Overnight Delivery Cost: How to Boost Next-Day Shipping Using Royal Mail?
Royal Mail delivers billions of items to nearly 29 million UK addresses daily. It is one of the largest postal organisations globally and offers many mailing services to customers. Along with the standard delivery options, it also provides overnight mailing.
Overnight mail helps customers send time-critical documents and other items conveniently. Though the overnight delivery cost is relatively high, it facilitates quick decision-making, enabling you to operate efficiently.
Imagine you need to mail an invoice to a client urgently or send a cheque before the due date. These situations can lead to work pressure and several inaccuracies. However, you can solve these problems effortlessly by paying a bit extra for Royal Mail overnight delivery cost and availing of this service.
You have a broad range of options, including Royal Mail Tracked 24, 1st Class Mail, 2nd Class Mail, etc. Select a service according to your mail dimensions, destination, and budget. If you have any doubts, you can contact Royal Mail and enquire about their overnight delivery cost.
This article talks more about how much does overnight delivery cost. Keep reading further to explore every overnight mailing service in-depth and choose one that best fits your needs!
What is Overnight Mail and How Does It Work?
Overnight mailing refers to delivering marketing, compliance, or transactional mail items the next day. It is the most effective way to send crucial documents and other articles to their destinations in the least time possible.
Some companies believe they cannot afford the Post Office overnight delivery cost if they mail items regularly. However, they can easily manage their budget and mail efficiently using automated direct mailing services like PostGrid. We offer the most affordable rates across the UK and get all the tasks done on your company’s behalf.
Also, all Royal Mail options have a different overnight delivery cost. You can compare the services and their features before deciding which one to use.
Overnight mail travels from the origin to the destination within one day. You can lodge an item today, and Royal Mail can deliver it by tomorrow unless it is a public holiday. Also, not all services offer weekend delivery, so enquire about these aspects beforehand.
You can pay the Royal Mail overnight delivery cost at the Post Office and lodge your items over the counter. Or, you can affix the stamps and drop the envelopes or parcels in a nearby mailbox.
Ensure to lodge your items before the cut-off times for specific services. It helps Royal Mail send out the pieces on time to assure guaranteed delivery.
What Factors Can Affect the Royal Mail Overnight Delivery Cost?
There are no fixed rates to mail a document somewhere overnight. The overnight delivery cost varies widely depending on numerous factors, like
Origin and Destination
The distance between your mailing origin and destination can lead to broad price differences. Sending something to the same city costs much less than mailing it across the country. Also, some rural places might have higher rates because it is hard for the postal workers to reach there.
However, ensure that the place you are mailing to is eligible for overnight delivery cost. If the destination is too far and it’s hard to get there in time, Royal Mail can refuse overnight delivery to such locations.
Mail Weight
The weight of your parcels and envelopes is also a prime factor in determining the Post Office’s overnight delivery cost. Most of these services have a specific weight cap for packages and letters. For example, your letters and large letters cannot exceed more than 100g and 750g, respectively. Royal Mail considers heavier mail items as parcels and charges an overnight delivery cost accordingly.
Thus, you may need to send some heavier envelopes as parcels owing to these weight restrictions.
Dimensions
The dimensions of your mail items also decide how much does overnight delivery cost. Here are the prescribed mail dimensions by Royal Mail:
| Item Type | Maximum Length | Maximum Width | Thickness (including and up to) |
| Letters | 24cm | 16.5cm | 0.5cm |
| Large Letters | 35.3cm | 25cm | 2.5cm |
| Small Parcels | 45cm | 35cm | 16cm |
| Medium Parcels | 61cm | 46cm | 46cm |
| Parcelforce Parcels | 1.5m | 3m length and girth combined | – |
| Parcelforce Large Parcels | 2.5m | 4m length and girth combined | – |
| Cylinder and Rolled Shaped Parcels | The parcel’s length plus twice the diameter should not exceed 104cm. Also, the greatest dimension cannot be more than 90cm. | ||
Shipping Option
As said earlier, all mailing options have a different overnight delivery cost. These prices depend on the features that come with the Royal Mail services. For instance, you may have to pay extra with the Post Office overnight delivery cost for tracked items because they provide an additional feature.
