Who delivers ZTO Express packages in the UK?

ZTO Express International uses Royal Mail and Evri for final-mile delivery across the UK.

Why does my ZTO tracking number start with 73, 75, or 78?

14-digit numbers starting with `73`, `75`, or `78` are ZTO Express's standard Chinese waybill prefixes; when shipped internationally, a linked UK Royal Mail or Evri barcode is attached at the export hub.

ZTO Express (zto)→Royal Mail (royalmail)

ZTO Express International to Royal Mail & Evri UK Handoff

How ZTO Express (Zhongtong) cross-border shipments from China clear UK customs and hand off to Royal Mail or Evri.

Try a live tracking number:

Barcode transition: ZTO Express to Royal Mail

When ZTO Express clears customs and hands off to Royal Mail, lastscanned surfaces the secondary tracking number in the top-level message field.

ZTO Express lookup →Royal Mail lookup →Format & check-digit detector →

Origin / middle-mile carrier: ZTO Express (zto)
ZTO Express Waybill (73… / 75… / 78…): 73… / 75… (14 digits)
Origin example: 75819283746152
Final-mile carrier: Royal Mail (royalmail)
Royal Mail Tracked (AA999999999GB): AA999999999GB
Final-mile example: WL192837465GB
Extracted in .message: UK customs cleared - Handed over to Royal Mail / Evri

How the ZTO Express → Royal Mail handoff works

Follow the parcel across both networks without waiting on asynchronous webhooks or losing visibility at the handoff boundary.

1. ZTO Express domestic pickup & export consolidation: ZTO Express (China's largest parcel network by volume) routes cross-border parcels through its Shanghai, Yiwu, or Guangzhou international hubs.
2. Air linehaul to London & customs clearance: Consolidated bags fly to London Heathrow (LHR), clear HMRC customs, and are sorted by UK postcode.
3. Royal Mail or Evri final-mile delivery: Royal Mail or Evri delivers the parcel within 1 to 3 working days after induction.
ZTO Express query: GET /v1/track/75819283746152?carrier=zto
Royal Mail query: GET /v1/track/WL192837465GB?carrier=royalmail

Chain ZTO Express → Royal Mail in code or MCP

Resolve both legs synchronously in TypeScript, curl, or your AI support agent via Streamable HTTP MCP.

Get an API key WISMO agent guide

REST (Synchronous GET)

# 1. Query ZTO Express origin waybill (extracts final-mile barcode in .message):
curl "https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/75819283746152" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_YOUR_API_KEY"

# 2. Query the extracted Royal Mail barcode:
curl "https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/WL192837465GB" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_YOUR_API_KEY"

TypeScript (Automatic Handoff Chaining)

const headers = { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.LASTSCANNED_API_KEY}` };
const originRes = await fetch(`https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/${encodeURIComponent(number)}`, { headers });
const originPkg = await originRes.json();

// Extract secondary barcode from top-level message ("UK customs cleared - Handed over to Royal Mail / Evri")
const handoff = originPkg.message?.match(/^Handed to (.+?) as ([A-Z0-9-]+)$/i);
if (handoff) {
  const [, , lastMileNumber] = handoff;
  const destRes = await fetch(`https://api.lastscanned.com/v1/track/${encodeURIComponent(lastMileNumber)}`, { headers });
  const destPkg = await destRes.json();
}

Remote MCP (Claude Code / Cursor / ChatGPT)

claude mcp add --transport http lastscanned https://mcp.lastscanned.com \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer lsk_live_YOUR_API_KEY"