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Looking for a shipping carrier? Find out more about UK Mail services.
UK Mail is one of the main competitors of Royal Mail in the United Kingdom. Owned by the Deutsche Post DHL Group, UK Mail delivers to 30 million homes across the UK every day.
They work with thousands of businesses across the country, in a variety of different sectors, to deliver mail to both domestic and international customers. They offer a range of different mail services so you can choose the right one for your ecommerce business.
We’ve put together a guide to UK Mail courier services to help you understand the services they offer, so you can decide which one will be best for you and your customer.
Sorted Mail
The Sorted Mail service from UK Mail is a good option for businesses who have some time to sort their outgoing mail before it’s collected to be shipped to customers.
How does it work?
UK Mail will collect your pre-sorted mail at a convenient, pre-arranged time. They’ll take your items to their mailing centre to process, and then work with Royal Mail to deliver your items directly to your customers.
What are the benefits of using UK Mail Sorted delivery?
- Because you’re pre-sorting the mail, pricing is more competitive than if you use the Unsorted service
- Mail is guaranteed to be delivered the day after it’s collected, meaning you can offer your customers two-day delivery
- You’ll be assigned a dedicated account manager to deal with any questions or issues
- UK Mail are flexible with their collection times, so you can arrange one that suits your business needs
- UK Mail offer tracking throughout the process until your items are handed over to Royal Mail
- You’ll get online reporting with proof of delivery, giving you added protection in case of customer disputes
Who does the service suit?
Your business should consider opting for UK Mail’s Sorted service if you have time to sort your outgoing mail yourself.
It’s also a good option for items that need fast delivery, as a two-day turnaround is guaranteed, from item pickup to delivery.
Unsorted Mail
Another option for your ecommerce business is to use UK Mail’s Unsorted Mail service.
How does the service work?
With this service, you don’t need to sort your mail before it’s collected by UK Mail. They’ll collect your unsorted letters at a convenient time for your business, and process them from their facilities. Your mail will be sorted for you and passed to Royal Mail for final delivery.
Why is it beneficial?
- Free postage mark and return address application
- Customer service from a dedicated account manager to answer any issues or queries
- Flexible collection times
- Tracking from item collection to delivery
- Online reporting with proof of delivery
Who should use it?
If you don’t have the time to sort your items ahead of collection, this is the right service for your business as UK Mail will take this time-consuming task off your hands.
It is, however, a more expensive option than the Sorted service, which is something to consider. How would your business account for the increased shipping costs?
As with the Sorted service, UK Mail guarantee a two-day turnaround on delivery.
Hybrid Mail Service
If your business involves sending letters or documents out to customers rather than packages (for example, gift vouchers), this might be the best service to opt for.
How do you use the service?
It’s easy to use the Hybrid Mail service. You just need to upload the document you wish to send to your customers along with your distribution list to UK Mail’s online portal.
They’ll then print your documents, put them into envelopes and apply the postage marks ready for them to be sent.
Your letters will then be handed over to Royal Mail for delivery to your customers.
Why should you use it?
- The Hybrid service is more environmentally friendly than standard services, as no collection is required
- Cost savings of up to 50% compared to regular mail services
- Easy to scale: You can scale up printing and sending during peak periods for your business, without any extra work for you
- Save time: You’ll save time on printing letters or vouchers and stuffing envelopes, allowing you to spend more time focusing on other business priorities
- Guaranteed 48-hour turnaround time for the printing and delivery of your mail
- No hidden costs: the price is inclusive of all print, consumables, and postage
- Tracking included until your items are handed over to Royal Mail for final delivery
Who should use it?
The Hybrid service is great for ecommerce businesses that don’t need to send out bulky items or physical products. As UK Mail will print out your documents, it’s only really suitable for businesses that send out paper documents, like gift vouchers.
Integrate with ShippyPro
Whichever method of shipping you choose for sending items, you can integrate your UK Mail account with ShippyPro.
When you integrate your accounts, you can easily keep on top of your UK Mail orders. The easy-to-use dashboard makes it simple to keep track of orders, and you can print shipping labels in seconds.
International Mail: Outbound
If you’re a UK-based business looking to send items to international customers, UK Mail offers an outbound service to help you achieve this.
They offer three services for you to choose from, with Economy, Standard and Premium options to allow you to choose the one that best suits your business.
How do you use the service?
- Your mail will be collected from the production site and taken to UK Mail’s International Hub for processing
- Once processed, your mail is fed into the international postal system and delivered to your customers around the world
What are the benefits of it?
This service includes tracking to the final destination, offering peace of mind for both you and your customers.
What businesses does the service suit?
If you’re a UK-based e-commerce business with customers around the world, this is the service for you. You’ll be able to ship your products across the globe, with tracking to the final destination offering both you and your customers peace of mind.
International Mail: Inbound
If your business is based outside of the United Kingdom, you can use UK Mail’s services to send mail within the UK.
How does it work?
- Choose whether you want to use UK Mail’s international service for pre-sorted or unsorted mail
- Your items will be processed at UK Mail’s International Hub
- From there, it’ll be sent into their national distribution network for final delivery by Royal Mail to your customers
What are the benefits?
With this service, your customers will be provided with a UK return address in case there are any issues with their order. You also have the choice of using a pre-sorted or unsorted service, so you can choose the option which best suits your business and your budget.
Who does the service suit?
The international inbound service is designed for businesses based outside of the UK that are shipping items to customers within the United Kingdom. It’s a good choice if you want to broaden your customer base, and ensure your mail has a ‘local’ appearance for your customers.
Integrate UK Mail with ShippyPro
Ready to use UK Mail to ship to your customers? Streamline the process by integrating UK Mail with ShippyPro.
From ShippyPro’s easy-to-use dashboard, you can:
- Print your UK Mail labels
- Track your packages
- Create and manage returns
Get a free trial and see for yourself how easy it is. Sign up now for a free 30-order trail and start using UK Mail services today.