UK Postage Rates

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST A DEMO

UK Postage Rates: All You Need To Know About Royal Mail's New 2022 Postage Prices

Did you know that Royal Mail is updating its postage prices in April 2022?

Is your business prepared to handle the postage price change that is inevitably coming?

A lot of time and planning goes into executing direct mail campaigns for a business. One of the reasons most companies still use direct mail campaigns is their high ROI or Return On Investment. How big of an effect can the 2022 postage rates have on your direct mail ROI?

To answer this question, you first need to know how much does postage costs in the UK. Hence, here we have created a comprehensive list of the different postal services offered by Royal Mail and their latest postage rates.

This article will help you analyse the 2022 postage charges and prepare your new direct mail campaigns based on the latest data.

So, let us dig in!

Size and Weight Guide For UK Postage Rates

The postage rate for mailers everywhere globally is usually dependent on their size and weight unless it explicitly states otherwise. Hence, if you are trying to understand the UK postage rates, then the best place to start is the size and weight of postal packages.

Depending on the size and weight of the postal mailer, you can broadly classify it into six types, and they are:

• Letters
• Large Letters
• Small Parcels
• Medium Parcels
• Parcelforce Parcels
• Parcelforce Large Parcels

Type Of Mailer	Length	Width	Thickness	Weight Limit
Letters	24cm	16.5cm	0.5cm	100g
Large Letters	35.3cm	25cm	2.5cm	750g
Small Parcels	45cm	35cm	16cm	2kg
Medium Parcels	61cm	46cm	46cm	20kg
Parcelforce Parcels	1.5m	3m length and girth combines		30kg
Parcelforce Large Parcels	2.5m	4m length and girth combined		30kg*

Rolled and Cylinder-Shaped Parcels

You might have also come across rolled or cylinder-shaped parcels. If you did, you are probably wondering how their dimensions are measured. In such cases, the length of the package plus two times the diameter should not be over 104cm. Furthermore, Royal Mail also states that the most significant dimension of a rolled or cylinder-shaped parcel should not exceed 90cm.

Types Of Postal Mail Services And Their UK Postage Rates

We know the different sizes and weights for postal mailers you can send via a service provider like Royal Mail. What is another important aspect that might affect the postage prices in the UK? Apart from the size and weight of the package, the other thing that can affect the postage rate is the speed of delivery.

Royal Mail offers several postal mail services to its customers. Although not all postal mail services are based on the speed of delivery, the majority of the postage prices are dependent on the delivery speed. Some postal mail services have a higher postage rate because they include special services such as proof of delivery.

The types of postal services offered by the Royal Mail can broadly be classified into four distinct categories, and they are:

• UK Guaranteed 
• UK Signed 
• UK Standard
• Parcelforce Worldwide

UK Guaranteed Postal Services

The UK Guaranteed is one of the premium postal services offered by the Royal Mail. As the name implies, the postal service guarantees the delivery of your mailer within a specified time. Even within the UK Guaranteed services, you may see different postage rates UK. 

There are different types of UK Guaranteed services provided by the Royal Mail. The primary UK Guaranteed services you can use for your business communication are listed below.

• Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm
• Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am
• Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am with Saturday Guarantee
• Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm with Saturday Guarantee

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am or 1 pm 

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am or 1 pm is one of the most widely used postal mail services from Royal Mail. The primary reason why businesses prefer to use the Guaranteed 9 am or 1 pm service is that it enables them to ensure their mailer is delivered at the right time. Royal Mail provides a guaranteed 9 am or 1 pm delivery of your postal mailers. 

Trace And Track Facility

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am, or 1 pm comes equipped with a track and trace facility. It allows the sender to track the mailer’s journey from the moment it leaves your hands to the point of delivery.

Signature On Delivery

Both Guaranteed 9 am, and 1 pm services require the recipient’s signature on delivery. Hence, you will always get proof of delivery when you use UK Guaranteed postal service. Furthermore, you can view the signature online just 10 minutes after the delivery.

Cover For Valuable Items And Late Delivery

Another significant advantage of the UK Guaranteed service is that they offer coverage for your valuable items and late deliveries.  

Compensation And Additional Coverage

The Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm is entitled to a compensation of up to £500. However, the compensation for Guaranteed by 9 am delivery is only £50. Furthermore, you can also access optional coverages for your mailers. 

