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PostNL

Download the PostNL plugin

You need a plugin to link plentymarkets to PostNL. Visit the plentyMarketplace  to download the PostNL plugin.

1. Registering with PostNL

The PostNL plugin allows shippers from the Netherlands to create shipping labels quickly and easily and to use the shipment tracking in plentymarkets.

In order to set up the interface for PostNL in your plentymarkets system and use the services, you have to register with PostNL . You receive the data from PostNL that you need for the settings in plentymarkets. Contact your PostNL account manager, if needed.

2. Setting up PostNL in plentymarkets

Simply setting up PostNL with the help of an assistant

You need a plugin to link plentymarkets to PostNL. Visit the plentyMarketplace  to download the PostNL plugin.
The PostNL assistant that allow an easy setup is then available in the Setup » Assistants » Plugins menu in the relevant plugin set.

Before completing the PostNL assistant, you need to complete the Shipping settings assistant. This assistant is available in your plentymarkets system by default. You can find it in the Setup » Assistants » Integration menu. With this assistant, carry out the following settings:

  • determine a name for the shipping setting (i.e. the shipping profile)

  • activate existing regions or create a new region

  • determine the shipping costs and select the calculation type

  • Note: Afterwards, go to Setup » Orders » Shipping » Settings and click on the Shipping profiles tab to carry out further settings for the shipping profile. Further information on these settings are provided below on this manual page.

Afterwards, complete the PostNL assistant.

3. Carrying out the preparatory settings

First, you have to carry out some preparatory settings in the plentymarkets back end:

  • Set up countries of delivery

    • You can set up the countries of delivery in the Shipping settings assistant or in the back end.

  • Create regions

    • You can create regions in the Shipping settings assistant or in the back end.

  • Creating the shipping service provider PostNL

    • Currently, you can create shipping service providers only in the back end and not in an assistant.

  • Create a shipping profile and the table of shipping charges for PostNL

    • You can set up some of the shipping settings in the Shipping settings assistant. The remaining settings have to be carried out in the back end in the Setup » Orders » Shipping » Settings menu in the Shipping profiles tab.
      Important: Not all functions and settings have been transferred from the shipping profile to the Shipping settings assistant yet. Note the explanations in the Completing the Shipping settings assistant chapter.

4. Completing the assistants

Once you have installed the plugin in a plugin set, the PostNL assistant is visible in the Setup » Assistants » Plugins menu in the relevant plugin set and you can start with the setup. The Shipping settings assistant is available in your plentymarkets system by default. You can find it in the Setup » Assistants » Integration menu.

Now complete the assistants in the following order:

  1. Shipping settings

  2. PostNL

4.1. Completing the Shipping settings assistant

You find the Shipping settings assistant in the Setup » Assistants » Integration menu. In this assistant, carry out the following settings:

  • Enter a back end and a front end name for the shipping setting. These names can be selected per language.

    • Link this name later in the PostNL assistant.

  • Select the plugin of the shipping service provider for which you want to set up shipping costs.

    • You have to download the PostNL plugin in the plentyMarketplace  before you can see it here.

  • Select a region, enter the shipping costs and select the calculation type for the selected countries. Furthermore, you can determine the value of items from which no shipping costs will be calculated.

Carry out further settings for the shipping settings in the back end

If you have completed the Shipping settings assistant, the shipping profile also appears in the Setup » Orders » Shipping » Settings menu in the Shipping profile tab.
The following settings are available once the assistant has been completed:

  • the name of the shipping profile is saved

  • the shipping service provider is saved

  • the option Activate for new items is activated

  • all clients (shops) are activated

  • all order referrers are activated

  • the shipping costs are saved

  • the region is saved

If you want to carry out further settings such as blocking customer classes or payment methods or activating the option for the agreement upon data transmission to shipping service providers, you have to go to Setup » Orders » Shipping » Settings and carry out these settings in the Shipping profiles tab in the corresponding shipping profile.

This workaround is still necessary because not all functions and settings have been transferred from the shipping profile to the assistant yet. We will implement the missing settings in the assistant step by step.
Which data is shown when the Shipping settings assistant has been completed?

When you completed the Shipping settings assistant and open it again, the following information is displayed:

  • In the tile view:

    • Back end name

    • Region

    • Shipping service provider

  • In the table overview:

    • Back end name

    • Region

    • Shipping service provider

    • Front end name

    • ID of the shipping profile

4.2. Completing the PostNL assistant

You find the PostNL assistant in the Setup » Assistants » Plugins menu in the relevant plugin set. This assistant has several steps to complete. These steps are explained in the following.

