What should online retailers and programmers know about Posti’s new Smartpost parcel lockers?

New Smartpost parcel lockers expand Posti’s pickup point network at a quick pace. Online retailers can offer their customers parcel lockers located in apartment buildings and offices as a delivery alternative and, in that way, facilitate and speed up e-commerce.

This is how consumers use Smartpost parcel lockers

Smartpost parcel lockers bring online store products closer to recipients than ever before. In addition to receiving parcels, you can also send customer returns and pre-paid parcels through a parcel locker. Parcel lockers also have a mail slot for sending cards and letters. There are no payment terminals in parcel lockers that are located in residential buildings or offices, so the shipments including the Cash on Delivery will always be directed to a parcel locker that has a payment terminal or to a Posti outlet.

What kind of parcels can be sent to Smartpost parcel lockers?

The size of the biggest parcel locker is L 70 x D 40 x H 40 cm. In addition to delivery of goods, it is also possible to send foodstuffs and food in insulated boxes to Smartpost. Insulated boxes have cold gels in them to ensure that the cold chain is not interrupted.

A postal parcel transported to a parcel locker

You can send items to parcel lockers with the Postal parcel transport service, and the item will be delivered to the recipient on the next weekday in the same way as in other pickup points. The recipient receives a notice of arrival as an SMS, through e-mail and with Posti’s mobile application. The notice of arrival includes information concerning the location of the locker and its opening code. Each locker has an electric lock and a keyboard for entering the locker code. The storage period for items is 7 days.

Routing with a postal code or through an interface

You recognize the address of a new parcel locker from its postal code, which ends with a digit 4. For instance, if the postal code of the housing company is 00100, the address of the parcel locker located in the same address is 00104. Since a postal code ending with a digit 4 is new, some systems may prevent its use if the postal code check is based on an outdated postal code check.

Online store customers may enter the Smartpost parcel locker address themselves or it can be selected from a pickup point menu if the online store software enables the pickup point selection. The parcel locker type in closed premises, such as residential and office buildings, is LOCKER both in the Locations API interface and in the old NPR interface. The type of the parcel lockers that are open for everyone is SMARTPOST. Both interface descriptions can be found at api.posti.fi page.

Customer returns through a parcel locker

Consumers can leave their customer returns at a parcel locker if the online store offers free returns for their customers. We recommend online retailers to obtain a Helposti code and mark it on the address label of the customer’s parcel beforehand for possible return. If the code is not on the address label, the online store customer can obtain the Helposti code for the return (https://www.posti.fi/private/returnparcel/index.html) with the original item ID.