What route does a parcel have to take before it reaches the recipient?

Shopping online is easier than ever - and so is sending parcels. However, we never think about what exactly happens to a parcel before it gets into our hands. Every day, couriers go to great lengths to deliver thousands of orders - and no small number make their way to Parcel Machines. While this process may seem tedious and long, at InPost we have the key to success - we have been using a properly developed system for many years. Check out what happens to your parcel - step by step!

The parcel route can be winding, but for us it's not a problem!

Customer convenience and speed of delivery - these are aspects that are our top priorities. Many years of experience in the market have contributed to the development of an ideal delivery path for each parcel - even in less than 24 hours! A team of professional couriers, coordinators and sorting staff ensure that every parcel reaches its recipient safely. Paczkomat, a machine that has revolutionised the e-commerce industry, is also invaluable in this process. Thanks to it, sending and receiving parcels has never been so convenient. You no longer have to waste your time standing in long queues - just go to the nearest InPost machine in your area, at any time you want, seven days a week! The popularity of Paczkomat machines is not only due to convenience. It's worth mentioning that it's definitely a cheaper option than courier services, and their availability is constantly increasing.

The path of the package - step by step

Would you like to know exactly what happens to your parcel from the moment it is posted? Its life usually looks very similar. The whole path is made up of several stages:

1. At the very beginning, the sender must prepare the parcel properly and choose the method of sending it, i.e. order a courier, go to a Parcel Point or choose a Parcel Machine. When sending by Parcel Machine, one can use the InPost Mobile application without having to print a label, the Fast Shipment service, which does not require registration, or the Parcel Manager, which also makes it possible to send a courier parcel.
2. If the sender has chosen to send a parcel via Paczkomat and has left the parcel there, our courier will take it straight to the InPost branch, where it will be sorted with other parcels and sent to the sorting office. The situation is similar in the case of sending by PaczkoPunkt - the courier will pick up the parcel and take it to the branch and then to the sorting plant - there, in the following hours, it is prepared for further journey.
3. Now the parcel starts on its way to the destination city - in fact, this is where its real journey begins. During transport, it can also end up in the Main Sorting Plant, where we direct parcels that need to travel a long way to improve delivery.
4. The next stage is to receive the consignment at the Main Sorting Plant, a large logistics centre. This is where all parcels are sorted.
5. Sorting is followed by packing into vehicles bound for the various destination branches.
6. Once the parcel has been accepted at the destination branch, it goes to the courier and he is to deliver it to the Receiver or place it in the Parcel Machine. In the case of the second solution, the parcel is placed in the machine's locker and the waiting person receives an email notification and, if he or she has the InPost Mobile app, also in it. Notifications are sent so that the recipient does not miss the information about the parcel ready for collection.
7. The parcel is delivered to the recipient - by far the most important and pleasant step! The fastest way to collect it is via Parcel Machine remotely - this option is only available on the mobile app.

What happens if the parcel is not collected from the Parcel Machine?

If the collection time has expired, the parcel will start its journey back to the Sender. Our courier will be informed that the parcel needs to be transported back to the branch from where it is not possible to collect the parcel. In the event that 48 hours to collect a parcel is not enough or the recipient suddenly has something to do, the parcel does not have to return to the recipient. InPost Mobile will extend the time for its collection by an additional 24 hours. The function can be used repeatedly, but it is worth bearing in mind that a small fee must be paid each time.

By having a mobile app, the recipient gets notifications reminding them of the expiry of the time to collect the parcel, so the chances of forgetting are reduced!

Track your shipment - check its status at every stage!

The route taken by parcels every day to reach the Recipients is quite complicated, but the whole process is extremely fast. A great solution that gives great convenience to the Recipient is the ability to track the parcel at every stage of delivery. After sending a parcel, we usually want to know how quickly the courier will deliver it to the Recipient. Thanks to a special system, parcel tracking is child's play and you can check the current status of your parcel at any time. How to do it? All you need to do is download the InPost Mobile application, thanks to which you can not only see the status of your parcel, but also receive notifications when it is sent or available for collection. In addition, you can collect your parcel remotely, without having to use the screen of the Parcel Machine. If you don't have the app, you can also check the status of your parcel on our website. All you need to do is go to the website: https://inpost.pl/sledzenie-przesylek and enter your parcel number. You can also track your parcels via chatbot. You have full control over the status of each parcel! Tracking is free and there is no waiting for a response.