compliance teamThe parcel-based declaration for online sellers
Step 1
Extract parcel counts
Step 2
Compare both bases
Step 3
Confirm the size bands
Step 4
Exclude packaging that must stay detailed
| Control | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|
| Scope | Entity, product, channel, stream and source |
| External action | Version, date, authorised filer and issued receipt |
| Maintenance | Source data, approval, invoice and next deadline |
A declaration priced per parcel
Alongside the detailed declaration by material and the flat-rate declaration by product family, the published rate card includes a declaration for online commerce priced per parcel in three size bands.
The published parcel figures already include the surcharge that applies for using the method, so the surcharge is not added again.
When it helps and when it does not
For a seller shipping many small parcels with light packaging, a per-parcel basis can be markedly cheaper than declaring the same packaging by weight. For a heavy or plastic-intensive shipper the weight basis may remain lower.
The comparison is arithmetic, and it should be run on real shipping data rather than assumed.
The limits are real
The definitions of the size bands are not published in the rate card itself, so a company cannot self-assign bands with confidence without confirming them.
Obstructive packaging and household-hazardous packaging cannot use any simplified method at all; those volumes stay in the detailed declaration.
Conclusion
Scope comes before a form. Connect the legal entity, product, sales channel and EPR stream to the rule that actually applies.
Evidence must remain traceable. Keep source data, versions, approvals, filings, receipts and every record issued by an external body.
Third-party decisions are never guaranteed. Approved schemes, public registers, the regulator and marketplaces control their own procedures, timing and decisions.