The Post Office has announced the roll out of a new international customs data capture platform which will allow its customers to fill in relevant forms online.

The organisation said that the platform will help its Postmasters cut down on admin time whilst providing customers with a “convenient new digital journey” to speed up the process involved in sending international parcels.

Prior to the rollout, every time a customer wanted to send parcels abroad with Royal Mail they were required to complete a paper customs declaration form.

These forms help local customs authorities identify if items are allowed into their destination country and to calculate any duties or taxes due.

The new platform lets customers fill in their international postage details online via the Post Office website, either at home or when they arrive in branch on their tablet, PC or smartphone. These digital forms then produce a barcode for Postmasters.

The new process also doubles the number of items that can be included in a parcel – taking it from five to ten.

"As part of our ongoing commitment to enhance and transform Post Office’s mails services we are continually looking to find new ways to help better support Postmasters’ businesses and deliver an enhanced service for customers and local communities alike," said Neill O'Sullivan, managing director of parcels and mails, Post Office. “We recognise that for some customers, sending parcels abroad can be complicated and they often prefer a face-to-face service to get guidance on how to complete their customs form correctly so the option to go through this process in branch with your postmaster will still apply to cater for all needs.”

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