Royal Mail not updating delivery status on Shopify

Payments + Shipping & Fulfilment
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Topic summary

Royal Mail Click & Drop tracking doesn’t update to “Delivered” in Shopify, breaking flows like returns that rely on an accurate delivery date. DHL updates work as expected.

Attempts so far: Contact with both Shopify and Royal Mail led to each pointing to the other. Adding tracking via API updates the number, but Shopify doesn’t progress the shipment status; this appears to be on the fulfilment app to handle.

Key finding: Royal Mail UK isn’t a Shopify Integrated Shipping Carrier (i.e., not supported for real-time tracking sync), per Shopify’s documentation. This explains why statuses stay at “tracking added,” though a few orders have updated sporadically for some users.

Workarounds/alternatives:

  • Manual: copy/paste tracking and mark dispatch/delivery yourself.
  • Switch to a supported carrier (e.g., DPD).
  • Third-party apps:
    • Postly: syncs tracking and marks orders fulfilled when dispatched; “Delivered” status isn’t yet supported, but it’s on the roadmap. Question raised about standard tracked deliveries.
    • Starshipit: paid tool with a Royal Mail integration that may fill the gap.

Status: No native solution; unresolved until app updates or Shopify adds Royal Mail as an integrated carrier.

Summarized with AI on December 11. AI used: gpt-5.
1

I am having issues with Royal Mail Click and Drop. In order for our returns portal to work, we need Shopify to pull tracking details from Royal Mail so that the status of the order updates to an accurate delivery date. Currently, our tracking updates on Shopify with the number but this does not change to delivered afterwards. This does, however, update on our DHL account.

Is there anything I can do differently or a flow I can set up to change this?

I ave contacted Royal Mail and they said they are unable to help. Any advice would be appreciated.

2

hi, did you make any progress with this, we are trying to achieve the same thing?

1 Like
3

Hello, unfortunately not! Both Shopify and Royal informed me that the other would be able to help - neither could. Our next idea is to switch to a new courier, potentially DPD, hoping that their technology isn’t quite as ancient as Royal Mail.

4

thanks for the update. i think we are drawing blanks too.
we update the fulfilment with tracking info via API, but then it seems that Shopify doesnt do anything with it. Its the responsibility of the fulfilment app to send updates

5

in case it’s useful for anyone else that finds this post - Royal Mail in the UK is not a supported carrier for real-time status updates!!! Go figure!!!
https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shipping/understanding-shipping/shipping-carriers?shpxid=b83641f6-62CE-4119-29CC-88DC2E95636C#integrated-shipping-carriers

6

That’s crazy! There must be so many businesses in UK using Royal Mail and Shopify. I’m having loads of issues with Royal Mail and Shopify subscriptions :disappointed_face:

7

Agreed, Royal mail I assume is the most popular here in the UK, crazy it’s not supported. What’s weird is 4 of my orders that used Royal mail did actually pull the status through - rest didn’t.

8

We have the same issue here, Click and Drop sees the orders and we can process them in Click and Drop but then we have to manually update all the orders and add the tracking numbers by copy/pasting each one. Takes way too long and is very frustrating since it should be automatic in my mind.

Has anyone had any luck with the status (dispatched and tracking numbers) from Click and Drop to Shopify? It would be good to know if it’s not working for anyone or just some of us in which case it could be some set up issue?

2 Likes
9

Hi @Mint_Sauce , I had a client with the exact same problem, so I built an app that will pull through the tracking numbers and mark the order as fulfilled on Shopify when you mark it as dispatched on Click and Drop. It’s called Postly: Click and Drop Sync . Hope it helps!

10

Hi having the same problem. My orders are automatically mark dispatched and the tracking number gets added, but shipping status never gets updated to “delivered”, it just stays as “tracking added”.

@TonyMcS does your app change shipping status?

1 Like
11

Hi @chrisjack , sorry for the late reply. The shipping status isn’t updated because Royal Mail isn’t one of Shopify’s Integrated Shipping Carriers. I wouldn’t be surprised if they add them eventually, but regardless I can see why this would be a useful feature that you’d like ASAP, so I’ve added it to our roadmap and I will let you know when we have released a solution.

Best regards,
Tony

1 Like
12

Hi there,

Does your app also work for standard tracked deliveries?

13

You could use our app Starshipit (which has a Royal Mail integration). It is an additional tool (which means additional cost), but it could be a good avenue if you are interested: How to set up Royal Mail – Starshipit

14

Thanks Tony, any progress on “delivered” status updating?

15

Hi Tony, just checking in again to see if you have been able to implement delivered status confirmation from click and drop? cheers