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Parcelforce Integration

Tom Higgs avatar
Written by Tom Higgs
Updated over a month ago

Prerequisite - Obtaining Credentials

To connect to Parcelforce, you must have an Express Link Parcelforce Account to use with the integration. Your Parcelforce account manager must apply for this by emailing customer.solutions@parcelforce.co.uk

They'll send a test login first, where a test shipment must be created, printed on your production printer, and then posted to them for approval. Once they approve the test shipment, they'll send live account details.


Prerequisite - Test and Live Credentials

Regarding Credentials, you must add the Test Credentials they provide first and activate Test Mode on the connection. You will then need to make a test order to generate a label for Parcelforce, this label needs to be printed out on your printer and scanned in/ emailed back to Parcelforce for approval.

Once approved Parcelforce will provide you with Live Credentials, replace the test credentials on the connection with the live ones and turn off Test Mode, you can then make another test order and generate a label to ensure it's all correct, and then you can ship with Parcelforce.


Adding a Parcelforce connection - Test Credentials

Once you have your test credentials from Parcelforce you can then add the connection on Mintsoft using the steps below:

  1. Click Connect then Courier Integrations.

  2. Next, click Parcelforce.

  3. Click Add Account.

  4. (3PL Only) Set the Client.

  5. Set the Warehouse.

  6. Enter your Username, Password and Contract Number.

  7. Enable Test Mode.

  8. (If instructed by Parcelforce) Enable WeightBasedContract.

    • If Parcelforce hasn't asked for this to be enabled, please keep it disabled.

  9. Enter your Department ID.

  10. (Optional) Enable Download Label Images for use on Integrated Despatch Note.

  11. (Optional) Enable Use Product Weights when Creating Shipment.

    • Will calculate the Order Weight based on the Product Weights listed in Mintsoft.

  12. Finally, click Add.

Once the account has been added to Mintsoft with the Test Credentials you must create an order manually on Mintsoft or import a test order created on a 3rd party integration (Shopify, Amazon, eBay, etc.) to generate a shipment for Parcelforce this label needs to be printed out on your printer and scanned in/ emailed back to Parcelforce for approval.


Updating a Parcelforce connection - Switching to Live Credentials

Once Parcelforce has approved the label using the Test Credentials, they will provide you with Live Credentials, which must be added to the existing Parcelforce connection by following the steps below:

  1. Click Connect then Courier Integrations.

  2. Next, click Parcelforce.

  3. Click Edit against the affected connection.

  4. Update the following fields with your Live Credentials -

    • Username.

    • Password.

    • Contract Number.

  5. Disable Test Mode.

  6. (If instructed by Parcelforce) Enable WeightBasedContract.

    • If Parcelforce hasn't asked for this to be enabled, please keep it disabled.

  7. (Optional) Enable Download Label Images for use on Integrated Despatch Note.

  8. (Optional) Enable Use Product Weights when Creating Shipment.

    • ​​​​​​​Will calculate the Order Weight based on the Product Weights listed in Mintsoft.

  9. Finally, click Update.

You can then make another test order and generate a label to ensure it's all correct, once confirmed, you can start shipping with Parcelforce.


Parcelforce return address

Mintsoft does not send the Sender / Return address data in the request to Parcelforce when creating a shipment.

Sender Names and addresses must be configured directly on your Parcelforce account, not within Mintsoft.


Parcelforce Manifests

Within Mintsoft we don't have the option to generate manifests for ParcelForce shipments. You'll be able to view your manifests on your WDM portal. Please speak with your ParcelForce account manager to get your credentials for WDM portal.


Shipment notification settings

Parcelforce has a highly dynamic selection of notifications you can set up. You can add them to your shipments by providing a list separated by a semicolon (;) in ExtraCode1 of the Parcelforce Courier Service Codes. For example: EMAIL;SMSPREDELIVERY;SMSCOLLRECEIVED
​​​​​

Code

Description

Notes

EMAIL

Email Notification

EMAILDODINT

Email Day of Despatch

Interactive

Domestic Delivery shipments only

Not currently available for Convenient Collect

EMAILATTEMPTDELIVERY

Email Attempted Delivery notification to the recipient

Domestic Delivery shipments only

EMAILCOLLRECEIVED

Email Collections request received notification

Domestic Delivery shipments only

SMSDAYOFDESPATCH

SMS message on the day the parcel is to be despatched

Domestic Delivery shipments only

SMSSTARTOFDELIVERY

SMS message on the day of delivery

Domestic Delivery shipments only

SMSPREDELIVERY

SMS message one hour from delivery (i.e. driver will deliver in one hour)

Domestic Delivery shipments only

Not currently available for Convenient Collect

SMSATTEMPTDELIVERY

SMS Attempted Delivery notification

Domestic Delivery shipments only

SMSCOLLRECEIVED

SMS Collection request received notification

Domestic Collection shipments only


Enhanced Compensation Setting

The Enhanced Compensation Setting can be added to ExtraCode7 of the Parcelforce Courier Service Codes using one of the numbers in the Code column below:

Code

Amount (GBP)

0

0

1

500

2

1000

3

1500

4

2000

5

2500


Hazardous Goods settings

Services can be set up to ship hazardous goods. We need the UN code and the description of what is being sent.

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