Also, the mailing speed differs with every service, affecting the rates considerably.
How Much Does Overnight Delivery Cost and What Are Your Options?
Royal Mail has an exclusive range of mailing services to help individuals and businesses mail their items hassle-free. Here, we have mentioned some of the most popular and speedy options to allow you to choose better:
Royal Mail Tracked 24 and 48
These options offer fully-trackable services, meaning you can track your items throughout their postal journeys. The Royal Mail Tracked 24 option helps you deliver mail within one working day. Its overnight delivery cost starts at £5.46 for small parcels.
If you can wait another day, opt for Royal Mail Tracked 48 and ship your items within two days. This service is a little budget-friendly compared to the former.
Before getting into the Royal Mail overnight delivery cost, note that this option is only for sending parcels. The maximum weight limit for Royal Mail Tracked 24 and 48 items is 20kg and 2kg, respectively.
Also, you can only mail parcels that do not exceed 61cm x 46cm x 46cm to avail of the correct overnight delivery cost. You may also ship rolls and tubes, but you must keep them within the dimensions discussed above.
Below are the features of Royal Mail Tracked 24 and 48:
- Tracking up to the delivery point for recipients and senders both
- Free management reporting
- Free collection without paying an additional fee above the overnight delivery cost
- In-flight delivery is possible
- Online GPS delivery confirmation
- SMS or email notifications about the estimated date and time of delivery
- Optional signature on delivery
- Local Collect
- Optional Age verification to confirm that your mail reaches the right hands
- Safeplace (allowing recipients to allot a secure place for mail drops)
- Rates start at £5.46 for Tracked 24 and £4.74 for Tracked 48
Royal Mail 24 and 48
The Royal Mail 24 and 48 services are the same as the tracked options but without the tracking feature. Also, you may ship your time-critical items within the same timeframe by paying the overnight delivery cost.
Here are some helpful features of these mailing services:
- Discounts for presorted and bulk mail
- Online GPS delivery confirmation
- Affordable overnight delivery cost for urgent, 1-2 day shipping
- Optional signature on delivery on choosing with the Royal Mail Signed For option
- Safeplace
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am and 1 pm
It is the speediest option to send urgent mail items to your customers, suppliers, and other third parties. You can get your items delivered as soon as 9 am the next day via this Royal Mail service. However, its Post Office overnight delivery cost can be expensive compared to other options.
If you are looking for an affordable option, try opting for Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm. It helps deliver your items just four hours apart, but the overnight delivery cost is relatively lower.
The maximum weight limit is 2kg and 10kg for Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am and 1 pm, respectively. Here are the features:
- Signature on delivery
- Money-back guarantee
- Email or SMS estimated delivery notification
- Tracking up to the delivery point
- Online delivery confirmation
Optional extras:
- £2,500 compensation cover
- Saturday delivery
- Consequential loss coverage of up to £10,000
- Local Collect
- ID and age verification
You can avail of these speedy Royal Mail options by paying the overnight delivery cost. Also, it enables you to send all types of items, like letters, large letters, parcels, tubes, and rolls.
