Pitney Bowes Parcel-Point APIs Overview
The ParcelPoint (Locker) APIs help manage the reservation and release of smart locker units for package delivery and pickup. These APIs allow organizations to automate secure, contactless deliveries by integrating with Pitney Bowes smart lockers. By integrating these APIs into your system, you can automate end-to-end locker workflows—from locating available lockers to reserving, opening, depositing, and freeing locker units after pickup.
Why Use Parcel-Point APIs
- Enable contactless, secure package deliveries
- Automate locker assignment and release
- Support delivery and pickup workflows without human intervention
- Track which locker unit is assigned to which package
- Simplify mailroom or internal delivery operations
How Parcel-Point APIs Work
The Parcel-Point APIs are designed to manage smart locker workflows—from retrieving available locker banks to reserving, depositing parcels and freeing individual locker units. The user (typically a mailroom operator or system) uses these APIs to:
- Look up locker banks
- Check available locker unit sizes
- Reserve locker units
- Mark deposits
- Fetch reservations
- Free locker units
Step-by-Step Workflow for Parcel-Point APIs
Step 1: Retrieve Available Locker Banks
Use the Get Locker Banks or Get Locker Bank by Locker Bank ID APIs to retrieve the list of available locker banks at a facility. Filter by:
locationId: To get lockers for a specific locationlockerBankId: To retrieve a specific locker bank by ID. One location can have multiple banks.- Each locker bank has a unique
lockerBankId, used in subsequent API calls.
Step 2: Get Locker Sizes for a Locker Bank
Use the Get Locker Sizes API to retrieve the available locker unit sizes in a locker bank (e.g., small, medium, large) along with their availability status.
- You need to pass the
lockerBankIdretrieved in Step 1 as a path parameter.
Step 3: Reserve a Locker Unit
Once you know a locker unit is available, use the Reserve Locker Unit API to create a reservation. Required fields include:
lockerBankId(path parameter)- Package tracking number
- Locker size preference (e.g., small)
- Recipient identification (contact ID and type)
- Reservation Expiry Time
If a locker is successfully reserved, a locker unit ID will be returned in the response.
Step 4: Add or Update Deposit Information
After reserving the locker unit, deposit the parcel inside the locker using Add/Update Deposit API. Using the same API, user can update the deposit information for example userId of the user.
This updates the locker reservation to reflect:
- Parcel successfully deposited
- Deposit timestamp
- depositExpiryTime (Once expired, the parcel may be removed or handled according to facility policy.)
- Parcel pickup code (Pickup Code will only be provided to the
contactType: recipient. ForcontactType: departmentthe recipients will pick the parcel by providing theirpersonalId)
You need to pass:
lockerBankId(path parameter)lockerUnitId(path parameter)
Step 5: Retrieve Reservation Details
These APIs help external systems, operators, or recipients retrieve reservation details.
- Get Reservations by Contact: Retrieve all reservations linked to a specific recipient/contact.
- Get Reservation by Tracking Number: Retrieve reservation details using the package tracking number.
Step 6: Update Reservation
If reservation details need to be changed (e.g., expiry time, contact details, metadata), use the Update Reservation API.
You need to pass:
lockerBankId(path parameter)lockerUnitId(path parameter)
Step 7: Free the Reserved Locker Unit
Use the Free Reserved Locker Unit API to cancel the existing reservation. This makes the locker unit available for the next package.
You need to pass:
lockerBankId(path parameter)- unit to be freed -
lockerUnitId(path parameter)