Most brands shipping with Royal Mail in the UK already have the account they need for international orders. The OBA behind your Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 parcels also gives you access to Royal Mail's international services.
Every overseas order needs the right service for its destination and a customs declaration with accurate HS codes. EU orders often need an IOSS number too. A missing HS code or an incorrect value can mean a parcel held at customs, or a customer asked to pay duty before they can have their order.
Zenstores sorts this before dispatch. It connects to your OBA and checks customs data on each international order before the shipping label prints, as well as automatically selecting the correct Royal Mail service for each order based on where it's going and the rules you set.
- Zenstores connects to your Royal Mail Online Business Account
Start by requesting the Royal Mail integration in Zenstores with four details from your OBA: your account number, the company name on the account, the email address you log in with, and your posting location ID. Your billing agreement and postage rates stay exactly as they are, and Royal Mail keeps invoicing you directly. Once the connection is live, every Royal Mail service on your account, domestic and international, is ready to use.
- Your OBA's international services appear ready to assign
Zenstores shows each Royal Mail international service enabled on your account, including International Tracked, International Tracked & Signed, International Signed, untracked economy options and Royal Mail PDDP. If a service you want isn't there, it isn't active on your OBA yet, so ask your Royal Mail account manager or the OBA helpdesk to switch it on. Once Royal Mail enables it, it's available to select in Zenstores. When Royal Mail launches a new service or changes its API, Zenstores handles the update on its side, so your orders keep moving.
- Add your IOSS number and HS codes to Zenstores
Enter your IOSS number once in your Zenstores account and Zenstores applies it automatically to qualifying EU shipments. HS codes can be imported straight from Shopify with your products, or set once in Zenstores. From then on, Zenstores applies the right customs data to each international order automatically.
- Zenstores Automations assign the right Royal Mail service by destination
Build rules that trigger on destination country, weight or order value, so each international order is assigned the correct Royal Mail service as it comes in. For example, US orders can go on Royal Mail PDDP so duties are paid at dispatch, while EU orders go on International Tracked. Nobody has to choose a service at the packing bench, and with every order assigned, your team moves straight to printing.
- Shipping labels and customs forms print together, then tracking syncs back
Zenstores prints each Royal Mail shipping label with its CN23, and if applicable the commercial invoice, alongside it. Tracking then syncs back to Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento and your marketplaces, so international customers can follow their parcel from the moment it leaves.
I began my business in the United States, and while England is now home, I still ship a high percentage of my work back to the US. Zenstores not only makes that possible, it keeps even my international shipping simple!
Illyria Pottery
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Royal Mail Online Business Account to ship internationally through Zenstores?
Yes. Zenstores connects directly to your Royal Mail OBA, which gives you access to every domestic and international service enabled on your account. If you don't have an OBA yet, the Zenstores team can help you get started.
Which countries can I ship to with Royal Mail through Zenstores?
Anywhere your Royal Mail international services reach, across the EU, US, Canada, Australia and the rest of the world. Which Royal Mail services are available depends on the destination.
How long does it take to start shipping internationally with Royal Mail through Zenstores?
Most customers are shipping internationally within a day of signing up. The Zenstores team helps with the setup, including connecting your Royal Mail OBA, HS codes, IOSS and routing rules, so you don't need to work it out yourself.
Will my Royal Mail international rates change if I ship through Zenstores?
No. Your billing agreement and postage rates with Royal Mail stay exactly the same, and Royal Mail continues to invoice you weekly or monthly as normal. There's no additional fee for connecting your Royal Mail account to Zenstores.
Do I need to add HS codes to every international order?
No. HS codes sit at product level in Zenstores, so you set them once and they apply automatically to every shipment containing that product. The Zenstores team helps you set them up correctly during onboarding.
Can I send Royal Mail international parcels Delivered Duty Paid?
Yes, for the destinations where Royal Mail offers it. Zenstores supports Royal Mail DDP services, including Royal Mail PDDP, so duties and taxes are calculated and paid at dispatch and your customer has nothing to pay on delivery. For other destinations you can keep shipping DAP, with a rule setting which applies by country.
How does Zenstores handle IOSS on Royal Mail EU shipments?
Once your IOSS number is added to your account, Zenstores applies it automatically to qualifying EU shipments on Royal Mail international services that support IOSS. For orders placed on Etsy, Amazon or eBay, Zenstores detects the marketplace's IOSS number and applies that instead, with no manual work needed.
Does Zenstores check my EORI number on Royal Mail international shipments?
Yes. Zenstores verifies your EORI number as part of the customs check on every international shipment, alongside HS codes and IOSS. It's confirmed before the Royal Mail shipping label prints, rather than causing a delay later.
Can I assign different Royal Mail services to different destinations?
Yes. A rule in Zenstores Automations can trigger on destination country, so US orders go on Royal Mail PDDP and EU orders on International Tracked, for example. Each order is assigned its Royal Mail service automatically as it comes in.
Can I use Royal Mail alongside other carriers for international orders?
Yes. Royal Mail sits alongside carriers such as DHL Express, FedEx and Parcelforce in Zenstores, and your shipping rules decide which carrier each order goes to. A rule can trigger on a destination country, so EU orders go out on Royal Mail and US orders on another carrier, for example, applied automatically as orders come in.
Does Zenstores work for high-volume Royal Mail international shipping?
Yes. Zenstores handles international shipping the same way regardless of volume. HS codes, IOSS and Royal Mail PDDP are applied automatically per order, whether you send the odd parcel abroad or dispatch internationally every day.
What happens when Royal Mail changes its API or launches a new service?
Zenstores handles it. The Royal Mail integration is built and maintained in-house at the service level, so new Royal Mail services become available and API changes are dealt with before they reach your orders.
