Royal Mail Click & Drop for resellers: a UK guide

Royal Mail Click & Drop is Royal Mail's free online tool for buying postage and printing labels. For a reseller who sends more than a few parcels a week, it removes the Post Office queue and the copying of addresses by hand.

TLDR: Open a free Click & Drop account, connect your selling channels, and import your orders. Pick a service, pay, print the labels, and drop the parcels at a Post Office, or a parcel postbox, or book a collection.

What Click & Drop does

Click & Drop does three jobs:

• Buys postage online for Royal Mail and Parcelforce services.
• Imports orders from marketplaces and shop platforms, so you do not type addresses.
• Prints labels for one parcel or a whole batch at once.

It can also send tracking numbers back to the marketplace, so the order shows as dispatched without a separate step. Check that this is set for each channel you connect.

How to set it up

1. Create a free account on the Royal Mail website.
2. Connect your channels. Click & Drop links to eBay and a range of other marketplaces and shop platforms. You can also add orders by hand or import them from a file.
3. Set your defaults. Save your usual parcel sizes and weights, and the service you use most.
4. Choose a label format. You can print on plain paper or on label sheets. A thermal label printer is faster if you send a lot, but plain paper works.

Choosing a service for each parcel

The right service depends on the value of the item and what the buyer paid for.

• Low-value items can go on an untracked service. If one goes missing, you may have no proof of delivery to defend a claim.
• Mid-value items should go tracked. A tracking record answers most "not received" claims on eBay.
• High-value items need a service with enough compensation cover for the item's value. Check the cover before you rely on it, because standard services have limits.

Measure and weigh every parcel. Royal Mail prices by size and weight, and a parcel that is bigger or heavier than you paid for can be charged extra.

Getting parcels to Royal Mail

Once the labels are on, you have several options:

• A Post Office. Hand over the pre-labelled parcels.
• A parcel postbox. Some postboxes take prepaid parcels with a barcode label. Check the size limit on the box.
• A collection. You can book Royal Mail to collect from your door. Check the current options and any charge in Click & Drop before you book.

Packing comes first

A cheap label does not help if the item arrives damaged. Sealed boxes need a box, not a bag, and enough padding that the corners cannot hit the outer wall. Our guide to posting Pokémon cards in the UK covers how to pack cards and sealed products.

Before Christmas, check the last posting dates for each service. Our Christmas last posting dates post lists them.

Count postage in your margin

Postage is a real cost on every sale. If you charge the buyer less than it costs you, the difference comes out of your profit. Add postage and packaging to your records for each sale, as our reselling profit tracker guide shows.

Where this connects

Postage is the end of the job. The start is buying stock at a price that leaves room for postage, fees and profit. Paragn runs monitors across more than 1,000 UK retailers and alerts members when limited stock lands at RRP.

Common questions

Is Royal Mail Click & Drop free to use?

Yes. The Click & Drop account is free. You pay only for the postage you buy.

Can I import eBay orders into Click & Drop?

Yes. Click & Drop connects to eBay and a range of other marketplaces and shop platforms, so it can import orders and addresses for you.

Do I need a label printer for Click & Drop?

No. You can print labels on plain paper and attach them securely. A thermal label printer is faster if you send many parcels.

Where can I drop off a Click & Drop parcel?

At a Post Office or at a parcel postbox that takes prepaid parcels. You can also book a collection from your address.

Should I use tracked postage when I resell?

For anything of value, yes. A tracking record is the main evidence you have when a buyer says an item did not arrive.