InPost collection deadline: 72 hours, codes and collecting for someone else

For UK InPost locker deliveries, you have three days, or 72 hours, to collect your parcel. InPost says it sends a reminder with 24 hours remaining and returns uncollected parcels to the seller. Check the collection message for your own parcel before travelling. InPost’s collection deadline guidance.

InPost sends collection instructions through its app, email and text. At the locker, scan the QR code or use your collection code and phone number, leaving off the phone number’s initial zero as instructed. Official locker collection instructions.

Our practical suggestion is to save the location and ready message together. A retailer’s dispatch email describes an earlier stage of the journey. Before setting off, check that the message you are reading actually says the parcel is ready at the collection point you intend to visit.

InPost says parcels arriving around the same time may be placed in one compartment. In that case, it notifies you when everything is ready and gives 72 hours from that notification to collect the grouped parcels. InPost’s grouped-parcel timing explanation.

Keep an order list when collecting several purchases. After opening the compartment, match the parcel labels to the orders you expected. If something appears to be missing, retain the notification and record what you found before contacting support. Avoid assuming that every outstanding order was included in the same collection.

InPost allows you to share the QR code or nine-digit collection/send code with a friend or family member. The code is available in your email or app. InPost’s collection-on-your-behalf guidance.

We recommend sharing collection details privately with the person you trust to collect. Include the exact locker location and the instructions shown for that parcel. Ask them to confirm once the parcel is safely collected so you do not both make the trip. Keep access codes out of public reviews, social posts and support screenshots that other people can view.

• Check that collection is ready and note the deadline in the actual message.
• Confirm the location rather than relying on a previous delivery’s locker.
• Have the QR code or collection details available on your phone.
• Check the orders you expect to collect, particularly for grouped parcels.
• Arrange a trusted collector early if you cannot get there yourself.

This checklist is our practical recommendation. If the instructions or code do not work, use InPost’s official help route with the parcel reference and a clear description. The published return policy gives you a reason to act promptly. It does not establish a guaranteed grace period after the deadline.

If an older order still uses the Yodel name, see our current InPost tracking route guide. Further coverage is available in our InPost hub and tracking guides.

Official sources checked on 6 November 2026. Independent Parcel Insider guide. Illustrative photograph by Mutney, Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 4.0. Resized and cropped for display. It does not show a particular customer’s parcel.