Parcels can be picked up in people's homes at a cost of 72 cents each

New Service: consumers can now send packages via Royal Mail without leaving home

Royal Mail now collects people's orders as well as delivers them as part of its new 'Parcel Collect' service

Customers can pick up up up to five packages at their door or designated secure location every day except Sundays. The service usually costs 72p per package plus postage costs, while prepaid return packages can also be collected for 60p per item.

The service is available Monday to Saturday and can be booked up to five days in advance and until midnight on the day before collection on the Royal Mail website.

You can have up to five packages collected per day and can weigh up to 20kg. They should measure a maximum of 61 cm x 46 cm x 46 cm.

To use the service:

If you have not yet paid for the item post, you must first pay for the post on the Royal Mail website. Then you will be taken to the Parcel Collect section of the website.

If you have already paid for the post of the item before, you can go straight to the collection configuration .

At the end of the process, you will have to print a label which is attached to the package (the Royal Mail team collecting the items will not be able to do this for you). When the item is collected, you will receive an email notification which acts as proof of posting.