Depop's revised terms of service, effective 24 February 2025, cancel orders automatically if the seller does not ship within the required timeframe. Previously the buyer had to request a cancellation, and many never did, leaving orders in limbo. The rule is still in force and it rewards sellers who use a courier with convenient drop-off options.
How the two Depop shipping routes behave
- Depop Shipping (Evri): you choose a size tier when you list (Small under 1 kg, Medium under 2 kg, Large under 5 kg), the buyer pays that tier, and after the sale Depop emails an Evri QR code. The order is marked as shipped automatically at the first Evri scan, so a ParcelShop or Evri locker drop-off is all it takes.
- 'Other' (ship it yourself): you buy postage from Royal Mail, InPost or anyone else, then enter the tracking number in the app when you mark the order as shipped. The number cannot be edited afterwards, so copy it carefully. Nothing is marked as shipped until you do it.
What sellers need to do
- Ship promptly. Use Depop Shipping so a sale can be posted the same day with nothing to print; Evri lockers (since March 2026) take the QR code outside shop hours.
- Mark the order as shipped. With Depop Shipping this happens at the first Evri scan; with 'Other' you must add the tracking number yourself.
- Pause listings if you are away and cannot post for several days. A paused shop cannot generate orders you will fail to ship.
- Watch the first scan. Evri ParcelShop parcels are usually scanned at the evening collection, not when you hand them over, so an afternoon drop-off may not show as shipped until the next morning. Keep the receipt.
Why Depop made the change
Depop says the rule improves buyer confidence and reduces the number of orders left unresolved. Since 20 March 2024 UK sellers pay no selling fee on Depop (buyers pay a marketplace fee instead), so the platform's lever for seller behaviour is the dispatch rule rather than fees.
Worked example
A vintage jacket sold on Thursday evening through Depop Shipping. You drop it at an Evri locker on Friday morning with the emailed QR code: the label prints at the terminal, the first scan lands within minutes and the order is marked as shipped. Had you chosen 'Other' and posted it with Royal Mail Tracked 48 instead, you would have had to buy the label (£3.75 online for a small parcel since 5 October 2026), paste the tracking number into the order and mark it shipped yourself before the dispatch window closed.
The dispatch window in practice
The window runs from the moment the buyer pays, not from when you read the notification, and it counts calendar days, so a Friday-evening sale is not safe to leave until Monday without checking the deadline in the order. If a buyer purchases two items separately, each order has its own clock; combine them into one parcel only if you can mark both as shipped with the same tracking before the first deadline passes. Going away is the common trap: a shop left open over a holiday collects orders that will be cancelled before you are home, and each cancellation is visible to the buyer. Pause the shop, or set the listings to inactive, before you leave.
Keeping the evidence
The order's status is what Depop reads, so make sure it says shipped. With Depop Shipping, check the order the morning after a ParcelShop drop-off; if it still shows awaiting shipment, the parcel was not scanned at the evening collection, and the receipt is what you show Depop. With 'Other', screenshot the order after you enter the tracking number, because it cannot be edited and a typo is the usual cause of a dispute you cannot win.