Most sellers pick a courier the way they pick a supermarket: whichever is nearest and cheapest this week. That works until a parcel is too long for the service you chose, a sofa arrives crushed and the compensation turns out not to cover furniture, or a buyer opens an "item not received" case and you have no tracking to show. The differences between the four big UK names are in the small print: size limits, cover when something goes wrong, and proof of delivery.
This guide compares Royal Mail, Evri, DPD and Parcelforce using each courier's own pages and eBay UK's help pages, all read in October 2026. It leaves out prices on purpose, because they change often and depend on your account and how you book.
The short version
- Size and weight decide your options before price does. Royal Mail's medium parcel tops out at 20kg and 61 x 46 x 46cm, Evri at 15kg, DPD's standard parcel at 31kg under DPD's terms, and Parcelforce at 30kg.
- Included compensation differs widely: Royal Mail Tracked says up to £75, Evri £20 free with paid upgrades to £999, DPD's standard terms cap at £100 per parcel unless you buy extended cover, and Parcelforce express48 says up to £150.
- Evri says it does not cover furniture unless it is flat-packed and safely packaged. Read the exclusions list before shipping anything bulky or fragile.
- Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the goods stay at your risk until the buyer takes physical possession.
- Always send with tracking, and upload it to the order so eBay can see delivery.
1. Start with the parcel, not the courier
Write down the weight and the three sides of the item as packed. Measure the box, not the product, and weigh it with the packing in. Then add a number most beginners skip: the replacement cost of what is inside, which you will compare with each courier's included cover in section 4.
Flat-pack and home goods show why this matters. A boxed item is often long and heavy rather than bulky, so the longest side and the weight hit courier limits before the volume does. Royal Mail's medium parcel is 61cm on its longest side, which a boxed shelving unit or a rolled rug can exceed on that dimension alone.
2. Size and weight limits, courier by courier
Royal Mail
Royal Mail's service pages list a small parcel at up to 2kg and 45 x 35 x 16cm, and a medium parcel at up to 20kg and 61 x 46 x 46cm. Royal Mail also restricts certain goods, so read its prohibited and restricted list.
Evri
Evri's size guide gives a weight limit of 15kg. Its general size test is to add the two shortest sides, double the result, add the longest side, and keep the total under 245cm. For a ParcelShop or its courier service the maximum length is 120cm, and for a locker the limit is 62cm x 39cm x 57cm. Evri's small parcel is up to 2kg and 45 x 35 x 16cm. Evri says overweight or oversized items can lead to an additional charge.
A worked example, using made-up dimensions: a box of 100cm x 40cm x 30cm gives 2 x (40 + 30) + 100 = 240, under 245, and 100cm is under 120cm, so it passes on size if it weighs 15kg or less. At 100cm x 45cm x 35cm the sum is 2 x (45 + 35) + 100 = 260, which fails.
DPD
DPD's standard terms and conditions define a "Parcel" as an item of no more than 31kg, under 1 metre long, 0.6 metres wide and 0.7 metres high, with a total girth (length plus height plus width) of no more than 2.3 metres. A "Shop Parcel", for its Pickup network, is up to 20kg and no more than 0.6 metres on each side, with no two sides exceeding 1.2 metres combined. Items outside the parcel definition are classed as freight parcels under those terms.
Parcelforce
Parcelforce's express48 page says individual parcels can weigh up to 30kg, be up to 1.5 metres long and have a maximum volume of 220 litres, with a surcharge above 220 litres or 1.5m. Its express48large page allows up to 2.5 metres in length and 500 litres, at up to 30kg per parcel, with a surcharge beyond that size and weight.
| Courier and service | Heaviest parcel | Longest side or key size limit |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail medium parcel | 20kg | 61 x 46 x 46cm |
| Evri standard | 15kg | 120cm longest side (ParcelShop or courier); under 245cm on the double-the-short-sides test |
| DPD Parcel (standard terms) | 31kg | Under 1m x 0.6m x 0.7m; girth no more than 2.3m |
| DPD Shop Parcel | 20kg | 0.6m per side; no two sides over 1.2m combined |
| Parcelforce express48 | 30kg | 1.5m length; 220 litres |
| Parcelforce express48large | 30kg | 2.5m length; 500 litres |
Worth remembering: eBay's own labels can carry different limits from the courier's retail service. eBay's Simple Delivery page, for example, lists 66 x 41 x 38cm for an Evri locker, where Evri's own size guide gives 62 x 39 x 57cm. Check the limit shown on the label you are buying.