Find below the overnight delivery cost chart for Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9 am:
| Weight including and up to | Compensation cover of up to £50 | Compensation cover of up to £1,000 | Compensation cover of up to £2,500 | |||
| Standard | Guaranteed Saturday Delivery | Standard | Guaranteed Saturday Delivery | Standard | Guaranteed Saturday Delivery | |
| 100g | £22.95 | £25.95 | £25.15 | £28.15 | £28.65 | £31.65 |
| 50g | £25.95 | £28.95 | £28.15 | £31.15 | £31.65 | £34.65 |
| 1kg | £27.95 | £30.95 | £30.15 | £33.15 | £33.65 | £36.65 |
| 2kg | £33.95 | £36.95 | £36.15 | £39.15 | £39.65 | £42.65 |
Here is the Post Office overnight delivery cost for the Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1 pm:
| Weight including and up to | Compensation cover of up to £50 | Compensation cover of up to £1,000 | Compensation cover of up to £2,500 | ||||||
| Price | Online
price |
Guaranteed Saturday Delivery | Price | Online
price |
Guaranteed Saturday Delivery | Price | Online
price |
Guaranteed Saturday Delivery | |
| 100g | £6.85 | £6.35 | £11.22 | £7.85 | £7.35 | £12.42 | £9.85 | £9.35 | £14.82 |
| 50g | £7.65 | £7.15 | £12.18 | £8.65 | £8.15 | £13.38 | £10.65 | £10.15 | £15.78 |
| 1kg | £8.95 | £8.45 | £17.74 | £9.95 | £9.45 | £14.94 | £11.95 | £11.45 | £17.34 |
| 2kg | £11.15 | £10.65 | £16.38 | £12.15 | £11.65 | £17.58 | £14.15 | £13.65 | £19.98 |
| 10kg | £15.45 | £14.45 | £21.54 | £16.45 | £15.45 | £22.74 | £18.45 | £17.45 | £25.14 |
| 20kg | £19.45 | £18.45 | £26.34 | £20.45 | £19.45 | £27.54 | £22.45 | £21.45 | £29.94 |
Royal Mail Sameday
It is another quick mailing service that needs you to pay a Royal Mail overnight delivery cost. If you lodge an item in the morning or early afternoon via this option, the Post Office processes them immediately. Thus, your mail arrives on the same working day smoothly.
Royal Mail Sameday is the most reliable option for fast mailing as it offers:
- Real-time satellite tracking
- Available 24 x 7 on all days of the year
- Email delivery confirmation
- Automatic loss cover of up to £2,500
- Additional coverage of up to £10,000
- Optional Same-day On-Demand and Scheduled
Companies can mail up to 1,350kg, but they need to pay a higher overnight delivery cost because this service is quite expensive.
Royal Mail 1st and 2nd Class
These are the standard Royal Mail services with an affordable overnight delivery cost and reliable deliveries. You can mail a maximum of 20kg using Royal Mail 1st Class and only 1kg for 2nd Class.
Some more features include-
- Online delivery confirmation for parcels
- Saturday delivery
- No minimum mailing requirements
- Optional signature on delivery if you opt for the Royal Mail Signed For service
The delivery estimate for 1st Class and 2nd Class Mail is 1-2 business days. They are effective options for businesses who want to pay a minimal overnight delivery cost and send various types of mail pieces.
Royal Mail 1st Class and 2nd Class Signed For
The Signed For options are ideal when you want the recipient to sign for the receipt of a mail piece. It helps you have proof of delivery and offers peace of mind that the mail has reached its correct destination.
Find below the features and overnight delivery cost of the Royal Mail Signed For services:
- Digital delivery confirmation
- A £50 compensation cover
- Signature on delivery
- The Post Office overnight delivery cost begins from £4.85 for 1st Class small parcels and £4.20 for 2nd Class
Below, we have drafted an overnight delivery cost chart for Royal Mail 1st Class and 2nd Class Standard and Signed For options:
| Weight including and up to | 1st Class | 2nd Class | |||
| Standard Price | Signed For Price | Standard Price | Signed For Price | ||
| Letter | 100g | 85p | £2.25 | 66p | £2.06 |
| Large Letter | 100g | £1.29 | £2.69 | 96p | £2.36 |
| 250g | £1.83 | £3.23 | £1.53 | £2.93 | |
| 500g | £2.39 | £3.79 | £1.99 | £3.39 | |
| 750g | £3.30 | £4.70 | £2.70 | £4.10 | |
| Small Parcel | 1kg | £3.85 | £4.85 | £3.20 | £4.20 |
| 2kg | £5.57 | £6.57 | £3.20 | £4.20 | |
| Medium Parcel | 1kg | £6.00 | £7 | £5.30 | £6.30 |
| 2kg | £9.02 | £10.02 | £5.30 | £6.30 | |
| 5kg | £15.85 | £16.85 | £8.99 | £9.99 | |
| 10kg | £21.90 | £22.90 | £20.25 | £21.25 | |
| 20kg | £33.40 | £34.40 | £28.55 | £29.55 | |
| A compensation cover up to | £50 | £50 | |||
Parcelforce
If you want to send large parcels, you should opt for Parcelforce mailing. It allows you to send heavier packages quickly to any location in the UK and worldwide. The various Parcelforce options you can avail yourself of at an overnight delivery cost are –
- Express 9: For delivery by 9 am the next day
- Express 10: For an affordable delivery by 10 am the next day
- Express AM: Convenient for individuals and businesses who need a ‘by noon’ service for a lower overnight delivery cost
- Express 24: For delivery within 24 hours
- Express 48: For delivery within 48 hours
- Express 48- Large: For shipping large parcels quickly
The Royal Mail overnight delivery cost for express 9, express 10, and express AM starts at £17.54. Express 24 costs you £16.68, and Express 48 costs as little as £8. The Express 48 for large parcels option is relatively expensive with a starting rate of £31.80.