Royal Mail allows you to access additional cover up to £2,500 and optional consequential loss cover-up to £10,000! Hence it is no wonder that the UK Guaranteed service is preferred for sending items of significant value.

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm

Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
100g	£6.85
500g	£7.65
1kg	£8.95
2kg	£11.15
10kg	£15.45
20kg	£19.45

Note: The above postage charges are applicable only if you want a standard cover of up to £500. If you wish to have additional coverage for your packages, you will need to pay higher postage, as shown in the table below

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm With Additional Cover
Weight Up To And Including	Postage With £1,000 Cover	Postage With £2,500 Cover
100g	£7.85	£9.85
500g	£8.65	£10.65
1kg	£9.95	£11.95
2kg	£12.15	£14.15
10kg	£16.45	£18.45
20kg	£20.45	£22.45

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am 

Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
100g	£22.95
500g	£25.95
1kg	£27.95
2kg	£33.95

 

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am With Additional Cover
Weight Up To And Including	Postage With £1,000 Cover	Postage With £2,500 Cover
100g	£25.15	£28.65
500g	£28.15	£31.65
1kg	£30.15	£33.65
2kg	£36.15	£39.65

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am or 1 pm with Saturday Guarantee.

Guarantee Saturday delivery is an additional option for the UK Guaranteed postal services. However, the Saturday Guarantee comes at an additional cost. If you opt for Saturday Guarantee, the whole structure of the  UK postage rates change.

Hence it is best to mention the postage rates of guaranteed 9 am and 1 pm with Saturday guarantee separately.

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm with Saturday Guarantee

Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
100g	£11.22
500g	£12.18
1kg	£13.74
2kg	£16.38
10kg	£21.54
20kg	£26.34

 

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm With Additional Cover
Weight Up To And Including	Postage With £1,000 Cover	Postage With £2,500 Cover
100g	£12.42	£14.82
500g	£13.38	£15.78
1kg	£14.94	£17.34
2kg	£17.58	£19.98
10kg	£22.74	£25.14
20kg	£27.54	£29.94

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am with Saturday Guarantee

Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
100g	£25.95
500g	£28.95
1kg	£30.95
2kg	£36.95

 

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am With Saturday Guarantee & Additional Cover
Weight Up To And Including	Postage With £1,000 Cover	Postage With £2,500 Cover
100g	£28.15	£31.65
500g	£31.15	£34.65
1kg	£33.15	£36.65
2kg	£39.15	£42.65

UK Signed Postal Services

UK Signed services are another popular postal service offered by the Royal Mail. As you can guess from the name, it requires a signed proof of delivery from the recipients. You can get UK Signed postal service for your first and second class mail.

Most businesses use either first class or second class mail for their direct mail communication. Hence, the UK Signed services are an excellent way for companies to deliver direct mail to the target audience.

It can be beneficial for industries such as financial services. Financial service providers can use specialised tools like PostGrid to send adverse action notices and require the recipient to sign your letters.

You can learn more about how PostGrid’s direct mail system can help loan companies market their business on our blog “Marketing Ideas for Loan Companies UK”

Online Delivery Confirmation

A definite advantage of UK Signed services is the order delivery confirmation feature. It enables the sender to get a confirmation on the delivery, which can be crucial for many industry verticals and business organisations.

Compensation 

Royal Mail also provides compensation of £50 to its customers using the UK Signed services similar to the ones we saw in UK Guaranteed services. Such compensation can be ideal for businesses that regularly send direct mail communications. 

Eligible For eBay Seller Protection programme

Apart from its other features, the UK Signed services are also eligible for the eBay Seller Protection programme. Hence, it is also a perfect choice for E-Commerce companies for delivering their products and services. 

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Signed For 1st Class Mail

Type Of Mailer	Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
Letters	100g	£2.35
Large Letters	100g	£2.85
	250g	£3.45
	500g	£4.05
	750g	£4.70
Small Parcels	2kg	£5.55
Medium Parcels	2kg	£8.05
	10kg	£9.05
	20kg	£14.05

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail Signed For 2nd Class Mail

Type Of Mailer	Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
Letters	100g	£2.08
Large Letters	100g	£2.45
	250g	£3.05
	500g	£3.55
	750g	£4.10
Small Parcels	2kg	£4.45
Medium Parcels	2kg	£6.45
	10kg	£8.05
	20kg	£11.55

UK Standard Postal Services

The UK Standard postal service is the number one choice for businesses regarding direct mail marketing. UK Standard postal service includes the regular 1st Class and 2nd Class postal delivery services.

