Purpose: view the shipping conditions of Dutch postal carrier PostNL.   

Shipping packages within the Netherlands

PostNL Standard 0-23KG / 23-31.5KG

Service Presentation:

Home delivery within 24 hours (in 98% of cases), everywhere in the Netherlands. You can hand-in these shipments to a service point for delivery. 

Shipping option features:

• 1 delivery attempt
• Not insured
• Research on domestic shipments has a lead time of 7 days

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 23 KG / 31.5KG
• Maximum dimensions 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H)*

*When you exceed a length of 95 cm, you will receive a surcharge.

• PostNL Standard
  This is the correct option to select when you intend to hand your parcels over to a service point for delivery.
• PostNL Standard Return (Direct contract only)
  You can use this option to return shipments from Belgium or the Netherlands back to the Netherlands

PostNL Home Address only 0-23KG / 23-31,5KG

Service Presentation:

If the recipient is not at home during delivery, the shipment goes to a service point. Shipments with the Home Address only option are not handed over to neighbors.

Shipping options features:

• 1 delivery attempt
• After a failed delivery attempt, the shipment can be picked up after 15h on the next day
• No delivery at neighbors

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 23 KG / 31.5KG
• Maximum dimensions 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H)*

*When you exceed a length of 95 cm, you will receive a surcharge.

PostNL Signature on Delivery 0-23KG / 23-31,5KG

Service Presentation:

Shipping options features:

• Signature on delivery required

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 23 KG / 31.5KG
• Maximum dimensions 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H)*

*When you exceed a length of 95 cm, you will receive a surcharge.

PostNL Evening Delivery 0-23KG / 23-31,5KG

Service Presentation:

Offer your customers the convenience of evening delivery! PostNL can deliver your packages on weekdays between 5:30 and 10 p.m.

Shipping options features:

• Delivery between 5:30 and 10 p.m.

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 23 KG / 31.5KG
• Maximum dimensions 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H)*

*When you exceed a length of 95 cm, you will receive a surcharge.

PostNL Service Point 0-23KG / 23-31,5KG

Service Presentation:

Service point delivery within 24 hours (in 98% of cases), everywhere in the Netherlands. You can hand-in these shipments to a service point for delivery. 

Shipping options features:

• 1 delivery attempt at a service point
• Not insured
• Research on domestic shipments has a lead time of 7 days

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 23 KG
• Maximum dimensions 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H)* 

*When you exceed a length of 95 cm, you will receive a surcharge.

PostNL Klein Pakket

Service Presentation:

Home delivery option for parcels that don't fit through a mailbox but are smaller than a regular parcel, you can use the PostNL Klein Pakket shipping option. Due to size limitations, this option is more budget-friendly than PostNL Standard. It's available for shipments within the Netherlands.

Shipping options features:

• Tracking available
• Not insured

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight: 3 KG
• Maximum volume: 10L
• Maximum dimensions 34 x 28 x 12 cm  (L X W X H)*
  

*When you exceed it, you will receive a surcharge

PostNL Mailbox Parcel 0-2KG

Service Presentation:

Delivery of your letterbox shipments within the Netherlands. You can hand-in these shipments to a service point for delivery.

Shipping options features:

• No Tracking (only first scan)
• 1 delivery attempt through your mailbox
• Not insured

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 2 KG
• Maximum dimensions 38,0 x 26,5 x 3,2 cm (L X W X H) 

PostNL Mailbox Parcel Return 0-2 kg

Service presentation

Return option with PostNL whereby the end customer can return their package by dropping it off at their local parcel shop.

Shipping option characteristics 

• No tracking available (only first scan)
• Not insured
• Claiming is not possible
• 1 delivery attempt (in mailbox)

Parcel dimensions

• Maximum weight: 2 kg
• Maximum dimensions 38.0 x 26.5 x 3.2 cm (L X W X H)

The price of this return option is €4.25 per label. No discount based on volume possible.

Shipping within Europe

PostNL Parcel EU (as of 2024)

The shipping option PostNL Abroad changes as of 2024. It will be called PostNL Parcel EU. The service presentation remains - it's still an international shipping option within Europe - but there are some changes regarding weight and pricing.

With these changes, the shipping costs will be based on the weight of the shipment. This means that instead of having one flat price for all parcels up to 23 kg, there will be a shipping price based on the parcel's weight. PostNL Abroad will be split up into different weight brackets. See the list below for more information:

• 0-2kg
• 2-5kg
• 5-10kg
• 10-20kg
• 20-23kg
• 23-31.5kg

When using our Sendcloud rates for PostNL Parcel EU shipments, the shipping option may automatically adjust based on the details provided in the order:

• To Business: If the 'Company name' field in the order details is filled, the system will automatically process the shipment as "PostNL Parcel EU to Business," even though this change will not be reflected in the shipping option name visible on your panel. This is communicated to PostNL, ensuring the package is handled as a business shipment.
• To Consumer: If the 'Company name' field is empty, the shipment will be processed as "PostNL Parcel EU to Consumer."