Why Use Direct Mail to Send Urgent Items?
Some people who aren’t aware of the potential that direct mail holds may ask why can’t they use email to send time-critical messages. And we are here to list the reasons direct mail is still the most effective and popular communication channel:
- Attention-grabbing: Most companies pay the overnight delivery cost and send documents via offline mail to catch the recipient’s attention. With overflowing inboxes, it is better to take a different approach where you can guarantee that the recipient reads your message proactively.
- Long-lasting: Recipients keep 75% of business mail pieces at home for over four weeks and revisit them at least five times on average. Hence, businesses choose to avail of speedy mailing services for an overnight delivery cost.
- Memorable: Offline mail is easier to remember for people by 49% compared to email. You can send many transactional and marketing items via mail—primarily using automated solutions like PostGrid. Some of the most popular examples are –
- Postcards
- Letters
- Invoices
- Statements
- Contract agreements
- Cheques
- Newsletters
- Tax and legal documents, etc.
- Trustworthy: 51% of recipients prefer getting confidential and sensitive information by mail. So, it makes sense to pay the Royal Mail overnight delivery cost and ship items by post instead of risking a data breach via email.
Direct mail is no longer daunting and expensive because you can now automate everything. PostGrid’s direct mailing API is curated to allow you to send mail items online—speedily and affordably. Thus, you don’t have to worry about a high overnight delivery cost. You can integrate our API into your system and send mail pieces in any volume at industry-best pricing.
We recently attended the Collision Conference 2022 in Toronto, Canada. It allowed us to connect with several industry players who visited us from across the globe and discuss how automation is the new era for direct mail. While interacting with them, we came across a simple fact that customers don’t need to plan their campaigns months in advance or calculate their Royal Mail overnight delivery cost anymore. They can get everything done in minutes with only a few clicks on their device.
The conference helped us share how PostGrid works to help small, medium, and large-scale companies conduct successful mailing campaigns. So, if you are still thinking about why to use direct mail, you can talk to our sales team now and see how PostGrid helps you save up to 75% of costs.
To Conclude
Keeping efficient and quick next-day mailing options handy helps businesses ship items without wasting time. It also allows them to operate more efficiently and align their marketing and sales activities conveniently.
Royal Mail provides tons of next-day shipping services you can select from, depending on your budget and needs. Also, you can choose the optional extras by paying a little more over and above the overnight delivery cost—to avail of more features.
The Royal Mail overnight delivery cost may seem expensive, but they are the best way to ship urgent documents. Also, there are many ways to lower your expenses, like using PostGrid’s print and mail API solutions. We offer several features to help make your mailing experience effortless, like:
- Design templates
- Real-time tracking
- Address verification
- Print and mail fulfilment
- Bulk discounts by presorting items
- Bulk mailing
- Campaign triggers
- Affordable pricing plans to help you reduce the overnight delivery cost
- Campaign insights, etc.
Request a demo now to learn more about Royal Mail overnight mail costs and how PostGrid can help you keep your expenses in control!
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