One of the main reasons businesses prefer to use the UK Standard postal service is the low postage costs. Hence, they are ideal for sending bulk marketing mail to the target audience. However, such extensive bulk mailing often requires an advanced automation solution like PostGrid to ensure your campaign’s optimal performance.

Want to know more about how an automated direct mail solution can help your business? Read our blog “Automated Direct Mail”

1st Class Mail

The advantage of using the 1st Class mail service is relatively fast. Royal Mail usually tries to deliver the 1st Class mail on the next working day, even if it is a Saturday. Furthermore, the 1st Class Mail comes with compensation cover up to £20.

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail 1st Class Mai

Type Of Mailer	Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
Letters	100g	95p
Large Letters	100g	£1.45
	250g	£2.05
	500g	£2.65
	750g	£3.30
Small Parcels	2kg	£4.45
Medium Parcels	2kg	£6.95
	10kg	£7.95
	20kg	£12.95

2nd Class Mail

The 2nd Class mail is the most affordable way to send direct mail to your customers. However, it does take a longer time to deliver. Usually, a 2nd Class mail is delivered within two to three working days, but this can vary from time to time. Similar to 1st Class mail, you also get compensation cover up to £20.

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail 2nd Class Mail

Type Of Mailer	Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
Letters	100g	68p
Large Letters	100g	£1.05
	250g	£1.65
	500g	£2.15
	750g	£2.70
Small Parcels	2kg	£3.35
Medium Parcels	2kg	£5.35
	10kg	£6.95
	20kg	£10.45

Parcelforce Worldwide Postal Services

The Parcelforce Worldwide postal service from Royal Mail offers to include several sub-services. The primary Parcelforce Worldwide postal services are classified into 7 categories, and they are as follows.

• express48
• express24
• expresssunday
• expressAM
• express10
• express9
• express48 (Large)

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail express48 Mail

Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
5kg	£8.95
10kg	£9.95
20kg	£11.95
30kg	£14.95
Per extra kg	£1.56

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail express24 Mail

Weight Up To And Including	Postage Cost
5kg	£9.35
10kg	£13.35
20kg	£15.35
30kg	£18.35
Per extra kg	£1.56

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail expresssunday Mail

Weight Up To and Including	Postage Cost
5kg	£25.80
10kg	£30.24
20kg	£37.02
30kg	£53.70
Per extra kg	£1.56

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail expressAM Mail

Weight Up To and Including	Postage Cost
5kg	£18.49
10kg	£19.69
20kg	£21.49
30kg	£24.49
Per extra kg	£1.56

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail express10 Mail

Weight Up To and Including	Postage Cost
5kg	£22.00
10kg	£23.00
20kg	£25.00
30kg	£28.00
Per extra kg	£1.56

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail express9 Mail

Weight Up To and Including	Postage Cost
5kg	£39.90
10kg	£44.43
20kg	£51.18
30kg	£67.80
Per extra kg	£1.56

UK Postage Rate For Royal Mail express48 (Large) Mail

Weight Up To and Including	Postage Cost
5kg	£31.80
10kg	£36.60
20kg	£44.10
30kg	£61.20
Per extra kg	£1.56

Conclusion

The Royal Mail updates its postage prices every year. Businesses that regularly send direct mail to their customers, prospects, or partners need to update themselves with the latest postage rates. Even a slight ignorance on your part could lead to a significant loss, especially if you send bulk mail.

Besides keeping well-informed about the Royal Mail postage rates, you also need to employ advanced direct mail solutions like PostGrid. A fully automated direct mail software can optimise your direct mail process and minimise your direct mail expenses.

Furthermore, using an automated tool like PostGrid is also the most convenient option for businesses. It lets you personalise, print, and deliver your mailers with just the click of a button. As a result, it saves you valuable time and eliminates the scope for manual error, which ultimately saves you even more money.

Ready to Get Started?

Start transforming and automating your offline communications with PostGrid

SIGN UPREQUEST A DEMO

The post UK Postage Rates appeared first on PostGrid UK.

