Franking
You can buy the following products using your Franking machine:
- Special Delivery™ Next Day
- Special Delivery™ 9.00 am
- Special Delivery™ Saturday Guarantee
- First and Second Class
- Recorded Signed For™
- International Franking Prices
- Surface Mail
- Business Mail
- Standard Parcels
- Airmail
- Airsure®
- International Signed For™
- Price Guide
- Making sure your prices are correct in your equipment at all times
- Changes to the legal scheme
- What to do next
You can only claim back your VAT on VAT products if you are using a SMART franking machine.
Guaranteed delivery to most areas of the UK by 1.00pm on the next working day or your money back.
| Compensation for loss or damage | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight not over | Up to £500 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £2,500 |
| 100g | £5.65 | £6.65 | £8.65 |
| 500g | £6.00 | £7.00 | £9.00 |
| 1kg | £7.10 | £8.10 | £10.10 |
| 2kg | £8.90 | £9.90 | £11.90 |
| 10kg | £23.35 | £24.35 | £26.35 |
Prices in this table are exempt from VAT.
Find out more about Special Delivery™ Next Day
Guaranteed delivery to most areas of the UK by 9am on the next working day or your money back.
| Compensation for loss or damage | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight not over | Up to £50 | Up to £1,000 | Up to £2,500 |
| 100g | £15.50 | £17.70 | £21.20 |
| 500g | £17.15 | £19.35 | £22.85 |
| 1kg | £18.60 | £20.80 | £24.30 |
| 2kg | £22.65 | £24.85 | £28.35 |
Prices in this table include VAT at 20% and are only available on SMART meter machines.
Find out more about Special Delivery™ 9am
3. Special Delivery™ Saturday Guarantee
Special Delivery Next Day with Saturday Guarantee fee, Special Delivery Next Day and Franking prices are exempt from VAT; however, when bought with Saturday Guarantee the total price will become liable to VAT at the standard rate.
|
|
Compensation for loss or damage |
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Weight not over |
Up to £500 |
Up to £1000 |
Up to £2500 |
| 100g | £9.78 | £10.98 | £13.38 |
| 500g | £10.20 | £11.40 | £13.80 |
| 1kg | £11.52 | £12.72 | £15.12 |
| 2kg | £13.68 | £14.88 | £17.28 |
| 10kg | £31.02 | £32.22 | £34.62 |
Prices in this table include VAT at 20% and are only available on SMART meter machines.
If you’re a Royal Mail Account customer, contact your Account team to find out more about this service and its costs.
| First Class | Second Class | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Price | Weight | Price | |
| Letter | 0-100g | 44p | 0-100g | 31p |
| Large Letter | 0-100g | 66p | 0-100g | 53p |
| 101-250g | 92p | 101-250g | 76p | |
| 251-500g | £1.24 | 251-500g | £1.01 | |
| 501-750g | £1.76 | 501-750g | £1.43 | |
| Packet | 0-750g | £2.36 | 0-750g | £1.92 |
| 751-1000g | £3.29 | 751-1000g | £2.54 | |
| 1001-1250g | £4.57 | |||
| 1251-1500g | £5.38 | |||
| 1501-1750g | £6.18 | |||
| 1751-2000g | £6.89 | Please note items heavier than 1000g cannot be sent Second Class | ||
| 2001-4000g | £9.00 | |||
| Each additional 2kg or part thereof, add | £3.07 | |||
Find out more about First class services Find out about Second class services
Perfect for important items that are not especially urgent or of a high value, this service provides you with proof of posting and a signature is obtained upon delivery.
| Recorded (Signed for) fee | |
|---|---|
| Price | 95p |
Prices in this table are exempt from VAT.
| First Class | Second Class | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Price | Weight | Price | |
| Letter | 0-100g | £1.39 | 0-100g | £1.26 |
| Large Letter | 0-100g | £1.61 | 0-100g | £1.48 |
| 101-250g | £1.87 | 101-250g | £1.71 | |
| 251-500g | £2.19 | 251-500g | £1.96 | |
| 501-750g | £2.71 | 501-750g | £2.38 | |
| Packet | 0-750g | £3.31 | 0-750g | £2.87 |
| 751-1000g | £4.24 | 751-1000g | £3.49 | |
| 1001-1250g | £5.52 | |||
| 1251-1500g | £6.33 | |||
| 1501-1750g | £7.13 | |||
| 1751-2000g | £7.84 | Please note items heavier than 1000g cannot be sent Second Class | ||
| 2001-4000g | £9.95 | |||
| Each additional 2kg or part thereof, add | £4.02 | |||
Prices in this table are exempt from VAT.
Note: Mail to the Republic of Ireland is charged at European rates.
