By ParentShield’s postage and packing department
Getting a SIM for a birthday or Christmas or back to school can be a stressful affair. Here at ParentShield we are really conscious of this. We want to make everything as simple as possible, and get everything right for you. The last thing we want is a late delivery on a special day!
SIM CARD Delivery FAQ
We post same day Mon-Saturday and if you order before the cut-off time, you should receive it next day but Royal Mail’s target is 1-3 working days. Or you can choose Special Delivery to guarantee next-day SIM delivery. Watch out for bank holidays and posting times though!
Yes. Choose the Special Delivery option at checkout and we will send the SIM card with tracked Next-day Delivery.
Regular First-Class delivered will go through the letterbox and Special Delivery orders will need to be Signed For.
Yes – just call or email and let us know that you’d like to collect your SIM order and we’ll arrange that.
Probably – yes! Call 03301221180 after placing a normal order and let us know straight away, or put a note in checkout that you’d like an eSIM.
If you have selected O2 network at ParentShield checkout the SIM will be activated on O2 and posted Same Day as normal.
If you have selected Vodafone network at ParentShield checkout the SIM will be activated on Vodafone and posted Same Day as normal.
If you have selected Three network at ParentShield checkout the SIM will be activated on Three and posted Same Day as normal.
All SIM orders for Super-Roaming SIM cards are despatched Same Dat
Yes – SIM cards can be sent in disguise if you want to keep the new phone as a surprise. This is always a pleasure – just put notes on the order.
Order a ParentShield SIM and choose Special delivery at checkout to get it before 1pm tomorrow if you order before the post goes at 4pm Monday-Friday.
SIM card delivery time
Under normal circumstances we post SIM cards by Royal Mail First Class Post or Royal Mail ( Signed for ) Special Delivery Next day – Before 1pm, depending on the option that you choose at checkout.
The majority of First Class posted SIM cards do arrive next day but the Royal Mail ‘window’ is technically three working days for First Class. Outside of Christmas and the outbreak of some pandemic or other, they’re generally very good. But do bear in mind that it’s not guaranteed new day delivery unless you select that option.
There is a £6.60 charge for Next day delivery Special Delivery which is the cost to us.
Order cut-off time
Our very last collection Monday-Friday is 4:15. The postman is very punctual and it’s rare that there is any fluctuation. We say 4:00pm ( 16:00 ) is the cut-off point for same day SIM postage as this will give us time to get the SIM card packed and in the post-bag before that day’s deliveries go on their way.
SIM packaging
For orders of up to 4 SIM cards they will go out in a ‘standard’ C5 envelope. The envelope will have the ParentShield Logo on the front so you can recognise what it is. The envelope will contain the letter that carries the SIM card and your temporary Portal access password, and also two ParentShield brochures and a sheet of ‘my name is’ stickers for your child. Who doesn’t like a sticker? We certainly do.
The Brochures will carry a barcode that your friends can scan before placing an order and that will automatically mark them as a referral of yours and credit both them, and you, with a free month each.
We always read the SIM card order notes very carefully, so please put any special delivery instructions on the order!
Plain packaging a SIM to keep things secret!
It’s not unusual to get a request to post the SIM in an anonymous ( boring! ) envelope to prevent children spotting this in the pile of post that comes through the letterbox and potentially spoil a birthday or Christmas surprise. Just place a note on the order in the order notes and we’ll take care of this. We carefully read the order notes on every SIM card order and won’t miss the instructions.
SIM orders for Special Occasions
Most of the SIM cards we ship are for first mobile phones for children for:
- Birthday presents
- Christmas Presents
- Starting a new School
If it’s something like this and you wan to be all organised! then place an order and let us know in the order notes when you’d like billing to start and we’ll arrange that. We activate all SIM cards immediately so they will work straight away – even before the billing starts – so you have the ability to get the SIM card into the phone and yourself logged into the ParentShield Portal and have everything set up before the big day. The second the phone is unwrapped, it will vanish up into a bedroom and you’ll not see it again for days! so getting set up in advance is key?
SIM delivery address verification
We check every order for delivery against the Royal Mail Postcode database and will ‘tidy’ up any address that appears to be malformed or incorrect. If you have a new property or it’s one of those that the Royal Mail always gets wrong! And you know that there is a best way to address the envelope – then let us know. We regularly put ‘postie notes’ on the front of the envelope where you tell us – “the house with the red door” and “The New build on the corner” sort of thing – whatever you know will get the envelope to you easily.
Separate Delivery Address
You will have noticed that we only have an option in the ParentShield checkout for one address – the Billing address. This is to keep the checkout as simple as possible, and also to ensure that the person who has ordered the SIM is the person administering the child’s phone.
If you need the SIM delivering to a different address – then put a note on the order or give us a call on 03301221180 or email hello@parentshield.co.uk with delivery instructions.
Next-Day SIM Delivery with Special Delivery
The Next-Day Before 1pm guaranteed delivery that we use is a tracked and Signed-For service so you will need to ensure that someone is going to be able to receive it the morning after the day we post it. If nobody is in you will get the “sorry we missed you” card posted through the letterbox with instructions on how to track in down.
Special Delivery SIM tracking
At some point before the end of the day you will receive an email confirming despatch, and containing your Tracking code. Delivery from that point can be tracked at the Royal Mail Tracking service online. The first updates are usually around 8:30pm – 9pm on the day we post the SIM and you will see the next day when the SIM card is out for delivery.
After a couple of days we’ll drop you an email and let you know that the SIM is on its way and include a reminder of our contact details just in case you need it. Contact us on the usual contact details and let us know if the SIM hasn’t arrived. Or even just to let us know that it has!
SIM card postage at Weekends
Although the last order time Monday-Friday is 4pm, on Saturdays we have to make a special run to the sorting office so last order time for same day despatch on a Saturday is 10am. SIM cards posted on a Saturday usually arrive on Monday but Tuesday occasionally if it’s one of the more remote areas of the country. Remember Royal Mail does say up to 3 days so with the Weekend taken into account even up to 5.
SIM card collection
We are based in South Derby – on the Burton on-Trent / Derby Border near Willington. You are more than welcome to collect SIM cards and this happens every year at Christmas for last minute orders and occasionally for last-minute birthday ideas. Just drop us an email : hello@parentshield.co.uk or call: 03301221180 and let us know that you want to arrange to collect and we’ll organise that.
No SIM Deliveries on Bank Holidays in 2024
| Date | Holiday | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 29 March | Good Friday | No collections or deliveries |
| Monday 1 April | Easter Monday | No collections or deliveries |
| Monday 1 May | Early May Bank Holiday | No collections or deliveries |
| Monday 6 May | Early Bank Holiday | No collections or deliveries |
| Monday 27 May | Spring Bank Holiday | No collections or deliveries |
| Monday 26 August | Summer Bank Holiday | No collections or deliveries |
| Monday 25 December | Christmas Day | No collections or deliveries |
| Tueday 26 December | Boxing Day | No collections or deliveries |