Via https://www.postgrid.co.uk/uk-postage-rates/

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/uk-postage-rates

Integrated Direct Mail Campaign

[...]

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/integrated-direct-mail-campaign

How to Send a Letter UK

[...]

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/how-to-send-a-letter-uk

Education Marketing

[...]

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/education-marketing

Door to Door Mail Delivery

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST A DEMO

How Does Door-to-Door Mail Delivery Work and What Are Its Benefits?

Here’s an interesting fact for you- 83% of door drop items get opened, filed, or read by their recipients! We can’t deny that it is a highly compelling figure showing that direct mail marketing is still going strong.

Thousands of marketers across the United Kingdom use door drop delivery as their top marketing strategy. They use it to target customers and prospects in specific areas and communicate with them personally.

No other channel can work as well as direct mail marketing! The amount of emotional touch, nostalgic effect, and effectiveness that this channel offers are unbeatable!

But, probably, you aren’t fully aware of door-to-door mail delivery. Well, you must know that it is a game-changer for your marketing mix!

Today’s article will walk you through the basics of the door drop program and how you can benefit from it!

Let’s dive in!

What is Royal Mail Door Drop?

Door drops go by many names, such as door-drop marketing, door-to-door distribution, etc. They are a high-volume offline marketing form that targets potential customers by sending them unaddressed direct mail items.

Basically, you print and mail mass marketing materials, like flyers, postcards, and leaflets to specific localities. You can choose between different postcodes and neighbourhoods to target as per the requirements of your campaign or objectives.

Royal Mail door-to-door campaigns enable you to reach out to nearly 30 million households in the country. The best part is that you don’t need to have their mailing addresses or names to mail them. Just create, print, and mail items to specific areas where you are likely to get the most prospects.

For example, you can deliver flyers door to door to all the households on Regent Street as you are launching a new store in that area. Or, you may want to promote an upcoming offer to areas surrounding your business.

What Are the Benefits of Door Drop Distribution?

There are many benefits of using door drop campaigns, like better reach and increased visibility. Below, we cover some more benefits to help you understand the concept better:

Low Costs

Door drop marketing plans are highly affordable and suitable for all types and sizes of companies. Since door drop items are unaddressed, you don’t pay extra to personalise anything. Plus, you no longer need to rent or purchase mailing lists.

If you are working on a tight budget, all you need to do is choose a cost-effective direct mail format like postcards and get started with a small locality.

Long-Lasting

Door-to-door leaflet distribution helps you become a topic of discussion in households. On average, door drop items stay in homes for about 5.4 days. Thus, you get enough exposure to create brand recognition and increase awareness.

Want to know more about leaflet marketing? Read here. 

Tap Into New Markets

A door drop delivery campaign is an excellent option for your brand if you want to explore new markets. You can practically select any locality across the country and target it as part of your campaign. It enables you to reach new prospects and generate fresh leads in your pipeline.

Drive Engagement

As said in the beginning, 83% of door drop pieces are engaged by the recipients. Hence, it is safe to say that door-to-door delivery UK is the best way to grab your audience’s attention and drive more engagement.

Things to Consider While Launching Door-to-Door Mail Delivery

Marketers must map out several things before launching a marketing program, and a door drop campaign is no different. Here are some crucial considerations to make while sending door-to-door mail items to prospects:

What Are Your Campaign Goals?

It is important to note your marketing motives before every door drop delivery campaign. Your goals may include:

• Advertising new products and services
• Driving web or retail traffic
• Promoting season sales and discount offers
• Inviting people to an upcoming trade event
• Building brand awareness and reputation
• Generating sales and expanding customer databases

Automated print and mail drop companies like PostGrid can help you conduct successful campaigns, fulfilling all your plans.

Whom Do You Want to Target?

A door-to-door campaign lets you choose from millions of localities that you can reach out to. Thus, select your target audience wisely based on your customer profile.

PostGrid’s direct mail API lets you send mail drops to people that match your buyer persona. This way, you can optimise your campaigns and connect with relevant customers.

When Should Your Campaign Be Scheduled?

Ever thought of the right time to deliver your door drop pieces? If not, you must start thinking of your campaign timing now. Even the right message to the right person at the wrong time can negatively affect your delivery to the door campaigns.

