Most brands start out buying postage at the counter, via Shopify Shipping or through Click and Drop. It works while volumes are low. Once you're sending a few hundred parcels a month, you're paying more per parcel than you need to and spending real time on something that should be automatic.
A business account fixes the rates. What catches people out is that it doesn't fix the process. The account comes with an Online Business Account, which holds 18 months of invoices and your reporting, not your orders. Royal Mail's own advice is to use a shipping solution alongside it so you aren't logging in twice, and to use OBA for billing reporting only.
So there are two jobs here, not one. Get the account, then connect it to something that actually processes your orders.
- Check you meet the volume threshold
Royal Mail set eligibility on volume rather than business size, and their published threshold is 20 parcels a week or more. If you're close but not quite there, it's still worth registering, since Royal Mail confirm eligibility case by case.
- Register your interest with Royal Mail
Complete the registration form on Royal Mail's website with your company details and contact information. A Royal Mail representative gets in touch to verify the application and discuss your requirements, including which services you want enabled. Worth being thorough at this stage so your main services are live from day one, though Royal Mail can add services to your account later if your needs change.
- Get your account set up and note your credentials
Royal Mail say that approval and setup typically takes 10 to 30 business days. There's no fee for the account itself. When it's live, note your OBA account number, the company name on the account, the email address you use to log in, your posting location number and your collection postcode. You'll need all five to connect anything to it.
- Connect your account to Zenstores
Zenstores is an approved Royal Mail partner and connects directly to your OBA via the Royal Mail API. Your rates and billing agreement don't change, and Royal Mail continues to invoice you weekly or monthly exactly as before. There's no integration fee for Zenstores customers. Every service enabled on your account becomes available, domestic and international, with customs documentation generated automatically from your product data.
- Set your rules and start dispatching
Build rules in Zenstores Automations so each order gets the right service as it arrives, split by weight, destination or order value. Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 are different products at different prices, so a rule that assigns them correctly stops the wrong one being chosen at the bench. At the end of the day, creating your manifest updates your OBA and produces the summary for your driver.
Great app, with good customer service and a nice clean interface. Integrates well with all of the couriers including Royal Mail. Would definitely recommend.
BIBICO
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a business account and an OBA?
The business account is your commercial agreement with Royal Mail, including your rates. The Online Business Account is where you manage billing and payments for it, with 18 months of invoices held online and reports you can tailor. You get the OBA as part of the account, and Royal Mail themselves recommend running a shipping solution alongside it rather than working in OBA directly.
Do I still need to use Click and Drop?
Once your business account is live, you'd process orders in Zenstores rather than Click and Drop. Your Royal Mail account, negotiated rates and services all carry over exactly as they are, since Zenstores connects to the same OBA. You also get automated service selection, pick and pack workflow and other carriers alongside Royal Mail.
How long does the whole thing take?
Royal Mail approval and setup usually runs 10 to 30 business days. Connecting the account to Zenstores takes minutes once you have your credentials. Account approval then takes 1-2 working days, and most brands are shipping within a few days of that.
Do my rates change when I connect to Zenstores?
No. You ship on the rates you've agreed with Royal Mail and they invoice you directly, weekly or monthly. Zenstores changes how labels get produced, not what they cost.
A service I want isn't showing. Why?
It almost certainly hasn't been enabled on your Royal Mail account. Zenstores shows every service that's active on your OBA, so if something's missing your Royal Mail account manager is the person to ask rather than support.
Can I use Royal Mail alongside other carriers?
Yes. Zenstores integrates with 15 or more carriers including DPD, Evri, Parcelforce and DHL, and rules can route different orders to different carriers. Royal Mail for lighter parcels, a next day carrier for anything urgent.