Shipping option features:

• Signature not included
• Insurance not included unless the insurance shipping option is chosen
• Research on domestic shipments has a lead time of +/- 45 days

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 31.5 KG (above 23kg receives a surcharge)
• Maximum dimensions; EU to Consumer/Premium: 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H) 

Additional service:

• Insured (€200): signature on delivery included
• Insured plus (€500): signature on delivery included

PostNL Pakket Nederland België 

Service Presentation:

PostNL delivery service from the Netherlands to Belgium. Available for B2B and B2C shipments.

Shipping option features:

• Insurance depending on the shipping option (see table below)
  • Insured option include signature on delivery
• 2 delivery attempts
• Tracking included

Characteristics of the parcel:

• Maximum dimensions; 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H)*

*When you exceed a length of 95 cm, you will receive a surcharge.

Shipping worldwide

PostNL Parcel non-EU

The shipping option PostNL Globalpack changes as of February 2024. It will be called PostNL non-EU. The service presentation remains - it's still an international shipping option outside of the EU - but there are some changes regarding signature on delivery and insurance.

Shipping option features:

• Track and trace included
• Signature not included for Standard
• Insurance not included for Standard 

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight 20 KG
• Maximum dimensions: 100 x 70 x 58 cm (L X W X H)*

*When you exceed a length of 95 cm, you will receive a surcharge.

PostNL will also take  volumetric weight into account for PostNL non-EU shipments. This is calculated as  follows:  Length (cm) x Width (cm) x Height (cm) /7500

Please note: an additional cost per kg will be included on top of the fixed cost of the shipping label. 

Additional service:

• Track and trace insured (includes track and trace, signature, and insurance up to 50 EUR)

• Track and trace insured plus (includes track and trace, signature, and insurance up to 500 euros)

PostNL International Packets Tracked

Service Presentation:

PostNL International Packets is a flexible and affordable delivery option for if you regularly ship small packages which are no larger than a shoebox (up to a maximum of 2 kg) to international destinations. It’s available to users who have PostNL Packets included in their PostNL contracts.  

Packets are characterised as small, showbox sized packages and differ from the usual Parcel products which you may be familiar with. Unlike regular parcels which are sent through the parcel shipping network, packets are sent via the international postal network. 

Here you will find an overview of the average transit times of PostNL for shipping within and outside of Europe.

Characteristics of the parcel: 

• Maximum weight: 2kg
• Maximum size: 90cm (length + width + height)
• Maximum length: 60cm

Note: to avoid unwanted surcharges, be sure that the packet does not exceed the dimensions above. Click here for more information about surcharges from PostNL. 

Shipping option features:

Packet Tracked

• Fast and reliable service through Postal Exprès service
• Tracking information available 
• Not insured by default
• Ships to 46 major worldwide locations

For a more comprehensive overview of the conditions, we recommend that you carefully read the surcharges and conditions article.

PostNL shipments can be handed-in to 1 of the 3000 PostNL service points. These are located throughout the Netherlands, a PostNL point in your area can be found via the online location selector.

Multicollo Shipments

Multicollo shipment is available for all PostNL services except for Brievenbuspakketje and only for deliveries within the Netherlands and Belgium. Please note that multicollo is not available for shipments requiring a customs form. 

Each collo will be assigned it's own Tracking number and receive individual Tracking updates. You can view how many shipments are linked to a parcel in the shipment detail view of your panel.

If you need to cancel a collo within the shipment, all labels must be cancelled and recreated. 

Smart returns (paperless returns)

PostNL also supports Smart returns. This means that your customers no longer need to print their label. Instead, they can simply show the barcode they get via email at the service point. For more information, click here.

Claim procedure

Uninsured shipments

If you sent your parcel with an uninsured PostNL shipping option, you will only receive a kg compensation. No claims can be submitted based on purchase - / sales value.

To submit such a claim for the kg compensation, we need the purchase and sales invoice including a content description.

Insured shipments

 If you sent your parcel with an insured PostNL shipping option, you can submit a claim via the Sendcloud panel. Click on the concerning shipment, then click on the bottom right to request help -> submit a claim for a lost / damaged shipment.

This way the correct documents are collected and the claim file will be complete so the carrier can process a claim in the quickest way. If you have to fill in a field that is not available to you (for example if you do not have a purchase invoice), you can also upload a word file with an explanation.

Please note: damage to a shipment must be reported to us within 7 days of delivery, otherwise PostNL cannot handle the claim.

Do you want to insure your shipments for a higher value? This is possible with the help of our Insurance: Sendcloud Shipping Protection (XCover).

Direct contract shipping options

If you have a direct contract with PostNL, you can easily integrate it with your Sendcloud account. Our PostNL Contract Activation guide explains how to connect your direct contract. This setup allows you to ship under your own terms and conditions. We also provide an overview of all shipping options available through Sendcloud, including the options available with a direct contract. 

Like every carrier, PostNL has prepared a document concerning their General Transport Conditions. If you deviate from the conditions, you will be charged a surcharge on your invoice afterwards. When you ship with PostNL, you automatically agree to the following terms and conditions:

General conditions PostNL