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Proof of delivery (POD)

Kristie
  • Updated

Purpose: Learn what proof of delivery (POD) is, how to request it and what to do if the POD is not available or if your customer still says they did not receive the parcel.

What is a Proof of delivery

Proof of delivery (POD), is confirmation from the carrier that a parcel was delivered. Depending on the carrier and the shipping method, the POD can include information such as:

  • the delivery date
  • the delivery time
  • the delivery location
  • the name of the recipient
  • the signature of the recipient

Important: A parcel with the tracking status Delivered does not always have a separate POD document or signature. The information available depends on the carrier and the shipping method used.

How to request POD

Note: This applies only to parcels shipped through Sendcloud's carrier contracts. If you have a direct contract with the carrier, please contact the carrier directly or retrieve the POD from their portal.

Proof of delivery can be requested directly from your Sendcloud panel:

  1. In your Sendcloud panel, find the delivered parcel and click the eye icon to open its label details
  2. Open the Customer service tab
  3. Click Request proof of delivery (POD)

 

POD request not available

If Request proof of delivery (POD) does not appear as an option in the dropdown, contact our Customer Support team so we can request the POD from the carrier.

You can contact us by:

Once your request is submitted, we will check with the carrier whether proof of delivery is available and keep you updated.

DPD shipments

For DPD shipments in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria, the POD is available for download directly from your Sendcloud panel.

To download the POD:

  1. In your Sendcloud panel, go to Shipping > Orders > Shipped
  2. Find the parcel for which you need the POD
  3. Open the parcel details
  4. Download the proof of delivery, if available

If the download does not work, or if the POD is not available in the panel, contact our Customer Support team. We can then request the proof of delivery directly from DPD.

What if the POD is available and correct, but my customer still did not receive the parcel?

If the POD confirms that the parcel was delivered, but your customer says they did not receive it, ask your customer to first check nearby delivery locations, such as:

  • a neighbor
  • a porch
  • a reception desk
  • a mailbox
  • a parcel locker
  • another safe place around the delivery address

If your customer still cannot find the parcel, create a ticket for Shipment delivered, but not received so that we can start an investigation with the carrier.

Related article: My client’s parcel shows as delivered but it was not received: What can I do?

What if POD is not available?

Proof of delivery is provided by the carrier. This means that Sendcloud can only share POD when the carrier makes it available.

POD may not be available if:

  • the carrier does not provide POD for the selected shipping method
  • the shipment did not include signature on delivery
  • the delivery scan is the only delivery confirmation available
  • the carrier cannot provide additional delivery details

If POD is not available and your customer says they did not receive the parcel, you can still create a ticket for Shipment delivered, but not received. We will then check the case with the carrier based on the available tracking information.