Post Office customers can now send packages through DPD and Evri, rather than using only Royal Mail for the first time in its 360-year history.

The new service will be available in select branches just before the busy Christmas delivery season. In the chosen stores, Post Office customers will be able to go to a counter and choose to send their parcels with DPD or Evri, in addition to existing services.

Post Office chief executive Nick Read said: “We are fundamentally transforming Post Office by introducing new mails carriers for over-the-counter sales for the first time in our 360-year history. This expanded partnership with DPD and Evri shows how we are disrupting the mails market to offer greater choice for customers and more opportunities for postmasters as we build a Post Office fit for the future.”

Neill O’Sullivan, managing director of parcels and mails at Post Office, said: “Post Office is innovating to meet changing customer preferences and the increasingly competitive market. Our goal is to deliver unparalleled access to parcel services, addressing the needs of businesses and retail customers, both now and in the future.

“Our new buy-in-branch service reflects how Post Office has adapted as a business to ensure our customers now have access to multiple delivery carriers and services conveniently in their local Post Office. It’s very exciting to have major carriers DPD and Evri as our launch partners for this new service which will be rolled out across branches over the coming months.”

It comes after Royal Mail added a "green" surcharge to the cost of posting letters and parcels on November 6. The 2p green surcharge will affect its business customers, rather than directly hitting regular consumer customers.

However, there are fears companies may increase costs for customers to make up the extra charge. The surcharge will apply against:

  • Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am, 1pm and end of the day Sunday
  • Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48
  • Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48
  • Special Delivery Guaranteed Returns
  • Royal Mail Tracked Returns

Royal Mail will also introduce a "peak" surcharge to cover the Christmas period from November 20 until January 7. The surcharge will be between 5p and 10p depending on what type of parcel or letter is being sent.

Again, it will affect business customers rather than regular household customers.