Thus, consider your messaging and offers and plan on your schedule accordingly. If you want a customer to redeem an offer during the weekend, send your mail items by Friday. Similarly, you can send January mailings for promoting local gym memberships. Such impeccable timing can drive more responses than usual and help you get an improved ROI.

Read more: How Can PostGrid Help Your Marketing Teams Succeed?

Different Factors of Your Royal Mail Door-to-Door Campaign

Conducting a campaign needs you to undertake several steps like creating artwork, printing items, tracking responses, etc. We have discussed each of these factors below to help you out:

Design

Naturally, the first thing you should work on is your mail format and design after you book a courier door-to-door UK service. Your items should look appealing and eye-catching. Also, they should motivate the recipients to look inside the envelope and read your message.

Here are some tips that can allow you to design better door drop mail pieces:

• Use different colours, layouts, and mail sizes to impress your audience
• Include relevant imagery to add life to your items
• Portray a single message to make it easier for your audience to understand and respond to it
• Add your brand logo and contact details
• Engage with your recipient’s senses—for example, using embossed envelopes to make them look and feel good

PostGrid’s direct mail API offers tons of ready-to-use design templates to help you save on design costs. You can take your pick and customise them according to your likes and requirements. Here’s our template gallery for you to have a quick look!

Copy

Door-to-door parcel delivery campaigns are effective due to their simplicity and cost-efficiency. But, you must focus on your messaging for your campaign to produce excellent results.

We have compiled a copy checklist for you to follow and draft compelling messages:

• Make your headline the best: Headlines are the first thing people read, so make them a compelling and result-driving part of your copy. Use short headlines with power words, like ‘free,’ you,’ ‘discount,’ ‘new,’ etc. You can also add questions that depict the customers’ problems and offer a solution.
• Customise your copy: Yes, door-to-door same-day delivery does not let you personalise items. They are unaddressed and talk about the general needs of a collective group. But that doesn’t mean you cannot add some customisations. For example, if you want to announce a discount sale in an area, the least you can do is add the address of your nearest store.
• Focus on benefits: Refrain from getting into too many details and talking about your product features while writing your door drop copy. Instead, try adding the benefits your customers get on buying from you.
• Highlight the critical details: Try adding bold formatting, bullet points, and bigger font sizes to highlight crucial information.
• Add postscripts: Consider adding postscripts if using letters for your Post Office Door-to-Door Delivery Campaigns. Most recipients read P.S. lines more enthusiastically than the body. Hence, you can score well by adding them to your copy.

Use Compelling Offers and CTA

Generally, offers and calls to action are part of your Royal Mail door drop copy. But, they are so crucial that we had to list them as another factor altogether.

Your offer can either drive responses or lead to your campaign failure, so be careful with this part. You need something to spark interest among your audience and encourage them to respond. Offers like a 10% discount or buy 1 get 1 free can help increase conversion rates significantly.

Also, remember to add an upfront CTA that can guide customers further. For example, add phrases, such as:

• Call us now
• Book an appointment today
• Sign up on our website
• Walk into your nearest branch, etc.

Tracking Modes

You need to add trackable features, like coupon codes, Quick Response codes, pURLs, etc., to measure the success of your domestic door-to-door delivery plans. These elements help you track every response and follow-up on time—increasing your door drop campaign’s conversion ratios.

Also, they form a part of your CTA where you can ask your customers to do something in exchange for an offer. For example- scan the QR code below to get a 5% discount on your next purchase.

Testing

Testing your door-to-door flyer delivery strategies can help you determine your easy wins. You can find out the answers to significant questions, such as which offers do my prospects respond to the most? Or what type of direct mail format fetches more engagement?

When you test your items, you get to know the finer details, like your audience’s preferences and needs. They help you design more relevant door drop items to produce better results.

You can use several different KPIs to test your door-to-door delivery Edinburgh campaigns. Open rates, response ratios, and conversions are the most popular types of KPIs you can use to measure your campaign results.

How Can PostGrid’s Direct Mail Services Assist You In Conducting Door Drop Distribution Campaigns?

PostGrid’s direct mail services can help you create, print, and distribute door drops effortlessly. You don’t need to do anything manually or invest loads of time and money in a campaign. Simply integrate our print and mail API into your CRM and start launching door-to-door campaigns automatedly.

