How to Scan a Royal Mail QR Code (Vinted)

Many people searching “how to scan a Royal Mail QR code” are really asking one of two things: where do I take it, and why will it not scan? Here are both answers.

You do not scan it yourself

The code is read by the drop-off point, not by you. You take the parcel and the QR code, and staff or the scanner at the counter read it and print the label. Vinted’s own help says the code carries the shipping details, which is why nothing else is needed.

Where to take it

Royal Mail QR codes from Vinted can be used at Post Offices and other Royal Mail drop-off points. The exact options shown depend on your area, so check the list Vinted shows on the order. Ask at the counter if you are unsure whether a local shop takes it.

Step by step

Open the sold order on Vinted and tap Open QR code.
Turn your screen brightness up, or have a printed copy ready.
Take the parcel and show the code at the counter.
Staff scan it, a label prints, and they attach or hand you the label.
Keep the receipt and check tracking updates in Vinted.

If it will not scan

On a phone screen: brightness up, screen cleaned, and zoom out so the whole code is visible. Dark mode or a cracked screen can also cause trouble.
On paper: the likely cause is a printout shrunk to fit. A code printed tiny in the corner of an A4 page scans badly. Print it cropped and large instead. Crop My Label does this on a 4×6 in a click.
Expired code: check the date in the Digital shipping label window. See how long a Royal Mail QR code lasts.

If you would rather not queue

If a Royal Mail parcel locker is listed as a drop-off for your order, you can scan the code there instead and the locker prints the label. Do not use a postbox, though: Vinted warns that a QR code parcel posted in a postbox cannot be registered, so it will not be tracked or delivered. Our guide to sending a Vinted order without a printer covers the no-print options, and the Royal Mail QR code label explained covers the print route.