3. Tracking, signatures and proof of delivery
eBay's help page on tracking items you have sold says tracking protects you if a buyer opens an "item not received" case, and that if tracking later shows the item delivered to the buyer's ZIP code, the request is closed automatically. The buyer can still ask eBay to step in within that 24 hours.
- Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Tracked 48: Royal Mail's pages list tracking to the delivery point, photo on delivery, and SMS or email notifications to recipients. Tracked 24 has a next working day delivery aim and Tracked 48 aims for two to three working days. Signature on delivery is an option. Royal Mail says no delivery target is provided for a list of ZIP code areas, including BT, HS, IV, ZE, GY, IM and JE, so do not promise buyers there a date. Royal Mail's 2nd Class page gives cover of up to £20, but eBay's labels help page says an untracked service such as Royal Mail 2nd Class is not tracked even though a reference number appears on the label.
- Evri: Evri's pages describe tracking as included as standard. Its digital signature service costs 60p, hands the parcel to someone at a UK address (or a neighbor), and gives the sender photo proof of delivery; it is not available for Postable parcels.
- DPD: DPD's Predict service gives the recipient a one-hour delivery window by SMS and email, a real-time map down to a final 15-minute slot, and options to select another date, nominate a neighbor, leave the parcel in a specified safe place or collect from a DPD Pickup shop.
- Parcelforce: express48 and express48large both list tracking from sending to delivery, photo on delivery with GPS location viewable online, and signature on delivery.
Match the proof you choose to the item's value.
4. What happens when something is lost or broken
Compensation is where the four couriers differ most. Read the included amount, the exclusions and the claim deadline.
| Courier | Included cover, as published | More cover | Claim notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail Tracked 24 / 48 | Up to £75 or the item's value, whichever is lower | Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm: up to £750, with additional compensation available up to £2,500 | No compensation for valuables such as money and jewellery |
| Evri | Free cover up to £20 | Up to £999 | Marketplace sellers need proof of sale; claims can take up to 28 days; non-compensation items have no cover |
| DPD (standard terms) | Up to £100 per parcel within the UK, capped at the goods' actual value | Extended Cover, capped at £5,000 per consignment | Notify loss or damage within 14 days of despatch; claim within one year |
| Parcelforce express48 / large | Up to £150 as standard | "Further compensation cover is available" | See terms for retail or account customers |
The exclusions that catch furniture sellers
Evri's "what can I send" page defines non-compensation items as things you can send but that it cannot cover if lost or damaged. Its list says it does not cover furniture unless it is flat-packed and safely packaged, and that glass items or fragile items containing glass parts are included. Evri also says parcels that are not packaged properly are not covered.
Royal Mail excludes valuables such as money and jewellery from Tracked compensation.
Worked example (illustrative)
Suppose you sell a boxed item for £90 and it is lost in transit. Royal Mail Tracked's published cover is the lower of £75 and the item's value, so £75: you refund the buyer £90 and your shortfall is £15, plus the postage you paid. With Evri's free £20 cover the shortfall is £70, unless you bought extra cover at booking up to the £90 value. The method is what matters: refund minus cover is your risk, so compare it with the item's margin.
Also note the legal position that sits behind all of this. Section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says the goods remain at the trader's risk until the consumer or a person they name takes physical possession, with an exception where the buyer chose a carrier you did not offer as an option. A lost parcel is your loss. Section 28 of the same Act requires delivery without undue delay and no later than 30 days after the contract is made unless you agreed otherwise. See our guides on what a carrier actually promises and what to say when an item arrives damaged.
5. Buying labels through eBay
eBay UK's help page on buying and printing postage labels covers Royal Mail and Parcelforce labels, and describes Evri, Yodel, UPS, InPost and DPD labels as eBay Delivery powered by Packlink. Several practical rules from that page are worth knowing:
- For eBay Delivery labels, tracking information appears automatically in My eBay and Seller Hub. If you use your own label, add the tracking number yourself from the order's More actions menu in Orders.
- Labels bought on the eBay labels platform must be used within 14 calendar days, and an unused label must be voided within that time to get a refund. You are charged for a label when you print it, whether or not it is used.