Our delivery door-to-door service helps you target the right audience and increase your ROI. We can help you in the following ways:

• Design and print your items within two business days
• Offer real-time mail tracking
• Provide access to campaign analytics and insights
• Validate your existing mailing lists
• Send items via Royal Mail without you going to the Post Office

To Conclude

Door-to-door mail delivery is an excellent way to conduct mass marketing and connect with thousands of prospects in one go. Also, it is cost-effective, simple to launch, and result-bearing. 

However, you need to take care of a few things, like printing high-quality items and mailing them on time. If that is too much work for you, try PostGrid’s print and mail services. They can assist you from start to finish of your campaign and make your job a breeze. 

Interested in conducting a door drop delivery campaign? Read our e-books below to know more:

• Direct Mail Automation.
• Direct Mail for Healthcare Industry.

Ready to Get Started?

Start transforming and automating your offline communications with PostGrid

SIGN UPREQUEST A DEMO

The post Door to Door Mail Delivery appeared first on PostGrid UK.

Via https://www.postgrid.co.uk/door-to-door-mail-delivery/

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/door-to-door-mail-delivery

How to Send a Postcard Internationally

TABLE OF CONTENTS

REQUEST A DEMO

Sending Postcards Abroad is Easy: Connect to The World Successfully

Most companies are now running to implement direct mail for efficiently delivering their marketing message. Unfortunately, most businesses do not know how to send a postcard internationally as modern businesses never use direct mail as a communication or marketing channel. But, the rising popularity of direct mail is undeniable, and postcards are the most effective direct mail for business communication.

Postcards often connect with people like no other communications channel. Furthermore, personalised postcards are more likely to strike an emotional chord in the recipients. Despite all the advantages of postcards, marketers still can’t employ them to the fullest extent.

Hence, we have created a quick guide to help you understand how to send an international postcard for your business. The guide takes you through the essential aspects of international postcards, including the address format, its cost, and delivery duration. You will also learn about a new and advanced way of conveniently sending international postcards with zero error.

Sending A Card Internationally

Sending international postcards is always confusing for individuals as well as business organisations. For example, the address format is one of the things that is confusing about international postcards. Do you use the address format defined by the Royal Mail or the postal service provider of the recipient’s country?

Similarly, many more questions come to the sender’s mind when sending a postcard internationally. Yet, when sending postal mail for businesses internationally, postcards are preferred over any other postal mail format.

Most companies send postal mail in bulk, which can be somewhat expensive, especially to international addresses. Using postcards instead of any other postal mail format enables businesses to minimise their net expenditure. Furthermore, it is easier to print, store, and transport in bulk than other formats.

Letter vs Postcard

One of the biggest questions about sending international mail for business organisations is whether to use letters or postcards. As you may already know, a standard letter includes an envelope. But, when it comes to postcards, you don’t need an envelope.

Hence sending postcards is less expensive than letters as it does not require envelopes. However, on the other hand, letters offer a certain amount of privacy to the mail’s content. Another note about letters is that their postage is based on weight and size.

Even though postcards come in different sizes, most businesses use the standard postcard format for their direct mail communications. Hence, the cost of sending a card internationally remains relatively low.

Don’t know how to create a business postcard? Take a look at our previous blog, “Business Postcard Ideas & Examples,” to learn how you can use Postcards for your business.

Universal Postal Union's Standard Postcard

The Universal Postal Union specifies a standard size for postcards so that the sender can qualify for the standard rate. The following table shows the standard size specified for international postcards. 

Postcard Shape	Minimum Length	Maximum Length	Minimum Height	Maximum Height
Rectangle	140mm	235mm	90mm	120mm

Additionally, the Universal Postal Union also suggests that you ensure the material used for the postcard is stiff. The stiffness will help the postcard survive the long journey to its destination. Businesses should also be careful not to make their postcards too small, minimising the net cost.

If the postcard is too small, the postal service providers, including the Royal Mail, will not mail it. On the other hand, if the postcard is too large, it usually gets classified as a letter, and your business will end up paying higher postage.

How To Address An International Postcard?

Addressing an international Postcard is relatively easy. You can start by writing the address on the right side of the postcard. It should be easy to locate the position of the address because there are usually three or four horizontal lines provided on the postcards.

You can either write the address by hand or print them. The only thing is that the address must be easily readable. When sending postcards abroad, it is usually preferred to use the standard address format of the recipient’s country. So, if you are sending a postcard to the USA, use the standard address format specified by the USPS. 