Global settings

In this step, determine whether you want to change the global settings.

If the option is activated (), you can make changes to the steps Login details, Shipper data and Reference on label at any time. If the option is deactivated (), only the step Settings combination is visible and can be changed.

Login details

In this step, enter your login details by using your API key. Enter a name of your choice in the field Name of the API key for every API key that you use. Click on to add further login details.

Shipper data

In this step, enter your shipper address. Click on to add further shipper addresses.

Reference on label

In this step, select which information should be shown on the shipping label. You can select the following values:

  • No entry

  • Order ID

  • External order ID

  • Order ID + external order ID

Settings combination

In this step, link the settings that you saved in the Shipping settings and in the single steps of the PostNL assistant. Link the shipping setting with your login details, the products, services and product codes, the shipper address and the item description.

If you select a product, all corresponding services and product codes are listed below and you can select them. Note that your PostNL account manager might activate certain products and services for you first.

The item description refers to the values that you saved in the Item » Edit item » Open item menu in the Texts tab in the fields Name1, Name2, Name3 and Preview text. In this step, select one of the four fields.

Furthermore, select whether you want to activate the productive mode or the test mode.

If you ship internationally (), you have to enter also the declarations type and the default customs number.

Summary

In this step, a summary of all entries that you made in the single steps is listed. You can take a look at all the settings that you carried out, adjust setting within the steps, if needed and complete the assistant afterwards via the summary step.

Which data is shown when the PostNL assistant has been completed?

When you completed the PostNL assistant and open it again, the following information is displayed:

  • In the tile view:

    • Shipping setting

    • Region

    • Name of the API key

    • Service

  • In the table overview:

    • Shipping setting

    • Region

    • Name of the API key

    • Service

5. Products, services and product codes currently available

Table 1 lists all products, services and product codes that are currently available via the PostNL plugin. Note that your PostNL account manager might activate certain products and services for you first.

Table 1. Products, services and product codes currently available
Product Service Product code

Dutch domestic products (destination Netherlands)

Dutch domestic products

  • 3085 - Standard shipment

  • 3385 - Delivery to stated address only

  • 3090 - Delivery to neighbour + Return when not at home

  • 3390 - Delivery to stated address only + Return when not at home

Standard pickup points
These are e.g. selected supermarkets and bookstores.

  • 3533 - Pickup at PostNL location + Signature on delivery

  • 3534 - Pickup at PostNL location + Extra cover

  • 3543 - Pickup at PostNL location + Signature on delivery + Notification

  • 3544 - Pickup at PostNL location + Extra cover + Notification

Mailbox parcel
For smaller shipments that fit into the mailbox of your customers.

  • 2928 - Brievenbuspakje

Smart returns
Your customers can show a barcode on their smartphone and have the return label printed in a PostNL branch.

  • 2285 - Business reply number (Antwoordnummer)

Destination EU

Parcels EU
Currently, shipment from the Netherlands to 27 countries is possible. Contact your PostNL account manager for further information.

  • 4590 - Parcels EU to Business (Delivery to neighbour + Signature on delivery + Standard cover)

  • 4952 - Parcels EU to Consumer (Delivery to neighbour + Signature on delivery + Standard cover)

Destination Rest of World

GlobalPack products

  • 4947 - GlobalPack

International Mail & Packets

International Mail & Packets

  • 6405 - Priority Packet

  • 6350 - Priority Packet Tracked

  • 6906 - Priority Packet Extra

  • 6408 - Registered Letter

  • 6040 - Registered Book

6. Registering an order

In the Orders » Shipping centre menu in the Register tab, you can register your orders with PostNL and simultaneously transmit the order data to the PostNL. To do so, proceed as follows.

Registering an order:

  1. Go to Orders » Shipping centre.

  2. Select the option open from the drop-down list Shipping status.

  3. Select the option PostNL from the drop-down list Shipping service provider.

  4. Click on the magnifying glass ().
    → You see a list of open shipping orders for PostNL.

  5. Click on the Register tab.

  6. Select the option PostNL from the drop-down list Shipping service provider.

  7. Select the order status from the drop-down list Change order status. Select the status that you want the orders to receive after they are registered.
    Note: You can combine this function using an event procedure which, for example, automatically books outgoing items.

  8. Select the orders that you want to register with PostNL.

  9. Click on Register () to transfer the order data to PostNL.

For further information about registering orders, refer to the Using the shipping centre page of the manual.

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