- Royal Mail and Packlink carrier labels (Evri, Yodel, UPS, InPost, DPD) can be paid from available funds in your eBay account. All Parcelforce label purchases are paid with PayPal, per the same page.
When adding tracking by hand, make sure the carrier name and details are accurate, as eBay's tracking page asks. It also notes that most carriers can only send tracking information during a specific time frame, so uploading late can mean tracking information does not show.
6. Handling time and the delivery estimate
eBay's help page on estimated delivery dates says the estimate is based on your dispatch or handling time and the delivery services you offer. It defines handling time as the time it takes you to hand the item to the delivery service provider after the buyer has paid, and recommends setting a dispatch time of no more than 1 working day: its example is that if a buyer pays on Monday, the item must be dispatched and scanned as received by the delivery service provider by Tuesday 11:59pm.
The page recommends stating the delivery service you are using in your listing so buyers get a more accurate estimate. See what handling time actually means. If you offer free postage, remember the cost still comes out of your margin; why free postage is never actually free works through it, and the eBay fee calculator lets you test a price with postage included.
7. A simple way to choose
- Fit. Measure and weigh the packed parcel. Strike out every service whose limits it exceeds.
- Value at risk. Compare replacement cost with included cover. If the gap is bigger than your margin, buy extra cover or pick a service with more included.
- Exclusions. Read the courier's non-compensation list for your product type, especially for furniture, glass and anything fragile.
- Proof. Decide between photo only and signature, based on the item's value.
- Convenience. Check drop-off or collection. Parcelforce lists drop-off at over 11,000 Post Office branches or one of its 54 depots; Royal Mail lists parcel collection for 50p per item when you buy Tracked 24 or Tracked 48 postage online; DPD offers a Pickup shop network.
- Price last. Get a live quote for the finalists before you list.
You can hold your chosen services in business policies so you are not re-entering them on every listing.
8. Common mistakes
- Sending furniture or glass on a service that excludes them from compensation.
- Using a service with no tracking, such as untracked 2nd Class, for anything you would have to refund.
- Missing claim deadlines. DPD's standard terms ask for notice within 14 days of despatch.
Sources and how we checked
Facts in this guide were checked against these official pages in October 2026. Rules and figures change, so confirm anything that affects a decision. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
- Royal Mail Tracked 48 (Royal Mail)
- Royal Mail Tracked 24 (Royal Mail)
- Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm (Royal Mail)
- Royal Mail 2nd Class (Royal Mail)
- Parcel size and weight guide (Evri)
- Parcel cover (Evri)
- Digital signature service (Evri)
- What can you send (Evri)
- Standard terms and conditions (DPD UK)
- Predict and Follow My Parcel (DPD UK)
- express48 (Parcelforce Worldwide)
- express48large (Parcelforce Worldwide)
- Buying and printing postage labels (eBay UK)
- Tracking items you've sold (eBay UK)
- Estimated delivery dates for sellers (eBay UK)
- Simple Delivery (eBay UK)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 29 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 28 (legislation.gov.uk)
Questions people ask
What is the biggest parcel Royal Mail will carry?
Royal Mail lists a medium parcel at up to 20kg and 61 x 46 x 46cm. Larger or heavier items need another service, such as Parcelforce, whose express48 allows up to 30kg and 1.5 metres, and express48large up to 2.5 metres.
How much compensation does Evri include?
Evri says free cover of up to £20 is included, and you can raise cover up to £999 at booking. Non-compensation items have no cover at any value, and Evri says it does not cover furniture unless it is flat-packed and safely packaged.
Do I need tracking on every eBay parcel?
eBay UK says tracking protects you if a buyer opens an item not received case, and that delivery shown to the buyer's ZIP code closes an open request automatically. Untracked services give you no such evidence, so use tracking for anything you would have to refund.
Who bears the risk if a courier loses a parcel?
Under section 29 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods stay at the trader's risk until the consumer takes physical possession, with a narrow exception for a carrier the buyer chose. In practice you refund the buyer and claim from the courier.
Can I use my own label on an eBay order?
Yes. eBay UK says that with your own label you add the tracking number to the order yourself, making sure the carrier name matches the number. Labels bought through eBay add tracking automatically and must be used within 14 calendar days.