Everything you need to know to ship with eParcel

1. Pack it. Use a sturdy box or flyer bag; see packing your parcel.
2. Weigh and measure it once it's packed, so your quote matches what the courier finds.
3. Get a quote and book. Get a quote, choose a service, then log in to add the addresses and pick a collection date.
4. Pay with your eWallet or through our online payment provider.
5. Print and attach the waybills we send you, then hand the parcel to the driver.

We collect from your door and deliver to the recipient's door. You can track the parcel the whole way.

Anyone can get a quote. To book, you need a free eParcel account: open one here. There is no sign-up or monthly fee; you only pay for the parcels you send.

• eWallet: top up your eParcel eWallet in the portal and pay for bookings from your balance. Refunds also go back to your eWallet.
• Online payment: pay by card, Instant EFT and other methods on our online payment provider's secure payment page. Online payments carry an admin fee of 3.5% of the order total (minimum R10), excluding VAT, which we show you before you pay.

We process your booking once payment is received.

You can choose from the next four collection days. We recommend booking at least two business days before you need the parcel collected.

Big, light parcels take up as much space in a vehicle as heavy ones, so couriers charge by size as well as weight. Volumetric weight turns a parcel's size into a weight, so it can be compared with what the parcel actually weighs.

For each parcel we work out:

• Volumetric weight = length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 5 000, rounded up to the next whole kilogram.
• Billable weight = the actual weight or the volumetric weight, whichever is higher.

The billable weights of all the parcels in a shipment are added together.

Example: a box of 45 × 50 × 42 cm that weighs 15 kg. Volumetric weight is 45 × 50 × 42 ÷ 5 000 = 18.9, rounded up to 19 kg. Because 19 kg is more than 15 kg, you pay for 19 kg.

The courier weighs and measures every parcel. If the billable weight is higher than what you booked, we will tell you the difference and the extra cost, and the surcharge must be paid before the shipment can carry on. Surcharges not paid within two days are handed over for collection.

Overweight parcels on the wrong service can also be delayed or damaged, so always quote with the weight and size of the packed parcel.

Your parcel travels through a courier network with sorting machines and vans full of other parcels, so pack it to survive being stacked and moved.

• Use a strong box (double-walled cardboard is best) or a courier flyer bag for soft items.
• Fill empty space with bubble wrap, foam or paper so nothing moves inside.
• Wrap fragile items one by one and keep them away from the sides of the box.
• Seal every seam with packing tape.
• Remove or cover old labels and barcodes.

Electronics are best sent in their original packaging inside a plain outer box. Parcels that aren't boxed, or have no protective packaging inside, can't be sent. Some items can't be sent at all, or only travel at your own risk; see prohibited and restricted items.

Write each parcel's waybill number on the box or bag as well as attaching the waybill. That way waybills can't be swapped between parcels if one comes loose.

Drivers collect between 08:00 and 17:00 on the day you chose. We can't give a more exact time, and not every driver will phone ahead, so make sure someone is there with the parcel and its waybill all day.

Main centres are serviced every business day. Some outlying areas are only serviced on certain days; you'll only see those days when you book, and we will let you know if your collection day needs to change.

For deliveries within South Africa, same-day collection is offered when you book and pay before 12:00 on a collection day. If today is available, it is shown first when you choose your collection date.

Deliveries are made between 08:00 and 17:00 on business days. The delivery date depends on the service you chose and the route. Tracking shows when your parcel is out for delivery.

Contact us as soon as possible. We will arrange a new collection date, or a refund if the driver did not arrive.

Once your payment is received we email your waybills (shipping labels). Logged-in customers can also print them from My shipments in the portal. Print one for every parcel and attach it where it can be seen and scanned.

Waybills are required for every shipment. If you don't have a printer, most print shops can print them for you, or contact us. Don't hand your parcel to the driver without its waybill: you may be charged an admin fee, or the parcel may be returned to you.

No. Always use the electronic waybill we send you. A handwritten waybill has a different number, so your parcel can't be tracked under your booking, mistakes on it can delay or lose the parcel, and any insurance on the shipment becomes void.

If a handwritten waybill was used, contact us straight away. You are responsible for the cost of any service or details written on a manual waybill.

Enter your waybill number on the tracking page. Logged-in customers can see every shipment and its status under My shipments.

Contact us. If the collection has not been arranged yet, we refund the full amount less a R50 administration fee. If the collection has already been arranged, we will tell you what fees apply. All refunds are paid into your eParcel eWallet.

Contact us as soon as possible with your order number. We will do our best to make the change before collection; changes after collection may not be possible or may cost extra.

Insurance is available to registered, validated business account holders, for deliveries within South Africa. You choose it, and the value to cover, when you book. You can insure from R1 000 up to R50 000 per shipment.

Shipments without insurance are carried at limited liability, as set out in the terms and conditions of carriage you accept when booking. Restricted items can't be insured.

The premium depends on the value you insure, and you see it before you confirm the booking. All prices exclude VAT.

If a claim is paid, an excess is deducted: 12.8% of the claim value, or 22.8% for hijacking and armed robbery.

• Loss or damage caused by fire, explosion or earthquake.
• Loss or damage caused by wind, thunder, lightning, storm, hail, flood or snow.
• Accidental damage while the parcel is being transported, or loaded onto or off a vehicle.
• Malicious damage.
• Loss or damage caused by theft.

It does not cover indirect loss, or loss caused by delays.

Claims can only be made for shipments that were insured when booked. Act quickly: insured claims, with all documents, must reach us within 24 hours of delivery.

1. When the parcel is delivered, the recipient writes down all damage on the front of the waybill and signs below it.
2. Keep a copy of that waybill and take as many photos of the damage as you can. Without photos we can't lodge a claim.
3. Email [email protected] for a claim form.
4. Send the completed form, the waybill copy, the photos and an invoice for the damaged or missing goods to [email protected].

We lodge the claim with the courier's insurance brokers for you and follow it up. The insurer alone decides whether a claim is paid; we can't influence or guarantee the outcome.

• Insurance was not selected when the shipment was booked.
• A handwritten waybill was used instead of the electronic waybill.
• The insured amount on the waybill was changed or written in by hand.
• The invoice value is higher than the amount insured.
• The claim or any of its documents arrived more than 24 hours after delivery.
• No photos of the damage were provided.