Find out more about Recorded Signed For™
Back to top
6. International Franking Prices
Airmail
| Weight up to | Airmail Letters Europe |
Airmail Letters World Zone 1 |
Airmail Letters World Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postcard | 79p | 79p | 79p |
| 10g | 79p | 79p | 79p |
| 20g | 79p | £1.16 | £1.16 |
| 40g | £1.13 | £1.74 | £1.74 |
| 60g | £1.46 | £2.19 | £2.19 |
| 80g | £1.68 | £2.66 | £2.66 |
| 100g | £1.96 | £3.13 | £3.13 |
| 150g | £2.71 | £3.64 | £3.67 |
| 200g | £2.92 | £4.15 | £4.21 |
| 250g | £3.13 | £4.66 | £4.75 |
| 300g | £3.34 | £5.17 | £5.29 |
| Every 100g up to 200g, add | 54p | £1.08 | £1.14 |
Prices in this table are exempt from VAT.
Printed Papers and Small Packets
| Weight up to | Europe | World Zone 1 | World Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100g | £2.50 | £3.13 | £3.30 |
| 150g | £2.71 | £3.86 | £3.90 |
| 200g | £2.92 | £4.15 | £4.21 |
| 250g | £3.13 | £4.66 | £4.75 |
| 300g | £3.34 | £5.17 | £5.29 |
| Every 100g up to 2000g (and for printed papers, up to 5000g), add | 54p | £1.08 | £1.14 |
Prices in this table are exempt from VAT.
See a full list of countries in Europe and the Rest of the World
View the 
Delivery and Collection service guide - April 2012 2.41MB for more price information.
The cost-effective choice for your business if you need an affordable alternative to Airmail for items to be delivered outside Europe.
We aim to deliver Surface Mail within one to three months
Find out more about Surface Mail
View the Delivery and Collection service guide - April 2012 2.41MB for prices.
8. Business Mail and Business Mail 1st Class
Business Mail is the perfect solution for your general business correspondence and transactional mail, such as bills, statements or invoices.
Find out more about Business Mail
View the 2012 Contract Services price guide 2.41MB for prices.
Ideal for sending non-urgent parcels across the UK. The right choice for your business if you:
- need your parcels delivered within 3-5 working days
- want to cut costs on sending your parcels
- need a free certificate of posting and enhanced compensation for loss or damage
- have items up to 1.5m long and up to 20kg in weight (combined length and girth must not exceed 3m)
Your parcels can be up to 1.5m long and 20kg in weight with a combined length and width of less than 3m.
Find out more about Standard parcels
View the Delivery and Collection service guide - April 2012 2.41MB for prices.
The right choice for your business if you:
- need to get your item delivered with speed, to anybody, almost anywhere in the world
-
want a simple process of mailing items weighing up to 2kg
(books and pamphlets can weigh up to 5kg) - would like compensation for loss or damage
View the Delivery and Collection service guide - April 2012 1.98MB for prices.
The right choice for your business if you:
- Want fast and secure delivery of an item weighing 2kg or less and want to receive priority handling.
- Would like additional compensation for loss or damage, with the option to get added cover up to £500 for an additional fee.
- Require visibility of your item via online tracking and online confirmation that your item has been delivered.
Find out more about Airsure® including a full list of destinations.
View the Delivery and Collection service guide - April 2012 2.41MB for prices.
Extra reassurance that your item has been delivered to its oversees destination. The right choice for your business if you:
- want secure delivery of an item weighing 2kg or less, with tracking until the item leaves the UK and with a signature taken at the destination address
- would like to get added compensation cover of up to £500 for an additional fee
- need to send the item to almost anywhere in the world
Find out more about International Signed For™
View the Delivery and Collection service guide - April 2012 2.41MB for prices.
For more price information, take a look at our 2012 Prices
14.Making sure the prices are correct in your equipment at all times
The Royal Mail Scheme for Franking Letters and Parcels 2008 states in section 7.2 that you must have the correct prices in your equipment at all times. Please contact your manufacturer or supplier to ensure you update your machine with a tariff chip or price download ready for the new prices from 16th April 2012.
15.Changes to the legal scheme
Surcharges for underpaid items will be charged at 80p per item plus the full underpaid amount for each mail piece.
Refunds and overpaid items will be processed quickly and the fee charged for this will be 15% of the total value of the refund
Refunds for unusable franked prints will be processed quickly and the fee charged for this will be 15% of the total value of the refund.
Cleanmail has changed its name to Business Mail. To continue to use our Business Mail product through franking services, you need a SMART franking machine. If you don’t already have one, please upgrade as soon as you can so you continue to receive an uninterrupted service.
To lease or buy a franking machine contact Royal Mail’s approved manufacturers and suppliers most of whom provide nationwide coverage.
You can then top up your machine with funds through your Franking machine supplier
