Pickup point
Collecting instead of home delivery
A pickup point is a branch, partner shop, or locker where the carrier delivers a parcel and the customer collects it. Instead of waiting at home they choose their own moment. For a merchant it is usually cheaper than delivery to an address.
Why it is cheaper and popular
Delivery to an address means one trip to one customer and the risk that nobody answers the door. A pickup point receives dozens of parcels at once, so the cost per parcel falls. Part of that saving shows up in the shipping price the customer pays.
For the customer the value is independence from time. They need not be home, need not wait for a courier, and collect the parcel on the way back from work. This is why pickup points took hold in Czechia and Slovakia faster than in many other countries, and why a dense branch network is now an expectation rather than an advantage.
Wiring it into the cart
How the branch is chosen decides everything. A dropdown list is unusable, because a street name tells the customer nothing about distance. A map picker with address or postcode search belongs in the cart itself, not in an email after the order.
- A searchable map, not an alphabetical branch list.
- Opening hours and holding period visible at the point of choice.
- The last branch remembered for repeat purchases.
- Information on when the parcel will actually be there, not merely that it shipped.
- Cash on delivery where the carrier supports it.
Store collection as a third option
If the business has a shop or warehouse, collection in person is the cheapest shipping there is and a chance for direct contact. The condition is that the system can say whether the goods are genuinely ready — a promised collection that sends the customer away empty-handed damages the brand more than slow delivery does.
Joining stock, till, and shop into a single view of availability is a classic omnichannel problem. It is solved by a custom e-shop that keeps stock and orders in one system.
Want branch selection right in the cart?
Explore custom e-shopsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pickup point and a locker?
A pickup point is usually staffed — a branch or partner shop with opening hours. A locker is an automated unit, typically available around the clock. For the customer that is a difference in availability; for the merchant, in which parcel dimensions the carrier accepts.
Should I offer more than one pickup network?
Not strictly, but it helps. Customers pick the branch on their route, and it may not belong to the carrier the shop has a contract with. Two networks cover far more addresses than one.
How long will the carrier hold a parcel?
The holding period varies by carrier and branch type, usually a few days. State it both at the branch picker and in the arrival email, because once it lapses the parcel returns to the merchant and costs money again.