
You’ll find these fields when adding or editing a product in the vendor dashboard.
How Packing & Pricing Works
When a customer adds your products to their cart:
The system multiplies dimensions Ă— quantity
It adds a 15% buffer to ensure safe packing
It finds the best fit across your defined box options
It can mix boxes (e.g., 1 Ă— small + 1 Ă— medium)
The total shipping cost is shown at checkout
If nothing fits, this method won’t appear (pickup or local delivery will)
Wrapping Guidance
To reduce the chance of damage in transit:
Secure bunches with kraft paper and twine
Add padding to prevent shifting inside the box (e.g., reused paper, wool fleece)
Always use a sturdy outer box — flaps and corners must be intact
Avoid using soft mailing bags or unstructured wraps
Bonus tip: Include a printed card or tag with the bouquet for a professional finish.
Collection or Drop-Off Options
You don’t need to queue in a post office unless you want to. You have two options:
Option 1: Drop-Off
You can hand over parcels at:
Your local Post Office (Royal Mail)
A Parcelforce depot or Post Office with Parcelforce counter
Option 2: Book a Collection
You can also book doorstep pickup:
Royal Mail Click & Drop: Schedule home collections
Parcelforce Book a Collection: Via their website or depot contact
Collection charges range from ÂŁ0.30 per item
Tracking
All parcels shipped with Royal Mail Tracked 24 or Parcelforce Express 24 include a tracking number.
You’ll find the tracking field when marking the order as completed. Once entered, the customer:
Gets live email/SMS tracking updates from the courier
Can follow the parcel’s journey and ETA
Tracking helps reduce disputes and builds buyer confidence.
Example
Customer orders 4 bunches of flowers, each 40 Ă— 10 Ă— 8 cm.
You’ve defined two boxes:
“Small RM Parcel” — 45 × 35 × 16 cm (£4.50)
“Large Parcel” — 60 × 40 × 25 cm (£6.50)
The system determines that one small and one large box are needed.
The customer sees:
Royal Mail – 1 × Small, 1 × Large = £11.00
Benefits for You
Offer nationwide shipping without manually calculating parcel sizes
Set your own prices based on your packaging and costs
Automatically exclude Royal Mail if items are too large
Reduce support issues with built-in tracking
Reach more customers, not just those in your local area
Common Questions
Q: Do I have to use Royal Mail branded boxes?
No — any strong box that fits Royal Mail’s limits is fine.
Q: What if I don’t offer nationwide shipping?
No problem! Just leave the Royal Mail/Parcelforce box unticked.
Q: Can I see which box was used for the order?
Yes — the shipping label includes the selected box combination.
Q: Can I charge more than Royal Mail’s prices?
Absolutely. You’re free to reflect your packaging time, materials, and margin.