Parcel collection: the flow, the ID and the exceptions.
Which routes carry a collection point, how the point is confirmed with the buyer, what they present at the counter, how a collection is rescheduled, and what happens to a parcel nobody collects.
The short version
Collection replaces the door attempt with a counter handover. The parcel travels to a point on a scheduled run, the buyer is told when it lands, and they collect it with a reference and identification — paying the cash on delivery amount at the counter where the order is COD. It is usually cheaper per parcel and fails less often, but it only exists on routes that carry a point.
From eligibility to collection
Six stages. What varies by market is which routes carry a point, the accepted identification and the holding window.
- 1
Eligibility check
Collection is only offered where the destination route carries a collection point. Door delivery stays the default everywhere else.
- 2
Point confirmed
The specific point is confirmed with the buyer during order confirmation, before anything is picked or dispatched.
- 3
Buyer notified
When the parcel arrives at the point, the buyer is notified with the point name and a collection reference for that parcel.
- 4
Collection and payment
The buyer presents the reference and identification, pays where the order is cash on delivery, and the handover is recorded.
- 5
Holding window
Uncollected parcels are held for the window agreed for that point, with a reminder sent before the window closes.
- 6
Return leg
Parcels still uncollected at the end of the window are pulled back to the warehouse and enter returns intake.
Reference, identification and payment
A parcel is released against a record, not against a description. This is what that record requires.
- The collection reference
- Sent to the buyer when the parcel lands at the point, and tied to that parcel only. No reference, no release.
- Proof of identity
- The buyer presents identification matching the name on the order — a national ID, passport or driver's licence, as accepted in that market.
- Someone collecting on the buyer's behalf
- Allowed only when the buyer nominates the person in advance during confirmation. The nominee presents their own identification plus the collection reference.
- Cash on delivery orders
- The COD amount is collected at the counter before the parcel is handed over, using the payment methods accepted at that point.
- Handover record
- Every release is recorded against the order — who collected, when, and what was paid — so the parcel and the money share one trail.
Rescheduling, switching and uncollected parcels
Every one of these is logged against the order, so the outcome is traceable rather than anecdotal.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| Buyer cannot reach the point in time | The holding window can be extended once within the point's agreed limit. Ask before the window closes rather than after the parcel has left. |
| Buyer wants a different point | Where both points sit on the same route, the parcel can be moved on the next scheduled leg. Cross-route moves are treated as a new dispatch. |
| Buyer wants door delivery instead | Possible where the address falls in a coverage zone that carries door delivery. It is priced as a delivery leg, not as a free switch. |
| Identification does not match | The parcel is not released. The exception is logged and the buyer is contacted to nominate a collector or collect in person. |
| Parcel not collected in the window | It returns to the warehouse, is inspected, and goes back into your sellable stock where its condition allows. Handling still applies. |
| Parcel damaged or missing at the point | Raised against the order reference and investigated through the point's handover record rather than as a general claim. |
Why sellers offer collection
- Cheaper per parcel than a door attempt on most routes, because one run serves many orders.
- Fewer failed attempts — the buyer comes when it suits them, inside the holding window.
- Workable for buyers with an address a rider cannot easily find or reach.
- A clear handover record: reference, identification and payment in one step.
Where collection is available
Collection is a property of the route, not of the country. Open the market you sell into to see which coverage rows carry a point and what the holding window is.
See the PUDO networkParcel collection: common questions
Eligibility, identification, rescheduling and uncollected parcels.
Weigh collection against door delivery on your own volume.
Use the cost estimator on the resources hub, then send us the markets you sell into for a route-level answer.