Royal Mail‘s price increases for businesses are never as clear cut as those for consumers as the overall price rise may differ dependent on the service you use and/or your posting profile. The headline price changes are:
Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48
Prices for Royal Mail 24 and Royal Mail 48 will increase on average by up to 1.5% (excluding add-ons and surcharges)
1st & 2nd Class
Account prices for sending a 1st Class Letter will start from 56p and prices for 2nd Class Letters will start from 38p. You can send a 1st Class Small Parcel from £3.12 or send a 2nd Class Small Parcel from £2.62
Special Delivery Compensation Increases
Compensation levels will increase to £750 for Special delivery Guaranteed items purchased through a Contract. The basic level of compensation on Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am will increase from £50 to £750 and on the 1pm service from £500 to £750.
New savings
You can save with a new unsorted Account Mail option. From 27 March 2017 a new Account Mail option will be made available for unsorted mail, priced below Royal Mail’s existing product while offering the same quality of service.
Royal Mail want all the items they handle – letters and parcels – to carry a barcode (This already happens in the US). Help Royal Mail by changing to bar codes and you’ll get savings of 1p per item just for printing a barcode on your envelopes.
Bar Codes
The bar codes and discounts will apply to Standard Business Mail, Standard Advertising Mail, 1st and 2nd Class Account Mail. (Product codes STL, BPL and CLN.)
There will only be one size for the new PPI design to ensure the barcode is not distorted. This may mean you need to adjust your label sizes.
Royal Mail say that bar codes enable them to process mail more efficiently and and so can past the cost saving to customers through lower prices.
Royal Mail Inland Business Account Post Prices – 2017
Format
Weight
1st Class
Account BPL
2nd Class
Account BPL
1st Class
Account UNG
2nd Class
Account UNH
Letter
100g
56p
38p
55p
37p
Large Letter
100g
86p
66p
85p
65p
250g
£1.20
93p
£1.19
92p
500g
£1.58
£1.22
£1.57
£1.195
750g
£2.23
£1.72
£2.22
£1.705
Small Parcel
1kg
£3.12
£2.62
n/a
n/a
2kg
£5.22
£2.62
n/a
n/a
Medium Parcel
1kg
£4.87
£4.52
n/a
n/a
2kg
£7.57
£4.52
n/a
n/a
5kg
£15.85
£13.75
n/a
n/a
10kg
£21.90
£20.25
n/a
n/a
20kg
£33.40
£28.55
n/a
n/a
Online Postage Savings
If you buy your postage ad hoc, you can make savings on some parcels by purchasing online instead of buying stamps
Royal Mail Inland Stamp/Online Post Prices – 2017
1st Class
2nd Class
Format
Weight
Stamp
Online
Stamp
Online
Letter
100g
65p
65p
56p
56p
Large Letter
100g
98p
98p
76p
76p
250g
£1.30
£1.30
£1.22
£1.22
500g
£1.74
£1.74
£1.58
£1.58
750g
£2.52
£2.52
£2.14
£2.14
Small Parcel
1kg
£3.40
£3.35
£2.90
£2.82
2kg
£5.50
£5.45
£2.90
£2.82
Medium Parcel
1kg
£5.70
£5.65
£5.00
£4.92
2kg
£8.95
£8.90
£5.00
£4.92
5kg
£15.85
£15.85
£13.75
£13.75
10kg
£21.90
£21.90
£20.25
£20.25
20kg
£33.40
£33.40
£28.55
£28.55
International Price Rises
International prices are edging up. The table below shows the basic account prices, but check the Royal Mail website for Tracked/Signed prices.
Royal Mail Account International Small Parcels Price Changes 2016 – 2017
2016
2017
Weight
Europe
World Zone 1
World Zone 2
Europe
World Zone 1
World Zone 2
100g
£3.30
£3.90
£4.25
£3.55
£4.20
£4.55
250g
£3.75
£4.75
£5.20
£3.85
£4.90
£5.35
500g
£5.25
£7.35
£8.10
£5.50
£7.75
£8.40
750g
£6.55
£9.85
£10.70
£6.85
£10.35
£11.05
1kg
£7.85
£12.40
£13.35
£8.15
£12.85
£13.60
1.25kg
£9.00
£13.90
£15.05
£9.30
£14.35
£15.30
1.5kg
£10.25
£15.50
£16.85
£10.45
£15.85
£17.10
1.75kg
£11.50
£17.10
£18.65
£11.55
£17.35
£18.85
2kg
£12.55
£18.70
£20.45
£12.60
£18.80
£20.55
You can view the full current Royal Mail business tariff for 2016 and the new 2017 business tariff valid from the 27th March on the Royal Mail website.