Pack and Label a Vinted Royal Mail Parcel

With a Royal Mail order on Vinted, the label is printed when your QR code is scanned at the drop-off point, so you stick it on there rather than at home. That makes how you pack the parcel beforehand more important. A badly packed parcel can be refused, damaged, or left without compensation.

Everything below follows Vinted’s own packing guidance, plus a few practical tips.

Pick the right packaging

Vinted asks for sturdy outer packaging that fits the item snugly:

Clothes and shoes: a padded bag or a cardboard box. Not a plain bag or envelope with no padding.
Toys, cosmetics and fragile items: a cardboard box with padding. Items should not move around inside.
Books: a cardboard box or a padded envelope.
Electronics: a sturdy box with protective inserts or air pillows.

Fill empty space with bubble wrap, paper or similar, so nothing rattles. Seal the parcel with strong tape. For fragile items, always use a box rather than a bag, and add a “Fragile” sticker.

Bundles go in one parcel, with each item wrapped securely.

Check the size before you go

When you list an item, Vinted suggests a parcel size and shows each carrier’s size and weight limits. Measure the packed parcel, not just the item. Vinted warns that a carrier may refuse a parcel, or charge extra, if it is too big, and once the buyer has paid, the size and carrier cannot be changed.

If you plan to use a Royal Mail parcel locker, also check the compartment sizes. See how to use a Royal Mail parcel locker for Vinted.

Leave room for the label

Because the label is printed at the drop-off point, you need somewhere clean to put it:

Leave one large, flat side clear. No seams, folds or wrinkled plastic across it.
Cover or remove old labels and barcodes. Vinted asks you to remove old labels, and a second barcode can confuse the scanners.
Do not write over the area where the label will go.

Stick the label on properly

Once the label is printed:

Stick it flat on the largest side of the parcel.
Make sure the barcode is fully visible, not wrapped round an edge.
Tape down the edges with strong tape so it cannot peel off in transit. Avoid taping over the barcode itself if the tape is cloudy or shiny.

At a Post Office or Royal Mail shop, staff may stick it on for you. If they hand it to you, follow the steps above. At a locker, you do it yourself before scanning the label to open the door.

Take photos before you send

Vinted recommends photos of the item and of the packed parcel, inside and outside. Add one of the label once it is on. If the buyer reports damage or the parcel goes missing, these photos plus your receipt are what support a claim. See Vinted Royal Mail tracking and proof of postage for what else to keep.

Never skip the drop-off

Do not attach the QR code to the parcel and put it in a postbox. It is not a label, and Vinted warns the parcel will not be registered or delivered. See can you post a Vinted parcel in a postbox.

Quick answers

Where do I put the label on a Vinted parcel? Flat on the largest side, with the barcode fully visible and the edges taped down.

Can I reuse an old box? Yes, if it is sturdy. Remove or cover every old label and barcode.

Can I send clothes in a plastic bag? Only a padded one. Vinted says not to use bags without padding.

Do I stick the QR code on the parcel? No. Show it at the drop-off point, which prints the real label.