Use The Left Side For Correspondence

We know that the right side of the postcard is reserved for the address. But the left side of the postcard is for you to write the correspondence. The correspondence can be anything from pitching a new product/offer to inviting the recipient to an exclusive event when it comes to business mail.

Include The Return Mailing Address

You may also include your business’s return mailing address on the left side of the postcard. However, make sure to position the return mailing address to the upper left corner of the postcard. Businesses also write the return mail address vertically To get more space for their message. Apart from providing the return address, it also serves as the separation between the address part and the correspondence part of the postcard.  

Keep The Bottom Edge Of The Postcard Clean

Although it is not always the case, many postal service providers, including USPS of the US, use the bottom edge for affixing labels. There is also the chance that postal service providers use the bottom edge for printing when they process the mailer. Hence, it is best to avoid writing or printing anything on the postcard’s bottom edge.

Address Format For Sending International Postcards To The US

Many businesses in the UK have international clients from all over the world. Hence, US addresses are common for the bulk international mail companies send. Furthermore, it will give you a broad idea of how to send a postcard from UK to USA. The address format for sending international postcards to the USA is as follows.

Recipient Name
Street Address (With the apartment/suite number)
City, State, ZIP code
USA (country name)

For US addresses, the postal code is called the ZIP code. Instead of an alphanumeric one we use in the UK, the US uses a numeric code. The ZIP code is often prone to more error than any other part of the postal mail address. Even getting a single digit wrong can cause your postcard to get returned.

Hence, most businesses prefer to use an advanced direct mail system like PostGrid for printing and delivering their international bulk mail. PostGrid uses an automated system for printing and delivering direct mail, ensuring no error in the postal code or the address.

What Is The Cost Of Sending An International Postcard?

The cost of sending postcards abroad via Royal Mail is the same as sending letters internationally. However, the rate of sending international mail changes depending on the mailing service your business uses. 

Some popular Royal Mail postal services companies send their business postcards as 1st and 2nd class mail. The postal service each company needs depends upon how fast they want the mail delivered and how much they are willing to pay for it. 

How Long Does It Take To Send A Postcard Internationally?

The delivery period for international postcards can vary depending on the mailer’s destination. For most European countries, it takes only three to five working days.

However, sending postcards anywhere else in the world can take anywhere from six to seven days. It is also worth noting that the Royal Mail provides a compensation cover-up worth up to £20 and free returns for undelivered items.

Why Use PostGrid To Automate Postcard Delivery?

Most businesses use an automated direct mail solution like PostGrid for sending a card internationally. There are numerous advantages of using an automated system like PostGrid for sending postcards. One of the most significant advantages of an automated system like PostGrid is its accuracy.

PostGrid ensures that all your international addresses are standardised and there is zero chance for an error. Hence, you can ensure that your postcards are printed with the correct address down to the numeric/alphanumeric postal code.

Additionally, service providers like PostGrid use quality printers and papers for your postcards. It ensures that the postal service can quickly sort and deliver your postcards. Hence, you can minimise the return rate of your direct mail and get maximum reach for your direct mail communications.

Perhaps the best thing about postcards is that they can be used by pretty much any industry vertical. For example, in the real estate industry, they can use postcards to pitch listed homes to their target audience, along with pictures of the property. PostGrid even offers specialised direct mail services for the real estate industry.

Conclusion

Sending postcards abroad, especially in bulk, is not easy, and there are a lot of challenges that modern marketers can’t overcome. Using an automated direct mail tool like PostGrid for sending international postcards can take the burden off businesses.

PostGrid is a holistic direct mail solution that takes care of everything related to international postcards. You can personalise your business postcards, print them as per the standards of postal authorities and deliver them. 

The automated system ensures zero error and maximum convenience for companies that send postcards internationally to their customers. Furthermore, PostGrid even gives you access to its template gallery to easily create postcards for your company.

Ready to Get Started?

Start transforming and automating your offline communications with PostGrid

SIGN UPREQUEST A DEMO

The post How to Send a Postcard Internationally appeared first on PostGrid UK.

Via https://www.postgrid.co.uk/sending-postcards-internationally/

source https://postgridunitedkingdom.weebly.com/blog/how-to-send-a-postcard-internationally